PiKon:- Touch Screen and Raspberry Pi case

Aussie Facebook 3d Printing site:-
https://www.facebook.com/groups/891050284277179/


The PiKon Telescope:- Designing and 3d printing a case for the Raspberry Pi 3 and the touch screen I bought to use with it.

https://www.instructables.com/id/PiKon-Telescope/

As always, I'm driven mainly by cost, but also a philosophy of keeping it simple, just so using the final product doesnt require more than two hands, to use it.



This is the screen I decided on after watching this video.
How to setup an lcd touchscreen on the Raspberry Pi - portable Raspberry Pi 3

https://youtu.be/u4EcfBy8t8w
and he has another one with audio here
https://youtu.be/UdM6RjPdn9w

Here is another similar aproach that was suggested by YT thats worth
watching.
https://youtu.be/aD5jDeyDvyA

cut and paste into Youtube so the video gets its credit there and not played in here.



Here is the screen on Amazon:-
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019GRN054/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here is the camera thread insert.
https://www.banggood.com/Metal-14-p-932988.html


As usual the design process started with a sheet of A4 paper, pencil, ruler and vernier calipers.

The software I used to design this in, was Fusion360..........I need the practice in this package just to get used to the completely different approach to design you need to use when moving from a 3D Package like 3ds Max.

It isnt as "free" as I'm used to and doesnt appeal to my artisitic side but offers other useful approaches that force me to think a lot more about my choices rather than design by muscle memory......but oh it's so slow, compared to what I am used to :-(


The second thing I did was to scan the touchscreen so I could import it into Fusion360. I forgot to flip the image though and paid for that by having to go back in and so I decided start over again so I could add the 1/4inch 3/8 camera mount insert.

This is how the image is imported into Fusion but needs to be flipped over so the cable is on the left, because when making it in Fusion you are working from the front of the case to the back or working up into the positive "Z Height" ......if that makes sense. :-)

As it is here you would be working from the back to the front.

Here are the stl files for 3d printing. Download the STL Files here
Please note they are optimised for my printer and conditions but should work for anyone. My settings are:-

Sliced in Simplify3d. Printied in PLA @ 210 degrees Hot End 70 degree bed 
(Its winter here)

0.4 Nozzle
0.2 layer height
4 top layers
3 bottom layers
3 outlines/perimeters
20% infil
Support yes

The printed version in these pictures is my second  6th print to see how my measurements were going. Were the mounting holes lining up. Were the holes that allow access to switches and other bits lining up?

I'm now reprinting a 6th itteration of it after adjusting the......everything! I have designed the back and will take pictures as it comes off the printer. I'm hoping for a friction fit to hold it in place.

I should have included a place to hold the little plastic pen that comes with the screen and modelled something or somewhere into the case to hold it, but I can always use my fingers and also have a bluetooth keyboard and mouse as well so I'm spoilt for choice and it's not really an issue. :-D

The back Lid friction fits nicely, I added some slots to get your fingernail under so you can pry it off. It might need redesigning in the future because if you take the back off enough times or the plastic warms up the fit might become lose over time. I just realised you could just extend it in z height so there's more that fits inside the case and more to friction against the sides.

The final product in these pictures and the video at the top is version number "7"

Here is everything together so you can see it all at once.

Touchscreen and pi in case. Cheap 12000mah 2amp power supply. Wireless keyboard and mouse combo.

Had I the money I would have gone for a 7 inch touch screen @800x600 as long as it could be run off the power supplied from the pi like this one. I lack the electronics savy to know any better than this so forgive my ignorance if I've said too many funny and silly things :-) As this it to be connected to the telescope I want to make sure I can manipulate the screen in as many ways as possible in the dark and not worry about misplacing the mouse for example.

When I've had a chance to use this outside with the 1 metre camera cable, I'll revisit the design to see if the case can be mounted to the leg of my tripod or another cheap camera stand. Ideally I'd like a cable connector joiner-extender-for-raspberry-pi so I can join and take apart the cable in the middle so the case isnt connected to the telescope permanently, which would make transporting things a lot eaiser.

The tripod.

I finally got around to using some pvc pipe and adapted the pikon pieces to suit the new size.
It's winter here so I'm waiting until it warms up before I head outside to do all my testing. :-D