Homemade Pi Crust

Introduction

While there are a plethora of Raspberry Pi cases (crusts) available on the market, sometimes a homemade solution is the best. They certainly are the coolest!  One of the hardest parts of this process if getting the size correct. This article will to help you create your custom crust for this sweet awesome Raspberry Pi by providing descriptions for the case size that you intend to construct.  There is nothing worse than putting in hard hours and creativity just to find the the Pi doesn't fit.  Below I will describe the spacing of the ports and plugs for your case creating adventures.

Article Summary

Over all size of the Raspberry Pi 3b - This will cover the total size of the Raspberry Pi and will be very useful when first planning the case you want to build.
Spacing for the mounting points - The Pi has four mounting points that will help secure the board inside the case.
Locations for plugs - Around the edge of the Pi are a variety of receptacles that will require access to make the Pi functional.
Airflow and additional considerations - Depending on the use of your Raspberry Pi, you may want to ensure good airflow, or have access to less commonly used features.

Over all size of the Raspberry Pi 3b

The Raspberry Pi is, most likely, smaller than you think.  Whenever I talk about the size I remember it's small, but not exactly how small.  It never ceases to amaze me when I am holding the actual board in my hand just how small this powerful little computer is. Many people recommend using a credit card as a comparison when talking about the size of the Pi.  This is extremely accurate. However, it does not capture all three dimensions. I recommend when planning your case to use a deck of cards.  This is a little larger than the credit card dimension, but it does capture the minimal dimensions for a case quite well.  So if you want to go shopping for materials for your case, just keep a deck of cards in your pocket for a quick reference.

The over all size is 85 mm by 56 mm, but there are a couple points that stick out past that by a couple millimeters. The USB ports are extended past that on the right, and the microSD card will also protrude from the left a couple millimeters.

Spacing for the mounting points

There are four mounting points for the Raspberry Pi. These are located in a rectangular shape around the board.  They are sized for standard computer screws. Holes can be drilled to 2.75 mm in diameter. It is a good idea to incorporate these into your case design to keep the Pi from sliding around.

The holes are centered 3.5 mm from the edge of the board at the corners on the left side.  The corner mounting points are 49 mm apart. Then a second pair of holes are centered 58 mm to the right of those corners, as shown in the following picture.

Locations for plugs

The edge of the board is cluttered with plugs and ports to utilize the functionality of this little computer.  Some of them may not be required for your specific project. If this is the case feel free to ignore any non-vital openings. The right side has two sets of USB ports and an Ethernet port, which protrude from the board about 3mm to allow them to be flush with a case if the material is the correct thickness.

The bottom of the board has a power plug, HDMI port, and a 3.5 audio port. The inputs will protrude from the board to allow for case thickness.

Airflow and additional considerations

With those details you should be able to create the case with ease.  Remember to measure twice and cut once. There are some extra details to take into consideration.  The Raspberry Pi does generate some heat, so some air flow is recommended over the heat sinks.  The MicroSD card is on the bottom of the board and if you are changing that frequently it might be a good idea to make an opening on the case to allow access.  The MicroSD card also sticks out of the board far enough that it can cause problems if you don't build the case with that in mind.

Conclusion

Building a case for the Raspberry Pi is one of the most rewarding experiences.  Every time you look at it you will think 'I came up with that.' This is one of my favorite things about the Pi.  It can be adaptable and as creative as you want.  So go crazy!