SBC Case Builder V3.0 case design utility has just been released with the ability to create over 1,000 standard cases – not including customization – for popular SBCs from Raspberry Pi, Hardkernel, Orange Pi, Radxa, and others, as well as standard motherboards following Mini-ITX, Pico-ITX, NUC, Nano-ITX, etc.., and SBC adapters following these standards, meaning you could install a Raspberry Pi 5 into a mini-ITX case if needed.
SBC Case Builder started as a command line utility for designing DIY case for SBCs relying on OpenSDAD in April 2022, but Edward Kisiel (hominoids) quickly released version 2 with a GUI in October or the same, and has now further improved the utility with the release of SBC Case Builder v3.0.
Version 3.0 comes with many improvements but the main focus was to reuse existing and new PC standard form factor cases by creating SBC adapters and custom I/O Shields since Edward noted many users lamented the lack of enclosure or a poor choice of cases when SBCs were announced on websites such as CNX Software and others.
Another change is the use of the SBC Model Framework version 2, released in February of 2024, which incorporates openings for the SBC models at a component level in the library. Edward explained it to us as follows:
What this means is that anyone using this library for design has access to autonomous openings for the SBC model, including select-able and dynamic Heatsink, GPIO and UART mask openings. This is best illustrated by viewing the animated graphic at the git repository README.md or the Hardkernel forum thread. The included SBC Model Framework Viewer allows one to review models in the library, their related masks and technical meta data.
99 devices are now supported including 70 SBCs, 3 carrier boards, 8 compute modules, 4 microcontroller boards, and 14 standard motherboards:
- Hardkernel ODROID-C1+, ODROID-C2, ODROID-C4, ODROID-XU4, ODROID-XU4Q, ODROID-MC1, ODROID-HC1, ODROID-HC4, ODROID-N1, ODROID-N2, ODROID-N2+, ODROID-N2L, ODROID-N2LQ, ODROID-M1, ODROID-M1S, ODROID-H2, ODROID-H2+, ODROID-H3, ODROID-H3+, and ODROID-Show2
- Raspberry Pi Pico, Pi Pico W, Pi Zero, Pi Zero 2 W, Pi A+/B+, Pi 3A+/3B/3B+, Pi 4B, Pi 5, CM1, CM3, CM3L, CM3+, CM4, CM4L, and CM4 IO Board
- Pine64 Rock64, RockPro64, Quartz64 Model A and B, H64 model B, and Star64
- Radxa ROCK4A, ROCK4A+, ROCK4B, ROCK4B+, ROCK4C, ROCK4C+, ROCK5B-v1.3(pre-release), ROCK5B, and the new Radxa NIO 12L
- Khadas VIM1, VIM2, VIM3L , VIM3, VIM4
- ASUS Tinker board, Tinker board-S Tinker board 2, Tinker board 2S, Tinker board R2, Tinker board S R2.0
- Orange Pi 5, Orange Pi Zero, Orange Pi Zero2, Orange Pi R1/R1+ LTS
- Libre Computer LePotato, SweetPotato, Tirtium-H2+, Tritium-H3, Tritium-H5, Solitude, Alta
- NVIDIA Jetson Nano
- Sipeed Lichee RV and Dock
- StarFive VisionFive2 SBC
- Digital Loggers, Inc Atomic Pi, an ultra-cheap x86 SBC from a defunct project. Probably out of stock forever now.
- RAKwireless WisBlock RAK19007 base board for IoT prototyping
- Standard motherboard form factor – SSI-EEB, SSI-CEB, ATX, Micro-ATX, DTX, Flex-ATX, Mini-DTX, Mini-ITX, thin Mini-ITX, Mini-STX, thin Mini-STX, Nano-ITX, NUC, Pico-ITX
Once you have generated a case design, you can use the resulting OpenSCAD file with a 3D printer or CNC machine to build the enclosure.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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