Ender 3 super slim micro SD extension cable protector

thingiverse

Protective Cover Safeguards Micro SD Extension Cable Plugged into Slot I designed and built a custom mount to seamlessly integrate an SD card reader onto my Ender 3's control panel; check out the design on Thingiverse at https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3451823. The micro SD plug in the slot is incredibly exposed, making it vulnerable to damage or accidental dislodgement from the slot. While various protective cover designs exist on Thingiverse, most are bulky and obstruct the USB slot. To address this issue, I created an ultra-slim protective cover that not only shields the micro SD plug but also secures the cable without hindering the USB port or obscuring ventilation vents. To achieve an extremely slim fit, I modified the micro SD plug to minimize its protrusion from the slot and allowed the cable to run underneath the electronics enclosure. This modification results in a 5mm protrusion when connected. The method used to modify the micro SD plug involved: 1. Using a Dremel with an abrasive wheel, I trimmed approximately 3mm from the wide end of the micro SD plug, close to where the cable is soldered on, to eliminate unnecessary length. 2. At the point where the plug tapers from the width of the micro SD card, I carefully scraped away paint and lacquer from the copper tracks on both the top and bottom surfaces, creating a 3mm-wide area for clean exposed copper to enable soldering. 3. Employing a Dremel with an abrasive wheel, I cut almost all the way through the micro SD board: completely through the upper tracks and the fiberglass board but not through the copper tracks on the underside. 4. Next, I bent the board down at 90 degrees, applying a small bead of solder at the bend point on the underside tracks to strengthen the bend while taking care not to short circuit between tracks. 5. Subsequently, I soldered fine wires over the bend on the upper side to reestablish connectivity between the top tracks. 6. Once all tracks were restored, I applied black cyanoacrylate glue to cover the exposed copper tracks on both sides at the bend point. 7. With the modifications complete, I was able to securely mount the SD reader in the control panel mount (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3451823) and route the cable under the main electronics enclosure to the micro SD slot. To install the protective cover, remove the screws from the front Y-axis belt pulls and rotate the pulley bracket out of the way. Then, slide the cover into place from the front; it will "lock in" firmly due to its snug fit.