Digital Dial Indicator/Caliper Connector with Built-in Level Shifter

thingiverse

This is a connector for a digital dial indicator (or a digital caliper) with a built-in logic level shifter. It reads out the low-voltage measurement signals from the dial indicator, then raises the voltage of those signals to be compatible with an Arduino development board, (such as the Mega or the Uno.) The connector "pins" really need to be solid wire, but the cable really needs to be flexible stranded wire. By combining the connector with the level shifter, I was able to use solid wire to make contacts on the connector, and hold them immobile by soldering them to the level shifter PCB. I then soldered the stranded wire needed for the harness to the other end of the level shifter PCB. Works wonderfully with Wel-Hsiung Huang's software. He outlines how to make the connections to the dial indicator (or caliper) and the level shifter in this blog post: http://wei48221.blogspot.com/2016/01/using-digital-caliper-for-digital-read_21.html He also provides working Arduino code. What more could you want? The level shifter housing is my contribution, but the connector design comes from Masterkookus: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2155073 You can see how to bend the wires to fit this connector on Masterkookus' Thingiverse post, and learn how to wire up the level shifter on Wel-Hsiung Huang's blog.