Creating custom USB Hub for custom Pi case

Hi Joe

Do you have access to either a 3D printer or a laser cutter? If so designing a custom case would be quite straightforward.

If you don't have access, is there a hackerspace or makerspace near you? The guys in there will doubtless have one or both of the above, and would be happy to show you how to customise your own.

Greg

I have access to 3D printers, but my problem is creating or finding a USB Hub that will fit in with the case. (Power and USB ports on the same side with the port you use to connect to the Pi on the inside)
I've looked around and it seems my only option will be to make one, but I have no experience in this, so wondered if anyone might be able to help/get me started.

Thanks

A slight misunderstanding there, but again this is not unsurmountable.

You could take a standard existing hub, remove the ports and power supply connectors and mount new ones on a PCB with the orientation as you wish and make a new case to suit.

Hmm, that simple huh? Thanks for help, I'll have to look into it.

No need for for a PCB. Regular pegboard glued in place would be fine. Just wire everything to the points on the original board. Keep the wires as short as possible to reduce interference.

How would I go about designing a PCB for a Powered USB Hub?

I came across this very thing on kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/10la/raspiado-the-usb-hub-that-fits-your-raspberry-pi

The Developer made a custom USB hub to fit on a Raspberry Pi. He probably has to fulfill his kickstarter pre-orders, but he'll most likely be selling them soon.

That looks nice, unfortunately not what I am looking for.

What I need is the USB ports and power port on the same side, but not the micro USB port so that it can connect to the Pi on the inside of my case and be powered from the outside.

It seems as I would have to create it myself to achieve this, but I just need to work out how to design a PCB for a powered USB hub.

I'm not quite sure what you are asking here. Is it that you don't know how to design any pcb or that you don't know how to design a USB hub ?

If you haven't already designed a few pcbs this isn't the project to start with.

Generic hubs are not that hard to design if you know how to do pcbs because the chip manufacturers publish reference designs.

If you don't know how to design pcbs at all you need to get some practice in with something a bit simpler.

If the Raspiado schematic is availability that would be a good place to get some pointers about hub design.

MK

I had someone to design it for me, but he just changed his mind.

I'll have to look into designing them and start practicing.