The Prototyping Nightmare: From Chaos to Reliability

I've tackled various projects in the past, many of them large-scale and heavily involving electronics. In my experience, the toughest challenges aren't always the technical aspects, like writing software or connecting wires. Instead, it's figuring out how to make the setup reasonably secure, reliable, and quick to deploy in the field. Too often, you end up with wires everywhere—jumper cables snaking across breadboards, sensors dangling precariously, and everything held together with nothing more than hope and electrical tape. It's fine for rapid testing on the bench, but as soon as you need something durable for real-world use, it all unravels (quite literally). This has been my reality far too many times.

Prototyping should spark excitement, not feel like a constant fight against disorder. That's what inspired me to envision a system that's truly modular, effortless to expand, and free from the tangled mess of connections that plagues so many builds.

Picture of the early days of the project at university. Look at all those cables in the bottom right corner. It works, but not reliable.

The PLC Predicament: Costly Overkill and Wiring Woes

Traditional Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) set the benchmark for industrial automation, but they're far from ideal for makers and prototypers. First off, they're notoriously expensive—I've recommended them to friends working on similar prototypes, only for them to balk at the price and stick with makeshift Arduino setups instead. Even for me, without severe budget constraints, it's tough to justify shelling out that much for a field-deployed prototype, especially when I rarely use half the features I'm paying for.

The wiring situation doesn't help either; it's rarely neat or straightforward. You often deal with a web of parallel cables just to distribute power to sensors and controllers, turning the whole thing into a confusing nightmare. I've always wished PLCs could incorporate simple conveniences like internal pull-up resistors, similar to what you get on an Arduino—it would make life so much easier.

The Spark: Discovering Arduino Opta and Its Limitations

The release of the Arduino Opta PLC was exciting news for me—it's a solid step toward making industrial-grade control accessible to makers. I'm still using it in some industrial setups, but it falls short in flexibility compared to modular electronics from places like Adafruit. For instance, we once brainstormed an annunciator system that plays an MP3 voice recording when someone walks by—something the Opta isn't really designed for, and it shows in its constraints. Even before the Opta came along, options were limited, and now with it, the base configuration feels restrictive. If you're handling a larger number of I/O points, expansion modules become essential, which quickly drives up the costs.

Market Exploration: Alternatives That Almost Hit the Mark

This got me curious about the broader landscape, so I dove into market research to see what else was available and why none fully satisfied my needs.

Here's a quick overview of my findings:

• Controllino: I've used it in the past, but its reliance on I2C and IDC connectors isn't the most elegant solution—it can complicate wiring and integration.
• Industruino: I haven't tried it hands-on, but from what I've seen, it comes across as pricey for what it offers, especially for prototyping.
• Iono: It's a neat option overall, but the form factor doesn't fit well in standard electrical cabinets, and you'd often need an extra HMI for proper usability.
• Revolution Pi: From Kunbus, this is a modular Raspberry Pi-based PLC with expandable I/O modules. It's capable, but the higher price point makes it better suited for full-scale industrial applications rather than casual hacks.
• NORVI: More affordable than the Arduino Opta, but it feels a bit janky in build quality. The expansion options are quirky, and it has an old-school vibe with things like Mini USB ports.
• ERQOS: It looks promising aesthetically, but it sticks too closely to traditional PLC layouts without much innovation, and it's not as cost-effective as I'd hoped.

Each of these has its strengths, but they all miss that ideal mix of low cost, ultimate modularity, and adaptability across environments. They're often too inflexible, overpriced, or lacking the true "hackable" spirit that makers crave.

Envisioning the Future: A Qwiic/Feather-Inspired Modular Powerhouse

So, where does that leave us? My goal is to build a Qwiic/Feather-style modular system—compact, standardised modules (drawing from SparkFun's Qwiic for effortless daisy-chaining) that click together without hassle. The real game-changer? Encasing it all in a custom, DIN-rail mountable chassis built for durability in demanding conditions. From a cozy home lab to a rugged factory prototype or even portable applications, this setup should thrive anywhere.