Add a new shape or include in Port Opening shapes: Anderson Powerpole Connector Library

[Joepic9]

Anderson Powerpole connectors are the de facto standard DC power connector in amateur radio, solar, RV, and robotics. A parametric library in Layerling would let users drop a correctly sized cutout or mounting pocket into an enclosure instead of measuring by hand.

Reference dimensions — PP15/30/45 series (the most common; all three current ratings share one housing):

Single-pole housing: 7.9 mm wide × 8.4 mm deep × 24.6 mm tall (0.31 × 0.33 × 0.97 in)
Mated pair length: 41.2 mm (1.62 in)
Max wire insulation OD: 4.45 mm (0.175 in)
Housings stack side-by-side on a dovetail; pole-to-pole pitch is 7.9 mm
Two-pole block: ~15.8 mm wide; three-pole: ~23.7 mm; four-pole: ~31.6 mm
Mounting wing fastener hole: 4.6 mm square (0.18 in)
Retaining pin hole between stacked housings: 2.4–2.6 mm (0.093–0.103 in)
PCB contact holes: 1.8 mm (0.070 in)

Multi-pole configurations to support: 1, 2, 3, and 4 poles as first-class presets, with an option to extend further. Anderson's own multipole datasheet shows 2-or-4-pole, 3-or-6-pole, and 4-or-8-pole blocks using short, medium, and long spacers.

Special considerations:
Finger-proof housings have ribs on the mating face and will not mate with standard housings — worth a toggle so a cutout isn't ambiguous.
Green keyed housings (premate ground) are also non-mating with standard — another toggle or a note.
Wire exit direction matters: contacts can be straight, right-angle, or horizontal, which changes where the cable breakout sits on the enclosure wall.
Hole clearance: a printed pocket should run 0.2–0.3 mm oversize per side for reliable insertion; the dovetail adds a slight undercut that may need a draft angle or a split-shell approach.
Overhangs: the dovetail grooves print best oriented vertically or with minimal support inside the groove.

Where developers can find authoritative specs:
Anderson Power Products PP15-45 datasheet: https://www.andersonpower.com (search "Powerpole PP15-45")

Mouser mirror of the multipole datasheet: https://www.mouser.com/datasheet/2/22/powerpole_multipole-1158212.pdf

Assembly instructions PDF covering all amperage series: https://www.connex-electronics.com/html/products/anderson/pdfs/pp_assembly_instr.pdf

Ham radio overview with contact sizing by wire gauge: https://hamcall.net/PowerpoleFMLY.pdf

The dovetail stacking is the part most likely to trip up a naive extrusion, so calling that out explicitly may save the developer a round of trial prints.

[henmedia]

@Joepic9 thanks for the detailed write-up, the dimensions and datasheet links help a lot! The port opening already has plugs from model batteries, which @plazmabokor added just today.

@plazmabokor would you like to take the Powerpole blocks (1 to 4 poles) on as well?

If layerling is useful to you, you can chip in here to keep the project going. Thank you!

[plazmabokor]

Thank you, @henmedia. I will not take the Powerpole blocks on for now. The size notes from @Joepic9 are a good start, and I am happy to review it if someone picks it up.

[henmedia]

@Joepic9 thanks again for the dimensions and the datasheet links. The port opening now has Powerpole blocks of 1 to 4 poles (PP15, PP30, PP45) after D-Sub 9, sized from Anderson's drawing: 7.9 mm per pole, with room for the dovetail tongues and about 0.25 mm all round, so 8.9 x 8.9 mm for one pole up to 32.6 x 8.9 mm for four. The finger-proof and green housings, the wire exit and the mounting wings are not in it. It's in layerling 1.145.0: Port openings

@plazmabokor thanks for offering to review it.

[Joepic9]

THANKS for all of your effort and the great group of developers that have teamed up with you. I have never seen such rapid development. David @Joepic9 thanks again for the dimensions and the datasheet links. The port opening now has Powerpole blocks of 1 to 4 poles (PP15, PP30, PP45) after D-Sub 9, sized from Anderson's drawing: 7.9 mm per pole, with room for the dovetail tongues and about 0.25 mm all round, so 8.9 x 8.9 mm for one pole up to 32.6 x 8.9 mm for four. The finger-proof and green housings, the wire exit and the mounting wings are not in it. It's in layerling 1.145.0 : Port openings @plazmabokor thanks for offering to review it. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub , or unsubscribe . Triage notifications, keep track of coding agent tasks and review pull requests on the go with GitHub Mobile for iOS and Android . Download it today! You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Message ID: <henmedia/layerling/repo-discussions/1190/comments/19428498 @ github . com>