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Sketchup file STL file (mm)

This is a SketchUp design created by Cary Owens for a mounting bracket for the Pincsape plunger optical sensors. You can fabricate this using your own 3D printer or a 3D printing service (e.g., Shapeways). The STL file is the same design converted to STL format (in millimeter units), which some online services prefer.

The design should work with both the TSL1410R and TSL1412S versions of the sensor.

The bracket is designed to attach to the mounting plate for the common Williams/Bally plunger. That's the type of plunger used on practically every real pinball since at least the early 1980s, and the dimensions and specs have been standardized for all of that time, so this should almost certainly fit your setup if you're using a real pinball plunger. The bracket slips over plunger barrel, and the three holes in the front face are for the screws that attach the plunger to the mounting bracket.

The sensor itself goes on the inside top of the bracket, with the optical window facing down. The slots on the top of the bracket are spaced to align with the mounting holes in the sensor, so you just need a couple of machine screws and nuts to fasten the sensor. The large rectangular opening on the top of the sensor is for the wires or cable connecting the sensor to the microcontroller board.

Cary recommends fabricating the sensor in a matte black plastic, to minimize reflections (for the cleanest image on the optical sensor). He also recommends printing it with the mounting slot facing down.

A big thanks to Cary for creating and sharing this design.

Here are some photos of the finished product from majorspan on vpforums. He had these fabricated by Shapeways in black PLA plastic. (He recommends PLA over ABS because of PLA's superior strength in this type of design.)