Raspberry Pi Zero 2W Dock System

Raspberry Pi Zero 2W Dock System

This is a modular dock system for the Raspberry Pi Zero 2W, designed to be used with a custom 8 mm chipboard enclosure.
It allows the Pi Zero 2W to be mounted and removed easily from outside the printer case, while providing a cleaner connection setup.

Part 1: Pi Zero 2W Housing

The first part is a small enclosure for the Raspberry Pi Zero 2W, which provides the following features:

USB Type-A connector support:
A slot is provided for a female USB Type-A connector soldered directly to the USB test points underneath the Pi Zero 2W.
This way, you can avoid using the fragile onboard Micro USB port.

40-pin IDE header support:
The housing includes a space for a 40-pin IDE connector.
By installing a standard 2x20 (2.54 mm) pin header on the Pi Zero 2W and inserting it into the housing, the GPIO pins are converted into an IDE-style connector.

LED passthrough:
A small hole is aligned with the Pi Zero 2W’s power and status LEDs, making them visible from outside.

• Cooling support:
  The housing leaves space above the CPU, allowing you to install a heatsink directly on the processor.

Part 2: Case-Mounted Dock

The second part is the dock system, which allows the Pi Zero 2W enclosure to be connected to the printer case:

• Holds a 40-pin IDE connector attached to a ribbon cable.
• Mounts securely to the enclosure wall, exposing the connector to the outside.
• When the Pi Zero 2W housing is plugged in, the GPIO signals are routed directly into the case.

This way, the Pi Zero 2W can be easily removed or swapped without opening the printer enclosure, while maintaining solid GPIO connectivity inside the case.

Features

• Modular two-part design: housing + dock.
• Clean USB integration using test points.
• Converts standard GPIO header into a robust IDE-style connector.
• Easy access to LEDs and cooling space for CPU heatsinks.
• Case-mounted dock provides quick insertion/removal of the Pi Zero 2W.Raspberry Pi Zero 2W Dock System

This is a modular dock system for the Raspberry Pi Zero 2W, designed to be used with a custom 8 mm chipboard enclosure.
It allows the Pi Zero 2W to be mounted and removed easily from outside the printer case, while providing a cleaner connection setup.

Part 1: Pi Zero 2W Housing

The first part is a small enclosure for the Raspberry Pi Zero 2W, which provides the following features:

USB Type-A connector support:
A slot is provided for a female USB Type-A connector soldered directly to the USB test points underneath the Pi Zero 2W.
This way, you can avoid using the fragile onboard Micro USB port.

40-pin IDE header support:
The housing includes a space for a 40-pin IDE connector.
By installing a standard 2x20 (2.54 mm) pin header on the Pi Zero 2W and inserting it into the housing, the GPIO pins are converted into an IDE-style connector.

LED passthrough:
A small hole is aligned with the Pi Zero 2W’s power and status LEDs, making them visible from outside.

• Cooling support:
  The housing leaves space above the CPU, allowing you to install a heatsink directly on the processor.

Part 2: Case-Mounted Dock

The second part is the dock system, which allows the Pi Zero 2W enclosure to be connected to the printer case:

• Holds a 40-pin IDE connector attached to a ribbon cable.
• Mounts securely to the enclosure wall, exposing the connector to the outside.
• When the Pi Zero 2W housing is plugged in, the GPIO signals are routed directly into the case.

This way, the Pi Zero 2W can be easily removed or swapped without opening the printer enclosure, while maintaining solid GPIO connectivity inside the case.

Features

• Modular two-part design: housing + dock.
• Clean USB integration using test points.
• Converts standard GPIO header into a robust IDE-style connector.
• Easy access to LEDs and cooling space for CPU heatsinks.
• Case-mounted dock provides quick insertion/removal of the Pi Zero 2W.