
Raspberry Pi Official Case - ingve
https://www.raspberrypi.org/raspberry-pi-official-case/
======
crimsonalucard
My phone should be doing all of this by now. Technically it's more powerful
then the pi (and has a better case then this), just not as good from a
usability/hack-ability standpoint.

I wonder what's stopping someone from producing an all in one device:
Desktop/phone/hobbyist micro-controller

Startup idea?

~~~
nine_k
RPi is $25-35. A phone is at least $100, most probably $300-ish. What would
you prefer to accidentally fry when fumbling with DIY electronics?

This one would be enough, but why stop.

A lot of space in RPi and similar boards is dedicated to I/O pins and jacks.
Would you carry an 1" thick device (or even an 1.5 cm thick device) instead of
your current phone?

RPi runs various flavors of Linux, RPi2 will also run Windows 10, and you can
try to run an entirely different OS. Are you comfortable changing the OS of
your phone? Is it easy?

Well, you see. A phone is a piece of your life-support infrastructure (think
calling 911), while an RPi is an entirely different thing that most people
want to keep separate.

~~~
nivla
> A phone is at least $100, most probably $300-ish.

Not really. The prices have dropped tremendously. I recently picked up the
Alcatel C1 for just $9 at the local frys. Sure it is under powered compared to
the flagship phones, but it is really capable enough for tinkering, it also
has a touchscreen and comes installed with Andriod KitKat 4.2, which could
also be rooted. [1]

The low end Lumia phones always go on sale and has amazing specs for what you
pay. For example Lumia 635 (on sale $19-$49) has IPS display, 5mp camera, Quad
core 1.2GHz and a good amount of sensors. [2] However the gripe with these is
these are not as hackable as Andriod, so good for backup phone but not so good
for DIY projects.

[1]
[http://www.cnet.com/products/alcatel-c1/](http://www.cnet.com/products/alcatel-c1/)
[2]
[http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_lumia_635-6254.php](http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_lumia_635-6254.php)

~~~
beagle3
While you can get phones at these prices, not that they are locked to a
provider and subsidized by them. The cheapest 3G+Wifi no-strings-attached
phones I could find whenever I looked were always $35-$45, and it's been that
way for 3 years now, and they always have mediocre specs (low res screen, low
capacity battery, old android).

But they ARE usable for many uses RPi is, and they do have a working 3G and
WiFi, and also a touch screen, a speaker and a battery

------
juliangoldsmith
Still waiting on that DSI screen [0], which they announced over a year ago,
but never actually started producing.

[0] [http://raspi.tv/2014/raspberry-pi-official-7-inch-dsi-
protot...](http://raspi.tv/2014/raspberry-pi-official-7-inch-dsi-prototype-
preview)

------
4ad
Non-stackable case?!?!?

Why, just why did they think that a curved top was more important than the
ability to stack more devices together, or to make it easier to fit in a
simple and precise slot.

~~~
crimsonalucard
Same reason why all cars nowadays look like cough drops. Aerodynamics.

It's a common feature added to many objects. My laptop, furniture, shampoo
bottle, my backpack, my smart phone etc.. etc.

Whenever I see an aerodynamic building I just laugh, because when I throw my
ugly smart phone into the trash, at least the aerodynamics makes it a bit
faster while it's flying through the air. But buildings? Why? those things
don't even move.

~~~
extropic-engine
Actually, aerodynamics are really important for buildings, especially tall
ones.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_engineering](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_engineering)

(OK, you were probably being sarcastic! But wind engineering is cool!)

~~~
Stratoscope
The Citicorp building in New York City was a particularly scary case of wind
engineering (or lack of):

[http://www.damninteresting.com/a-potentially-disastrous-
desi...](http://www.damninteresting.com/a-potentially-disastrous-design-
error/)

------
shabble
I quite like the ModMyPi Modular Case[1] for being nicely built, and having
things like optional locking covers for the SD card and USB/HDMI ports, which
can be set up so they're only removable after you open the whole case. Or you
can trim the tabs and they are just aesthetic/strain relief.

The best part is a bunch of stackable spacer-plates between case and lid that
let you put various stack-ups of expansion boards and still get the lid on.

My biggest complaints would be the lack of good mechanical drawings (although
that's true of I think every single case I've looked at), and that the slots
for LCD/camera ribbons are default-open, when they could have been a snap-away
seam or something since I'm not convinced most Pis have them attached anyway.

This new one looks interesting, but the curvy bits will be a nightmare to put
UI controls (buttons, etc) in, and (probably) can't easily be swapped for
laser-cut replacements. Maybe 3d-printed ones? Although I don't know how
durable a 1-2mm thick panel would be with most hobby technologies, and how
long htey'd take to make.

[1] [https://www.modmypi.com/raspberry-pi/cases/modmypi-single-
co...](https://www.modmypi.com/raspberry-pi/cases/modmypi-single-
colour/modmypi-modular-rpi-b-plus-case-black)

------
BillTheCat
I cut some holes in the box it came in and am using that as a case. It's not
pretty but it sits at the back of a shelf so no one sees it anyway.

I feel it embodies the hacker mentality of the pi.

------
jokoon
I just want a thick, 6 or 7 inch laptop with a foldable keyboard.

I don't know why nobody is doing such a pocket "laptop". It would be really
great to type code. I can't really type properly with a touchscreen, it can be
sluggish, maybe I need to get used to it, bu typing characters like []{}();
etc is not really practical.

Maybe because there's nothing else than android for something between a laptop
and a smartphone. One might want a minimal OS, but that could do a little more
than android.

~~~
chx
The Sony Vaio P is a 8" laptop, closest to this. It has an insane high res
screen too. It's really small, I had one.

~~~
pierrec
Unfortunately it's kind of outdated and no manufacturer has taken up this
unique form factor since the VAIO P. When they do, they are guaranteed to have
my money.

For someone who heavily relies on keyboard use and mobility, I find it has
upsides relatively to the tablet + keyboard cover in several ways. First, the
specialized dimensions of the screen, chosen to match a decently sized
keyboard, no more and no less. Second, the absence of a kickstand and the
flexible rigidity of the keyboard/screen joint, making it a real "laptop": you
can use it on your lap and on uneven surfaces.

------
mschuster91
A case? Seriously, what?

There's an unused display connector on millions of Pis, and the firmware stuff
for CSI is not open so you can't connect $random_camera_chip to your Pi.

That's where the priorities should be, imho.

~~~
MarcScott
Please remember that Raspberry Pi is an educational charity, with a focus on
advancing computing education.

For parents and kids, a nice case to protect the hardware with easy access to
GPIO pins is probably more of a priority.

~~~
mschuster91
But there's already a huge external market for cases of all sorts, I wonder
why the Foundation needs to throw in yet another option...

~~~
bduerst
Call it what it is - an extra way to raise funds. Because they're non-profit
and could supposedly use the proceeds on the next iteration, I have less
qualms with them doing it than the myriad of case manufacturers out there.

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sjs382
It doesn't seem like they would stack very well, which might be an issue for
some users. It looks pretty, though!

------
soggypenny
I absolutely love it when companies publish their product development stories.
Being forced to switch injection molding suppliers mid-production is often a
nightmare scenario for product developers, and it's great that they were able
to salvage their tooling. I'd love to learn more about what exactly was wrong
and how they were able to fix it.

------
jstsch
Nice story, and the new case looks cool. Will get one. Just wanted to chime in
that I've been hacking a bit with the r-pi again the last few weekends and
that the recent Raspbian distro is really quite polished, especially compared
to where we came from back in 2012.

Had some sensor/gpio fun (1-wire temperature probe, http post to web, SQLite
and some Google Charts), with a random wifi dongle, working quite nicely
straight from the box. Same with another pi (classic model b), 1usd aliexpress
webcam, humidity sensor, some quick scripts and another random wifi dongle.

Great fun and highly recommended for a weekend of (home automation) hacking.

~~~
carussell
> the recent Raspbian distro is really quite polished, especially compared to
> where we came from back in 2012

The background of the original Raspbian is easily my favorite part of the
entire Raspberry Pi story.

[http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/03/how-
tw...](http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/03/how-two-
volunteers-built-the-raspberry-pis-operating-system/)

------
aaggarwal
For just about $8, this is awesome. I wonder if they will open-source its
design files for 3D printers.

------
richerlariviere
Quite cool but I prefer to build a custom lego case, which brings a DIY
feeling. :)

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schappim
Technical Specifications:

\- Official enclosure from the Raspberry Pi Foundation

\- 5 part enclosure

\- Dimensions: 96mm x 70mm x 25mm

\- Raspberry coloured enclosure with White removable lid and sides

\- Removable lid is provided for easy access to the camera and display ports.
This removable lid will also support access to an attached Raspberry Pi HAT
device.

\- Removable GPIO side is provided for easy access to the 40-pin GPIO port
(and attaching a ribbon cable).

\- Compatible with the Raspberry Pi 2 Model B and Raspberry Pi Model B+

Source: [http://raspberry.piaustralia.com.au/products/raspberry-pi-
of...](http://raspberry.piaustralia.com.au/products/raspberry-pi-official-
case)

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totallynotcool
I am a huge fan of this[1] case. I like the single power input for powering
the pi and a USB hub. I like the room inside the case for adding things; hhd,
gpio pins. I just wish this design was more common... and cheaper.

1\.
[https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00JNXERM2/ref=aw_wl_ov_dp_1_...](https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00JNXERM2/ref=aw_wl_ov_dp_1_4?colid=PQH6ARGND1VQ&coliid=I2JRCBRXH0TEKZ)

------
SloopJon
Had been looking at some fancier ones with wood or aluminum accents on Amazon,
but cheap is good. I almost picked up a cheesy case at Micro Center today, but
now I think I'll go with this cheesy one instead. Priced right at less than
$10, and the removable lid is a nice touch.

------
shabble
Those copper blocks about halfway down look a whole lot like sinker EDM[1]
electrodes, which makes me question the accompanying quote: " _instead you
have to use magic electrolysis (like they taught you at school)_ ". Spark
erosion isn't really electrolysis in any way I can think of, and is
sufficiently awesome of its own right that it deserves more attention :)

[1]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_discharge_machining...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_discharge_machining#Sinker_EDM)

~~~
tonylemesmer
Correct. I think Gordon just used the wrong word as he's a hardware rather
than a plastics guy :)

------
shabble
Injection moulding is one of those ubiquitous technologies that appears
deceptively simple (heat plastic; squish into mould; eject), but in reality is
amazingly complex.

The number one fact people seem to know about it is "Oh, the mould tooling is
really really expensive", which is kind of true, but doesn't really tell the
full story.

The issue is that the mould is operating at very high pressures, rapidly
temperature cycling, and still requires very high accuracy. Plus you need it
to survive for the life of your production run.

On a large scale, this means using hardened steel[1[ milled or EDM'd from a
solid block. The texture of the inside of the mould cavity directly determines
the surface finish of your parts, so it needs to be polished mirror smooth,
even though it's probably not flat.

Then it gets even more fancy. The moulds usually need channels bored through
them as close as possible to the cavity, which will allow coolant to be pumped
through to set the plastic faster so it can be ejected. Some complex shapes
also have internally embedded heating elements to keep the plastic liquified
for long enough to reach where it needs to be.

Then you have the ejector mechanisms, usually some pins driven pneumatically
to push the solid moulding out of the fixture at the end of the cycle. They
need to retract to precisely the right depth during moulding otherwise you end
up with those little dimples characteristic of IM parts.

And it gets crazier still: some parts will have embedded metal or other
plastic parts such as bearings or threaded screw inserts. These get inserted
each cycle by a robotic fixture when the mould is open. It then closes up and
the plastic is injected around them. Doing this with multiple types or colours
of plastic is the 'double-shot' technique that lets you put rubberised grips
or other embedded features into things.

Oh, and time is money, so each part is ejected as soon as possible to start on
the next cycle, so everything has to be incredibly delicately choreographed,
but left long enough that you get a decent yield of useable parts.

When I learned about all of that (and probably a whole lot more I don't know),
it makes sense how expensive the whole thing is upfront. There's also the
costs incurred by your factory in shutting down production to change out the
tooling to run your job.

One of the coolest things I've seen online is Kenneth Maxon's home-made
injection moulding rig[3] (although just about all the other things he does
are pretty astounding too. I'd claim it's only technically home-made because
he lives there ;p)

[1] Protomold[2] get away with doing it a lot cheaper because they mill moulds
out of aluminium, which is much less durable but entirely acceptable for short
production runs.

[2] [http://www.protolabs.com/injection-molding/fundamentals-
of-m...](http://www.protolabs.com/injection-molding/fundamentals-of-molding)

[3]
[http://www.users.qwest.net/~kmaxon/page/side/mold_mach_137.h...](http://www.users.qwest.net/~kmaxon/page/side/mold_mach_137.htm)
[4]

[4] WARNING: serious 90's webdesign, and sadly a lot of broken images.

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teekert
Very nice, most cases really don't take into account the fact that you want
the GPIO easily accessible while the Pi is in a case.

But I'm still very much waiting on this touchscreen:
[http://techcrunch.com/2014/10/21/pi-
pads/](http://techcrunch.com/2014/10/21/pi-pads/) It was announced for and of
2014. Does anybody have any news on this?

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vfclists
What is wrong with cases that can be properly stacked up? I find these cases
with odd shapes and curved tops a total waste of space. If you have four of
these on a shelf you prefer to stack them up and save space. Why can't
designers be more sensible and give practicality more importance than looks?
Computer equipment doesn't exist to be admired. It exists to be put to work.

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Ellipsis753
The site is down for me. Here's a cached version:
[https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:MXZRQ7...](https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:MXZRQ7LhaaEJ:https://www.raspberrypi.org/raspberry-
pi-official-case/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk)

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UserRights
very disappointing to see this company not spending one single thought about
environmentally acceptable materials, instead polluting the world with even
more plastic.

please do not even start with "but recycling works" \- it does not. We have to
stop using these materials, now.

Apple, of course, is allowed to produce plastic poison products, because they
have such a cool logo and buying their stuff makes me a soldier of the cool
army of individualists, that I am so proud of being allowed to march in step
with.

------
MrBlue
No power button?

