Tong Family

Wow, got four different kinds and it is a little frustrating as they don’t have *any* installation instructions at all, so here’s a guide:

1. MCM Electronics Clear Pi Case. This allows a camera, an expansion board, so is “double” height, but I can’t find installation instructions anywhere. It appears to be made by Adafruit, but not clear. Anyway, inserting the board is a “no screws required” operation, you have to peel off the plastic protective around it. The case just snaps closed, so you have to take the top and bottom off. Then you distort the case, by putting in the RCA video side first. Then gently push and hope the HDMI connector goes through without cracking the case. The Raspberry Pi camera has no apparent mount, so I just pushed in it in there. There four little rubber feet and you push into the bottom. Also the case, doesn’t allow you to put in a “double” thickness” low form factor SD card adapter which is to wide, a little file and this would work. So you can’t use the really small ModMyPi SD holder, but you can use the slightly larger Adafruit one.
2. Elson Designs Pice. This is a rock solid aluminum case (the case cost 2x the computer!). Again, no instructions, but there is an instruction guide (pdf). The main thing is to make sure to insert the camera first and make sure it work because the camera cable itself is very delicate. So first install the cable, then check to make sure it works. Boot the pi and run, “raspistill -o foo.jpg” and see if you get an image. Then install the camera, remove the shippping plastic from the lense, insert the O-ring, then snake the cable. This thing really wants a round USB cable that is right handed. There is a rubber-O also for that exit. It’s a nice product. Make sure not to lose the thermal conductors and then carefully put on top.
3. eBay Raspbeery Pi Stack. Not sure the exact name, but was $15 from China. A nice build system. No instructions, but pretty easy to figure out. You first take the short brass screws and put them in the center diagonal holes. The put the Raspberry Pi (has to be Model B with the screw holes in it). Then screw it in. Insert the camera. Put the heatsinks on the power supply, cpu and the io chip. The camera just kind of hangs out, so need to figure out a mount. Then put in the taller brass posts and there are brass ends you put in the bottom as the “feet”. Put a stack in and repeat as needed. The last layer is a clear piece. Put this in and there are longer aluminum screws. Very compact and completely extensible.