Your pictorial got me to thinking about the difficulties I have experienced with Pi cases. After you have work with the Pi for a while, you soon discover the case is not a simple buy and forget. Depending on what case you purchase, you soon discover limitation.
I started to compile a series of consideration for selecting a case. Here is my starting list. Hopefully others can add from their experiences.
What model of Pi are you using?
Cases are model specific. One size fits all is not an option.
Will your Pi require heat sinks?
Not all cases will accommodate heat sinks.
What will the Pi be paired with?
Adding Hats requires space.
Adding accessories like camera require accessibility.
What environment will the Pi be operating in?
Keeping out the elements might be a consideration.
How do you plan to mount the Pi?
Mounting a cased Pi has its challenges. I have a few cases that are great for holding the Pi but don't have any option for mounting.
What external connections are being used?
HDMI, Ethernet, Audio and USB
I have cases that have cutouts for cables but the Pi connectors are recessed to far back to make a connection or the cable is not slim enough to maintain a stable connection. USB ports are close together. If you have fat cable connectors, you may have four physical ports but only two are usable.
How do you plan on using GPIO?
Many cases ensure the Pi has a snug fit but don't provide any room to plug in a GPIO cable. Some ribbon cables connectors are wider and don't fit all cases. Will the cable exit the top of the case or through the side. You soon discover top exit cases have to have the cable threaded through them. Recall that wide connector option. The hole cut in the case is not large enough to accommodate some cables. GPIO pin extenders work but not necessarily inside a case.
The supper bell just rang, I need to run. Given some more thought I could probably add to the list. Do any other maker have consideration they feel are important in selecting a Pi case?
This is a neat chart. One part that is missing that can house the Raspberry Pi Board is Bud's Board-Ganizer, the BG-32618. Board-Ganizer, the BG-32618. This allows you to not only house the Raspberry Pi board, but also other design boards (Arduino, Beagle Bone, DIY Electronics , Freescale Board, Olimex, Robotics & Raspberry Pi Model A/B/B+) and breadboards. It allows you to mix and match. The "stacked" or "versatile" make you unhook some wires prior to moving the boards. This is not the case with the Board-Ganizer.
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