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Mitchell Norman photo
Netherlands, Amsterdam
1 Level
723 Review
44 Karma

Review on Makeronics 7 in 1 Green RAB Holder for Raspberry Pi, Arduino, Breadboard - Base Plate with Rubber Feet for Pi 4 Model B, 3B+/B, 2B+/B, Zero & Arduino Mega 2560, Uno R3 by Mitchell Norman

Revainrating 3 out of 5

The board needs an overhaul

This is a good product and serviceable, but it has some really annoying design flaws. These design flaws make this ground plane somewhat awkward to use and make wiring difficult. When both the Raspberry Pi and the 2560 board are installed, the SD card slot on the RPi is functionally blocked by the header on the 2560 board. When both the Raspberry Pi and the other board are installed, their USB inputs are on opposite sides of the base board, requiring the cumbersome connection of a USB cable. The screw holes for the breadboard brackets are in the wrong place. Although each breadboard has adhesive foam on the back, it keeps the breadboards in place permanently. If you want the breadboards to be removable, clips are used, but with the screw holes in their current position, the clips will cover some of the breadboard's holes when in use. Both problems 1 and 2 can be solved by moving the screw area of the 2560 under the breadboard area, but rotate it so the 2560 board's USB connectors are on the same edge as the RPi's USB connectors. This results in a more T-shaped appearance. Problem 3 can be solved by moving the clips to opposite sides of the breadboard where they just press against the colored power rail strips and don't cover any holes. Most cables run along an edge,

Pros
  • Hands-free operation
Cons
  • Hard to tell