Common Enclosures

The most common case you’ll find is a bare-minimum, two-piece enclosure that snaps together. This is the most abundant case in the wild, especially on Amazon and eBay. I’m just pulling one example that ranks in the “okay” quality range. In this bottom-tier range, expect to pay more in shipping than the cost of actual case. In hindsight, you’ll wish you bought these at checkout with your Raspberry Pi. The cases shown in Figures 4-1 through 4-3 are likely what you get if you just pick the first piece of plastic in a Google search of “Raspberry Pi case.” This vast selection of mediocrity lies within a general price range of $2–$8, depending on how frugal you search for a nickel’s worth of injection molded plastic. This is by no means an indication of the quality of the case, some are rather good. The mold is usually accurate to the Pi’s dimensions, and decent plastic is used in the mold.

Most of these cases are snap fit and usually do nothing more than dress up your RPi level above a bare circuit board. Depending on your mileage and applications for the future, cases with cutouts that allow access the GPIOs, camera, and display ZIF connectors might be a feature worth having.

While there is nothing inherently wrong with these cases, do read on. Some of these cases take on some unusual design aesthetics to stand out from other two-piece cases and in the process have some design flaws. These flaws can be rather deal breaking like interfering with USB or HDMI cables with bulky shrouds on the cable end. You’re more likely to toss that $4 case then buy a new HDMI cable. You’ll likely avoid a case of buyer remorse if you take some time to see all your options for Raspberry Pi cases. These simple plastic cases are more for the hardware hacker that just needs to protect their integrated Pi within their larger hardware project. You can do a lot better to show off the work put into your retro game console enclosure if you continue your search efforts.

The Official Solution

Recently the Raspberry Pi Foundation officially released their own case. This case should only be purchased from verified resellers listed on the Raspberrypi.org web site. This case is likely the most copied case as it closely associates the reputation of the Raspberry Pi with a branded logo on top. This case, shown in the figure, is solely a snap fit case. No additional hardware is required. The official Raspberry Pi case makes a quality case that requires no setup time if you simply want to protect your Raspberry Pi and move one.

Figure 4-4 shows the official Raspberry Pi case; note the branded Raspberry Pi logo.

A nice feature of this enclosure is its modularity as shown in Figures 4-5 and 4-6. Need to access the GPIOs? Simply remove the top snap fit panel. Have a bulky HDMI cable that just will not make full electrical contract? Remove the A/V header panel.

This list expands for other countries, so be sure to visit www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-a-case/ for authorized resellers in your area.

If you like the reputation the RPi carries and prefer a simple, it-just-fits case to protect the RPi, look no further. This case is also produced in black/gray if the red/white color theme doesn’t suit your taste.

An Industrial Feel

“If it’s heavy, then it must be expensive” is also a category for Raspberry Pi cases. From what started as a solid block of metal, usually aluminum, you can encapsulate your Pi in the fine finishing of machined metal. From anywhere in the low range of $15 to $50 and up, these cases definitely give the Pi some heft and beef. An appreciated factor is the added weight. If your gold-plated HDMI cable pulls your Raspberry Pi off your media center shelf, a metal case might help affix it in place. These cases are also a mixed bag, and going off of reviews is one thing to help weed out the subpar enclosures. CNC machining cannot complete with injection molding economies of scale, so if you see a “CNC machined” case in the same price range as an injection molded case, I would stay away.

Figures 4-7 and 4-8 show a low-range metal case (found on amazon.com for around $15) made from aluminum. Fortunately, the Raspberry Pi’s mechanical footprint has been pretty consistent since the Pi 2 B+ model; therefore injection molded cases have come down significantly since the tooling has paid for itself. Assuming the Pi footprint will not change, production CNC machining can closer match the plastic molded price range over time. Prices for machined cases have dropped since their first appearance in the market. Just note, if you are seeking a purely machined case, you will be paying for the machine and tooling time. There are little economies of scale when every case must be machined from a solid block of metal. Expect to pay for the premium cases. I can tell you I did not buy one just to take a photo of it.

One nice feature about solid metal cases is the heat dissipation method, likely passive in the following example. If you find a well-toleranced case, some include a protrusion of metal. This protrusion is usually positioned right above the Pi’s main processor, and with some thermal tape to bridge the very tiny gap, the case is now the CPU heatsink. The case pulls heat from the CPU with the help of thermally conductive tape or foam to transfer heat from the Pi’s main CPU to the case.

With the help of some thermally conductive paste or tape, you can remove (sink) heat generated from the Pi’s main processor and dissipate this heat into the case itself. Again, this feature requires dimensions with relatively tight tolerances, and if the price of your case seems just too good, don’t expect this claim to ring true. If you look closely at Figure 4-8, you can see tooling remnants (a small ring left from the tool mold) at the contact point of the heatsink to CPU junction. This protrusion should ideally be machined smooth. You will get what you pay for.

3D Printed Case

Continuing with a DIY theme, 3D printed cases are the most prevalent in design and low-cost options (if you own a 3D printer). Ranging in the simplest designs to ones that tailor to a specific theme or icon of gaming. If you’ve ventured in the realm of 3D printing, you’ve probably already looked at thingiverse.com for user submitted designs. The following case (Figure 4-9) was printed from user Walter Hsiao on thingiverse.com under the search name “Sleeve case for Raspberry Pi.” This is a two-piece case, but just the larger part will suffice to protect your RPi.

3D printed cases can be temperamental depending on the printer you use. Everyone designs using a slightly different process, so unless you have a finely tuned and well-calibrated printer, the case you print might be too small by a fraction of a millimeter and you’ll find yourself running another 12-hour print. The highest rated or most popular submissions on thingiverse.com are usually quite reliable and viable options. I don’t recommend the 3D printed enclosure route unless you own a printer. Reprinting because of user error is rite of passage with 3D printers. One must embrace the process of reprinting parts because you forgot to account for part shrinkage. But if 3D printing feels more like a hassle, there are other options.

Of course, there are online printing services, but it really defeats the appeal of 3D printing—producing a part on the spot. If you’re fortunate to own or have access to a 3D printer, thingiverse.com is a great resource.

Thinking Out of the Box

I can say one feature you will find in abundance with Raspberry Pi cases on Thingiverse is many case options including a rear-TV mount method. If you make a case for your Pi, you still have to figure out where to put this tiny box among your other substantially larger media equipment. The simplest way to address the “where to put my Pi” among your gaming setup is to sidestep the problem. Just hide it. Why not mount the Pi behind your TV or monitor? Here’s a take on mounting a Raspberry Pi to an LCD monitor in Figures 4-10 and 4-11.

The TV mount is a handy feature if your TV is freestanding and you’d rather have the RPi tucked out of the way. The method I demonstrated is for smaller monitors (19” pictured).

I use this as a cheap, all-in-one computer for teaching or tabling at conventions. The carry handle is the key feature. If your TV or monitor has a built-in power connection like 12VDC on many business class Dell monitors, you could tap into this and power your Pi. That’s what I’ve done in Figure 4-12. Pictured is an overengineered step-down converter PCB with the same mounting pattern as the RPi. Threaded standoffs keep everything connected to the VESA bracket.

Rear mounting your Pi to a TV can be as elegant or as overengineered as you like. Here’s a mechanical drawing in Figure 4-13 of the aforementioned method; just add holes to mount your RPi. Note there are a total of four sets of VESA mounting holes: two for 75mm and two for 100mm, all with M4 holes.

You can laser cut this part or just transfer the hole locations to a ¼”-thick piece of wood and be done with it. Strapped to the rear of your TV or monitor, you don’t have to worry about the Pi being tugged off your shelf because of heavy HDMI cables or when your cat walks behind your media center.

Themed Cases

As you browse user-submitted content for DIY cases, you’ll start to notice many fit a theme. Some satisfy specific tastes like Han Solo frozen in carbonite shown in Figure 4-14.

Along these same lines, one can find more refined tastes among the retro gaming themes. Printing a NES, Sega Genesis, SNES, or PlayStation style console is pretty common; however, there are better options. Manufacturers spend time looking for trends via video game themes. Raspberry Pi cases are no different. The retro gaming market is in a bit of a renaissance in more than just HD remasters. In regard to Raspberry Pi cases, the company RetroFlag has produced some exceptional products. These cases are usually sold on Amazon, through RetroFlag’s Amazon shop, and I strongly suggest you purchase from there, a known source. There are many imitators of this case. Stick to RetroFlag if you want quality. Granted this case is nothing more than a glorified USB 2.0 hub, it’s the look of a mini NES (that’s the North American–style Nintendo Famicom), SNES, or Sega Genesis (Mega Drive in Europe) that makes this case so appealing like the one shown in Figure 4-15.

This is the answer to that nostalgia-driven impulse. These cases retail around $25 and are simple to assemble. The retail packaging (not pictured) alone attests to the care and detail put into the case. Along with the necessary screws to assemble the case, also included is a small screwdriver. It’s the attention to detail that pushes this case above standard products in the same category. Let’s have a closer look inside the NES case in Figure 4-16.

The Raspberry Pi is mounted per the instructional diagram included with your case. Follow these instructions carefully. The Ethernet extension and USB hub cable are only as long as they need to be and might require some finessing to seat the Pi properly in the case. These cases include room to add a small fan for active cooling, but using a fan to actively cool your Pi is not a must for most emulation tasks. Close the case and secure the remaining screws. The front USB panels shown on the NES case are two additional ports for USB controllers (Figure 4-17).

Lifting the cartridge cover reveals the Pi’s USB and Ethernet connections (Figure 4-18).

The SD card can be accessed from the outside as seen in Figure 4-19.

RetroFlag even went to the lengths to include a fake expansion port cover that can hide extra microSD cards (Figure 4-20).

The outstanding features of this case are the features that extend above just a well-designed enclosure; these are working power and reset buttons (refer to Figure 4-18). Yes, these are functioning buttons. Caution should be known as these are hardwired power-interrupt buttons. Toggling the power or reset buttons will interrupt the main power to your Pi. The buttons on this NES case are not software-enabled buttons that would activate a script and turn off the Pi by activating a shutdown state. These are hard on/off and reset buttons. New versions of these cases add the option to connect to the Pi’s GPIOs. Along with some added scripts the user must install, these buttons can be used as soft rest and power buttons. Adjacent to the power button is an illuminated LED. Shown in Figure 4-21 are the final touches of these case designs. The NES case (pictured right) has an access door akin to the front-loading design of the original, while the Genesis case has a hinged top lid for storing SD cards. The latter is not all that useful, but it’s still a feature! This probably checks off the final boxes for nostalgia if you’re looking for a retro gaming–themed case. I’m more partial to a Sega Genesis, so let’s assemble a Mega Drive/Genesis version case from the same manufacturer.

Let’s start with an unboxing of the case. We can see the included screwdriver and hardware to secure the two halves of the enclosure in Figure 4-22.

Power to the case gets routed from the stand-alone micro USB port in the back. The power port gets rerouted to the PI’s 5V and GND GPIO headers shown in Figure 4-23. Be sure to connect this cable with the correct orientation, the wrong way may damage your Pi. This cable is very short, do not pull it.

Turn the Raspberry Pi upside down, this is how it will rest in the case (Figure 4-24).

Secure the Pi using the included screws, but only fasten the two holes nearest to the larger PCB within the case (Figure 4-25).

Insert case’s USB plug into the Raspberry Pi USB ports (Figures 4-26 and 4-27).

Place the other half of the enclosure to complete the shell; add five screws to the unused side of the case (near the perimeter) as shown in Figure 4-28.

If you need wired Ethernet, you can access the Pi’s Ethernet port by removing the panel also shown in Figure 4-28 and route your network cable through this.

The SD card port can be accessed by lifting the side port shown in Figure 4-29.

Extra SD cards can be stored in the top lid previously shown in Figure 4-21. This RetroFlag Genesis case features something different than the NES case, it has a software shutdown feature that can be implemented with an additional python script. Since the GPIOs 2,3,4, and 15 are wired into reset and power buttons within this case, we can use as labeled but following the Pi’s guidelines for safe shutdown and reset. Following the github link included in the instructions (omitted here) will provide details how to install this extra script. This will allow the Raspberry Pi to soft-shutdown or reset via software if the appropriate power or reset button is pressed.

Build Your Own

Outside the realm of designing, laser cutting, or 3D printing a custom case, you can go one step further and pay homage to the console of your choice. Replacement console shells are no longer a common commodity found on eBay, so I recommend (in the respect of preservation of retro game consoles) find an unrepairable console and gut it. In the following example, we will use a PlayStation 1 console with a failed CD-ROM assembly, salvage its shell, and repurpose it as a Raspberry Pi enclosure.

Gathering Supplies

Depending on how detailed you want to get, this can be a very involved process compared to what we’ve covered previously in this chapter. Let’s start by looking at the items needed to build an enclosure with shell from a PlayStation 1 console.

To build the following, you’ll need:

• PlayStation 1 model SCPH-1001 (that powers on)

• 3D printer or access to one

• Gray spray paint

• 4x M3x17mm SCPH-1001 standoffs

• 8x M3x8mm screws

• PlayStation 1,2, 3 AC power cable

• Multimeter (to measure voltage)

• 2x USB 3.0 extension cable, 6 inch long

• DC-DC step-down (buck) converter

• Soldering iron

• Misc wires (22–26 AWG) and some heat shrink tubing

Here’s a SCPH-1001 model PlayStation, one that will not read discs (Figure 4-30).

I’ve picked an original PlayStation for a few reasons: it has a roomy interior, a large open cutout at the rear (on this particular model shown in Figure 4-31), a power supply, and a switch we can reuse.

The outer shell is in decent condition. Most indie retro game stores will have a pile of broken consoles in the back deemed not fit for resale. Don’t be afraid to ask to take some off their hands. You might get questioned, but as long as you’re upfront and not directly competing with their business in your endeavors, they will usually cut you a deal. This unit set me back $5. I was looking for a unit that did not read discs but still contained a working power supply.

Console Surgery

I’ve removed the CD-ROM assembly and metal shielding (Figure 4-32).

I’ll save the main CPU board and power supply. The main CPU board still works, so it will be saved, although it is not being utilized in the scope of this project. I used a rotary tool with a cutoff wheel to remove all the standoffs and screw mounts that support the main CPU board. Leave the power supply supports and mounts intact. This gives me a flat service to plan my layout and mount the Pi shown in Figure 4-33.

Again, Thingiverse is a great resource. I found this USB mounting bracket (Figure 4-34) from user Retro_Emulation that fits in place of the PS1’s memory card and controller ports.

Buying these USB 3.0 extension cables is likely the most costly part in this mod, but the idea is the same; we need a front panel mount connection for USB controllers. I’ve painted this bracket gray as shown in Figure 4-35. Color matching the PS1 console gray was not in my plans; spray paint gray is close enough.

The front view of this 3D printer panel is shown in Figure 4-36. Again, not necessary; however this extra step does sell the look of a finished product. You could always model your own bracket to fit a controller port of your choosing. Using the model found on Thingiverse will get you all the dimensions you need to get started.

The SCPH-1001 case is perfect for this application with its large cutout for RCA connections. Next we will mount the Pi so the HDMI, AV out, and USB power connections are accessible via the rear opening of the SCPH-1001 case. Using a drill (good) or a drill press (best), drill some M3 holes that match the Pi’s four mounting holes. I’ve adjusted the locations a bit hence the extra holes (oops) shown in Figure 4-37. Insert four 17mm M3 female/female standoffs in the four holes.

If you have 5V power supply suited for the Raspberry Pi, you could mount the Pi upside down, place the top cover back on, and mark this mod complete (preemptive Figure 4-38). However, I would like to take it a few steps further for authenticity’s sake.

My goal is to utilize the PS1’s power button, reset button, and the original power supply. The PS1 outputs 7.3V and 3.5V. Using a multimeter, we can verify the location of 7.3V and a ground connection like in Figure 4-39. Place the PS1’s power supply back into the case and fasten it down with original screws that held it in place. Connect the power cord and use a multimeter (Figure 4-39) to identify the 7.6V pin and ground. Be mindful of where your hands are when handling this power supply PCB. Mains voltage is present in the areas shown in Figure 4-40. Do not touch this area when the power supply is plugged into main power.

Note

Figure 4-39 demonstrates a setup with exposed 120VAC. The underside of the PS1 power supply has live 120VAC. Use caution when probing the PCB and measuring DC voltages. Do not place this PCB on a conductive surface, like a metal table.

The RPi can only handle 5 volts at the USB input (more like 5.25V since it uses a cell phone charger power supply), so we need to step down the PS1’s 7V to 5V using a buck converter or switching regulator. These modules are easily found on eBay or amazon.com for $1–$2 each. I’ve actually made a breakout PCB for this module (Figure 4-41), but more on the breakout PCB later. I’ll mount this PCB in the case and power the Pi directly from its 5V and GND GPIO pins. To connect from the now regulated 5V and the RPi, some 22 AWG wire soldered to an extra-long female header is used to make a removable plug (Figure 4-42).

I’ve added some heat shrink to insulate the wire and connector (Figure 4-43).

Note

I have skipped the first pin in the six-position header. Continue to follow along as this will be explained upon further.

Mount voltage regulator with some M3 machine screws as seen in Figure 4-44.

Now, I should mention it’s not really ideal to mix such a modern single-board computer with a power supply 20 years its senior. Do proceed with caution if trying the aforementioned method. The ~7VDC pin is meant to power the CD-ROM motor in charge of spinning the optical disc; the life expectancy of your PS1’s power supply will vary. The early model PlayStations like the SCPH-100x series output 17watts. Later models like SCPH-5xxx and beyond consumed only 10watts. If a Raspberry Pi consumes 5V at 2A, that’s already met our ceiling of power consumption. I do not recommend doing this with a newer model PlayStation. Practically speaking, it’s not like Sony changed the PS1 supply to match the better efficiency; with that said, I have not tested a supply outside this SCPH-1001 model.

As an alternative, you could cut PCB traces and isolate the power switch on the PS1 power supply. After all we are in pursuit of reusing the PS1’s power and reset button. Adding input jack on the rear of the case and a 5VDC wall adapter would accomplish the same feat with some cut traces and bypass wires soldered to the PS1’s “Power” button connection.

Add the USB controller front-mount assembly and zip-tie this down using the horizontal vents on the right side (Figure 4-45).

Before we connect power to the PI, it’s best to take some extra precaution. A mistake here will render your RPi useless. Using only the official raspberrypi.org GPIO pin out as a reference, I made a cheat sheet that identifies all the GPIOs and the power pins. I scaled this to size and printed it out like Figure 4-46.

Since this cheat sheet matches the GPIO headers in size, I can push this paper print out into the headers and use it as a reference label. This way I never mix up 5V and ground (a $35+ mistake). These power and ground headers route past any reverse polarity protection and regulation. They are a direct link to the Broadcom CPU/GPU. Anything wired incorrectly here will destroy the Pi. Figure 4-47 is your measure twice insurance policy.

Connect the power leads to the Pi like in Figure 4-48. Verify you power the ground match your GPIO label cheat sheet. Is your cheat sheet correct? The top two pins on the right are 5V, and the third is ground. I skipped the first pin at the top right. That makes the second and third pin locations on our custom plug 5V and ground, respectively. It’s common practice to wire a plug that connects with an edge reference, hence why we skipped the first GPIO pin. Shifting the plug down one pin is not good practice when establishing references.

The RPi will be mounted using M3 standoffs. Again, the location is not critical, only so the Pi’s AV power can be accessed from the rear (Figure 4-49).

Remount the original power supply back in the bottom half and secure with the original screws like in Figure 4-50.

To keep everything modular, I inserted solid core wires into the original PS1 power supply Molex cable shown in Figure 4-51. As an alternative, you can solder this to the bottom of the PCB where the cable terminates if you wish.

Luckily the laser carriage occupies right above the Pi’s microSD card slot (only on this series PlayStation Model). Mounting the Pi upside down like this will give us somewhat easy access to the SD card (Figure 4-52). Sometimes we get lucky.

Fasten the top half of the PlayStation case with the original screws and enjoy your PlayStation-styled emulation console (Figure 4-53).

Final Thoughts

Who knew something as simple as dressing up your naked Raspberry Pi had so many options? Remember, whatever enclosure route you decide to take, proceed with skepticism. According to the Raspberry Pi Foundation, since 2017 over 12.5 million units have been sold; and each one is a naked PCB. This creates a huge market for cases, many of which are just after your money. Read reviews and forums regarding which case is best and which to avoid. If you want to continue the DIY spirit, 3D print one or better yet make your own. Making your own custom case can be avenue of expression or just pure utility. Broken or unrepairable game consoles are a great starting project to repurpose some iconic plastic into a homage of retro gaming.

Summary

We’ve successfully brought back some life from a discarded (and broken) PlayStation 1 console by converting it into a custom case for our Raspberry Pi. This process was relatively easy because of some large open access panels already present on the case. The large roomy interior helped with cable management too. The majority of the work was relocating the Pi’s side USB ports to the front of the console shell to match its aesthetics.

The same method can be applied to other consoles like the NES, Dreamcast, and so on. Just remember to abide by the unwritten rules of retro gaming. Never destroy a working console. Unrepairable consoles are around if you search for them. You won’t score any good karma by reducing the limited supply of these cherished consoles by sacrificing an innocent console for your custom needs.