I had a bunch of fun designing this tiny retry PC that actually works. I figured I'd share it here in case anyone else is interested. It uses fairly cheap components and is a quick assembly.
Required stuff:
- Raspberry Pi Zero W
- Power supply for the pi
- A 3.2" touch screen. I used model #MPI3201.
- 4 - 2x4mm or similar screws
Optional stuff:
- USB 2.0 Breakout Board
- 2 more 2x4 screws
- 12mm x 15mm Power Switch
- Soldering Iron
How to build:
- Print everything. (Try beige for that 90's feel). The bottom and the vents may need supports. The rest should be fine without.
- Screw the raspberry pi into the case with the SD card pointed towards the vent opening. (these can be removed for access later). I had to slightly drill out the holes on the raspberry pi for my screws.
- Push the LCD panel onto the GPIO pins
- If using a power switch, install that in the bottom. Cut into your USB power cable, split the red wire and connect the ends to the terminals on the switch. The remaining wires should stay connected as they were. Add electrical tape over all exposed wires/connections.
- If using a USB port, find an old microusb cable and cut the end off, keeping the side that plugs into the pi. On the cut end, solder the wires to the usb breakout board. Tape all exposed wires/connections and screw the usb board in place.
- Connect the power & usb cables to the pi. The power cable can be wrapped around the pegs in the base to prevent it from getting pulled out.
- Press fit the vents, bezel, and back into place.
- Super glue the keyboard in place.
- Search this page (http://www.lcdwiki.com/3.2inch_RPi_Display) for “images download” and download the image which has drivers already installed. Use the raspberry pi imager to install the image onto your SD card.
- It should be working at this point! You may need to explore the best resolution, rotation, and software now. Don't expect it to be a powerhouse, but it makes a great desktop dashboard!
Tags
The author marked this model as their own original creation.