Retro Chip Tester Professional (RCT) 8bit-museum custom case with several options

Custom DIY case for the Retro Chip Tester Professional (RCT)

After getting my Retro Chip tester assembled I was looking for the best housing option.

I found a few models in a zip from the Retro Chip Tester website (https://8bit-museum.de/) however they were a bit primitive. I decided to use them as inspiration but made the new design more slick with threaded inserts, rubber feet, lower profile unit etc. to get more of a professional end looking case.

Print Settings

Resolution:

0.2

Infill: 

100

Filament: CCTree PLA Black

Notes:

Details about the build:

-The case was designed to fit the riser module (8bitmuseum; Distance adapter) for the ZIF socket

-The large capacitor in the PSU area had to be laid flat in order to make the case lower profile.

-The case is compatible with regular display and OLED (see notes below). When using OLED, since its slimmer it mounts directly on the case lid.

-Using a soldering iron makes inserting the threaded inserts a lot easier. I did not kept track of which insert heights I used for each location but just get a kit and its pretty straight forward.

-I printed mine with 100% infill, it makes it more ridig and helped with adhesion. When using lower infill, I was getting more warping.

STL Model List and notes:

-Reset button (Button_Reset_Housing.stl & Button_Reset_Pin.stl)

-Main buttons (Button_Main.stl)

-Case Top Lid for older RCT model with 4 buttons & regular display (Case_Top_Lid_4_buttons.stl)

-Case Top Lid for current RCT model with 5 buttons & regular display (Case_Top_Lid_5_buttons.stl)

-Case Top Lid for current RCT model with 5 buttons & OLED display (Case_Top_Lid_5_buttons_OLED_only.stl)

-Frame when using a regular display, it needs to be screwed to the main PCB and the LCD mount on it (Display_frame.stl) *Model was made by “hardwaredoc”

-Clear pipe window to see the LED from the top of the case (LED_clearpipe_extension.stl)* Printed in clear PETG

-Plate to cover the PSU area, sometimes jumpers are needed and a detachable plate was made to make the process easier (PSU_cover_plate.stl)

-Adapter to hook up the SD card extension to the case (SD_module_adapter.stl) *Model was made by “hardwaredoc”

-Face plate for the SD adapter going through the case (SD_face_plate.stl) *Model was made by “hardwaredoc”

-Main housing case (Case_Main_Housing.stl)

Hardware used:

M3x10mm 10.9 Alloy Steel Button Head Hex Socket Cap https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AXUSPYO/

M3x16mm Thread Button Head Hex Socket Cap Screw https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B1ODJCO/

Threaded Inserts 150pcs Round Insert Nuts M3 Brass Knurl Insert Nuts https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08R3ZX418/

Pack of 100 Square Adhesive Bumper Pads ½” Diameter https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07PDSXKD9/

OLED Display (Optional) https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32929491915.html

Top Decal:

This is a custom decal made with high quality vinyl and thick polycarbonate laminate (scratch resistant finish). It is die cut and its the same material used for arcade control panels in order to give the unit a more industrial finish. I designed the graphics to cover all functions and make it as user friendly as possible. Be careful not to over tightened the screws especially right after the decal installation since it may buckle up around the screws as the adhesive takes time to set.

The decals are available on our store: https://retrolabs.com/products/8bit-museum-retro-chip-tester-pro-overlay-decal-limited

Category: Tools