Compact RPi
December 2017
The challenge for this project was to make a small computer that could fit in your pocket for debugging and reprogramming projects that it would impracticable to without disassembly.
In conjunction with sigrok and a logic analyser it can be much more portable than having your logic analyser tethered to a pc or laptop. Programming microcontrollers by simply plugging in your programmer of choice into the Pi offers a portable solution for fixing or calibrating microcontrollers.
Behind the screen you can see the familliar RPi model B.
The hardware that was used for this project was: The raspberry pi, an 18650 battery, a recovered boost converter and charging circuit from a power bank, a rocker switch, a 3.5 inch tft display, a 3D printed case and a wireless keyboard.
The CAD was done in solidworks as 2 separate parts. The top part has a cut out for the screen and there is also a cutout for a rocker switch to turn the device on and off. I created 4 mounting holes in the top face and some guides to tap into on the lower part that holds the raspberry pi. The lower part has been modelled to allow access to the usb ports audio jack and hdmi.
The case was printed on my i3 mini after everything was assembled it worked great. My only issue with it was the battery only lasts 1 or 2 hours and the screen is very small. For quickly uploading a program to a microcontroller or using it in conjunction with a usb oscilloscope it becomes a very useful piece of kit.
