How do you mount electronics on a vehicle chassis safely?

I want to implement a control system I designed for a light electric motorbike. I would like to mount it as professionally as possible on the chassis. It consists of a power system pcb and a SAMC21 development board which I'll merge later once this all works properly. I have tried screwing it directly on the aluminium chassis but have found that shocks and vibrations from the horn disturbed the system or even destroyed it upon large shocks. Is there a specific way car and motorcycle manufacturers mount their electronics to make their system as robust as possible?

November 29, 2023

For prototype devices (which should last several months and are OK to fail occasionally), it is usually enough to mount the PCB on rubber inserts instead of bare screws). This greatly reduces peak accelerations your PCB sees, while keeping your prototype accessible and requiring minimum design changes.

For commercial products which should last 10 years or more, you want something more robust. I have seen automotive electronics where parts are assembled (or even the whole device is potted) with RTV silicone, which greatly helps with both mechanical sturdiness and heat transfer.

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Oliver Smith

Oliver is an experienced electronics engineer skilled in PCB design, analog circuits, embedded systems, and prototyping. His deep knowledge spans schematic capture, firmware coding, simulation, layout, testing, and troubleshooting. Oliver excels at taking projects from concept to mass production using his electrical design talents and mechanical aptitude.

Oliver Smith

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How do you mount electronics on a vehicle chassis safely?

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