Adjustable Buck converter case LM2596

thingiverse

I knocked up a quick case for small adjustable buck converters that I use for my Neopixel driver on the Tronxy X5S, but it's likely to be used across all my printers after this success with the Tronxy. Two versions exist: the initial design lacked vent holes and running these around 3 amps caused them to get warm despite their claimed efficiency of 95%. I rectified this by adding an 8mm hole on the side and lid opposite the IC, attaching a small heatsink to the chip as well. A tiny inductor also gets warm but hopefully just ventilation will keep things under control; it never tripped out on over-temperature before, but good practice dictates some air circulation is a good thing. To complete this box, you'll need 4 x M3x16mm cap head screws and a pair of 4mm countersunk holes in the base for securing to your equipment. I used M3 x 6mm countersunk and a pair of T-Nuts to secure it to my Tronxy's 2020 extrusion. Update: July 5, 2020 - For those who want to push this thing to its limits, I created a lid design with provision for a 20mm axial fan. The fan can be powered from either the output or 12-volt input and has mounting points for pogo pins that make contact with the circuit board when assembled but enable the lid to be removed along with the fan without disconnecting any wiring. Additional parts include: A 20mm x 6mm axial fan running at 5 volts, available on AliExpress - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000475308726.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.7bd24c4dZUNgg2 2.5mm x 13mm pogo pins available on eBay - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5Pcs-P953-13mm-Lenght-Spring-Loaded-Contact-Testing-High-Current-Probe-Terminal/362278799832?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 3 x M2 x 8mm cap head or mushroom head screws, available at local hardware stores.