I just started working on a solar project and got this arduino board ,, but since the soldering at bottom is exposed and also the usb cable very thick , which was putting pressure and stress on the usb socket ,,So this tiny board needed some basic support for usb cable and also some protection under the board ,,so I planned to make this simple base ..In order to carry and keep it small I avoided adding breadboad to it ..

Step 1: Materials Needed

Well there is nothing to buy from market as almost every thing is available in general house hold ..

1.plastic board , , thicker the better ,,, if not then go to ply wood

2.cable ties ,, though nuts and long bolt will do ,, but i prefer not to use metalic things on the board , so i used cable ties , which is more flexible

3.plastic tube or pipe to make spacers

4.drill etc

Step 2: Cutting the Plastic Plate

Cut the base according to the size of arduino , make it little bit longer so as to make a support for usb cable

Step 3: Add a Small Thickness Plate to Raise the Level for Usb Cable

Since the usb port is raised a bit , we must add a small plate in order to raise the level ,,

this enables the usb cable to sit exactly right position without stressing the arduino port..

I soldered the additional plate to make it fix

Step 4: Drill the Holes

Drill couples of holes to as to fix the usb cable ,,,, please check the position and mark it properly before drilling

Step 5: Make Space for Cable Tie

Since the cable tie or the bolts must not come out at bottom of the plate , widen the hole at bottom site of the plate

Step 6: Actual Placing

Now the board is ready , its time to put the arduino on the plate ,,

check the gap between the plate and arduino ..now cut the spacers exactly the size of the gap

Step 7: Putting the Cable Tie

Put the cable tie from the bottom portion ,,and put the spacers in between

Step 8: Tightening With Cable Tie

Use another cable tie head to fix it ,,,and cut the additional length

Step 9: Fix the Usb Cable Tightly

Place the cable tie and tie it tightly so that it is fixed and firm ,,, if needed , add more cable tie to secure it

Step 10: Check the Gaps

After placing all the spacers and cable ties ,, have a look from side to see if every thing is correcly done and to the size

Step 11: Finally Its Ready

Now the board is ready , its handy and compact ,,

also now there is no fear that cable will stress the arduino port and open contacts are safe ..

Thanks ...

Introduction: DIY Arduino Mounting Base /Holder