Introduction: PIvena Assembly Instructions

This instructable is going to show you how to assembling the PIvena Raspberry Pi Case! Head over to my website WildCircuits.com to read more about the PIvena or to thingiverse to download all the design files and make your own.

Looking for the Model B+ assembly instructions? Look Here:https://www.instructables.com/id/PIvena-Assembly-Instructions-B

Building with the 1280x800 HSD070PWW1 LCD? Those instructions are here: PIvena-Assembly-Instruction-with-1280x800-Display

Step 1: What You Need

Before start building you will need to get all your parts together.

  • A set of lasercut 1/8" baltic birch plywood parts (Thingiverse)
  • A set of 3D printed parts (Thingiverse)
  • (36) - 5/16" length 4-40 screws
  • (9) - 1/2" length 4-40 screws
    • (2) additional 1/2" screws are included in the Model B+ kit
  • (4) - 5/8" length 4-40 screws
  • (4) - 4-40 nuts
    • (2) additional nuts are included in the Model B+ kit.
  • (3) - 1" length standoffs
  • (4) - 1/4" length unthreaded standoffs
  • (1) - micro usb cable
  • (1) - 2.1mm barrel jack
  • (1) - 2.1mm barrel connector for the LCD screen power connection
  • (1) - 5V 2A power supply with a 2.1mm barrel connector (Adafruit)
  • (1) - HDMI cable. I used a 1ft flat cable from (meritline) but you can use whatever you like.
  • (1) - Raspberry PI model B
  • (1) - 7" HDMI LCD (Adafruit) or (Amazon)

Step 2: Assemble the Base

  1. Get the base plate, (4) 5/16" screws, (4) 3D printed corners
  2. Set the base plate down in the orientation shown in the first picture.
  3. Insert one of the 5/16" screws from the bottom side of the base plate in a corner hole
  4. Screw it into the bottom of the 3D printed corner piece
    1. NOTE: the bottom of the 3D printed corner is flat, while the top has a bump up that is used to align the top pieces.
  5. Repeat for the remaining 3 corners

Step 3: Attach the LCD Button Board

  1. Get (2) 5/8" screws, (2) 1/4 unthreaded spacers, (2) 4-40 nuts, LCD button board
  2. Insert the (2) screws from the bottom of the base plate in the holes for the LCD button board. (See the first picture)
  3. Slide (1) unthreaded spacer on each of the 5/8" screws
  4. Set the LCD button board on the screws. It should be held above the surface of the base plate by the unthreaded spacers
  5. Secure the LCD button board with the (2) 4-40 nuts.

Step 4: LCD Main Board

  1. Get (6) 5/16" screws, (3) 1" standoffs, LCD main board
  2. Insert (3) 5/16" screws for from the bottom of the base plate.
    1. NOTE: There are 4 holes in the base plate for the LCD main board, but you are only going to use 3. Putting a standoff in the hole closest to the Raspberry PI interferes with the Raspberry PI HDMI connection. But don't worry, the three posts hold things nice and sturdy.
  3. Screw the (3) 1" standoffs onto the screws
  4. Plug the LCD button board cable into the LCD main board, as pictured.
  5. Set the LCD main board on the 1" standoffs.
  6. Use (3) 5/16" screws to secure the LCD main board to the 1" standoffs

Step 5: HDMI and PI

  1. Get your HDMI cable, (2) 5/8" screws, (2) 1/4" unthreaded spacers, (2) 4-40 nuts, Raspberry PI
    1. If you are using a different HDMI cable then you might need to run it a little differently, but with the meritline HDMI cable you can follow my process.
  2. Insert the HDMI cable into the LCD main board
  3. Run the unplugged portion of the cable under the LCD main board as shown in the first picture
  4. Insert the (2) 5/8" screws from the bottom of the base plate
  5. Slide the (2) 1/4" unthreaded spacers onto the 5/8" screws
  6. Set the Raspberry PI model B onto screws. It should be held off of the base plate by the 1/4" spacers
  7. Use (2) 4-40 nuts to secure the Raspberry PI
  8. Carefully thread the HDMI cable back underneath the LCD main board and connect the Raspberry PI HDMI port.
    1. Be careful when you are doing this not to run the HDMI cable in a manner that is putting a lot of stress on the LCD main board or the Raspberry PI. This is especially true if you are using a different HDMI cable.

Step 6: Right Side

  1. Grab the side plate (has 2 square cut outs), (3) 5/16" screws
  2. Slide the side plate between the 2 3D printed corners. The USB and Ethernet ports should line up with square holes in the side
    1. If it isn't fitting on nicely you may need to rotate the 3D printed corners slightly.
  3. Use (3) 5/16" screws to secure the side plate to the 3D printed corners.

Step 7: Top Back

  1. Grab (2) 5/16" screws and the Top Back piece (it looks very similar to the Top Front piece, but it is narrower and only has 2 holes)
  2. Set the Top Back piece on the top of the 3D printed corners such that it is over the Raspberry PI.
  3. Use (2) 5/16" screws to secure it to the 3D printed corners.

Step 8: Side With Kickstand

  1. Grab the side plate with the curved slot, (1) 1/2" screw, (3) 5/16" screws, Kickstand arm, Kickstand spacers (two small wood circles that at joined together)
  2. Separate the Kickstand spacers. They should break apart easily.
  3. Slide one of the Kickstand spacers onto the 1/2" screw.
  4. Put the 1/2" screw through the curved slot in the side plate. Refer to the third picture to make sure you get the orientation correct.
  5. Slide the second Kickstand spacer onto the 1/2" screw
  6. Use a screw driver to thread the Kickstand arm onto the 1/2" screw.
    1. The Kickstand arm has an "S" engrave onto it. You should screw into the hole OPPOSITE the S. The hole marked "S" is larger so you won't be able to thread into it.
  7. Make sure that the screw is loose enough that the arm can slide in the curved slot.
  8. Lastly, install the side plate with Kickstand onto the left side of the case.
  9. Use (3) 5/16" screws to secure it in place.

Step 9: Wire the Power Plugs

  1. Grab the back plate, Barrel Jack, USB Cable, Barrel Plug.
    1. Heat up your soldering iron.
  2. Insert the Barrel Jack into the back plate. Pay careful attention to orient the connector so that the side you insert the power plug to is the side of the back plate with "5V 2A" engraved on it. The solder connections will be on the side of the back plate opposite the engraved text.
  3. Thread the nut onto the Barrel Jack so that it is firmly secured.
  4. Cut the micro USB end of the USB cable so that you have a 9" long cable.
  5. Carefully cut back the insulation by an inch-ish
  6. You only need the red and black wires, the white and green ones can be cut off
  7. Strip back a 1/4" of the insulation from the red and black wires
  8. Grab the Barrel Plug. Twist the red wire of the Barrel Plug together with the red wire from the USB cable.
  9. Twist the black wires together
  10. Solder the wires as shown in the last picture. The red wires will go to the connection that has a rivet holding the solder lug, the black wires will go to the opposite solder lug. The center connector remains unconnected.
  11. IMPORTANT!!!! Use a continuity meter to check your work. The center pin of the of the Barrel Jack should have electrical connection to the center pin of the Barrel Plug. The outer pin of the Barrel Jack should have electrical connection to the outer sleeve of the Barrel Plug.
  12. MORE IMPORTANT!!!! if you wire this wrong you can fry your PI and your LCD. Double check your work. I claim no responsibility for anything that goes wrong here.

Step 10: Back Plate and Power Connections

  1. Grab (3) 5/16" screws and the back plate you just wired.
  2. Install the back plate so that the circular holes line up with the headphone and video connectors of the PI.
  3. Use (3) 5/16" screws to secure the back plate to the 3D printed corners.
  4. Plug the micro USB connection into the Raspberry PI.
  5. Plug the Barrel Plug into the LCD main board.

Step 11: Display Bezel and Hinges

  1. Grab the Top Front piece, Display Bezel, (2) 3D printed hinges, (8) 5/16" screws
  2. The hinges are asymmetrical. The longer, angled part of the hinge gets screwed to the bezel
  3. Use (4) 5/16" screws to attach the hinges to the bezel.
  4. Use (4) 5/16" screws to attach the hinges to the Top Front piece.
  5. Use the pictures for reference!

Step 12: Mount LCD

  1. Grab the Kickstand Mount (the only 3D printed part you didn't use yet), (8) 1/2" screws, (1) 5/16" screw, 4 wood LCD brackets
  2. Looking at the Bezel from the front, you will see that there are 2 holes in each corner, with the exception of the lower left corner which has 3.
  3. You will want to install the first 2 cornerbrackets before you slide in the LCD screen, so set that aside for now.
  4. Starting with the lower left corner install the Kickstand Mount.The Kickstand mount gets installed so that the flat side is towards the LCD. Start with the upper screw hole for the Kickstand mount and screw in a 5/16" screw from the front. This hole is a little smaller in the Kickstand Mount and is designed for the screw to thread into the plastic.
  5. Next insert a screw into the other hole of the Kicktand Mount from the front of the bezel. Grab the one of the wood LCD brackets and screw the 1/2" screw through the Kickstand Mount into the wood bracket.
  6. Use another 1/2" screw and get it just started into the second hole of the wood LCD bracket. You should now have something that looks like the third picture, but without the LCD.
  7. Use (2) 1/2" screws to loosely hold the next wood LCD bracket in the upper right corner.
  8. Gently slide the LCD into the 2 corner brackets you have installed. If it doesn't go easily, loosen the screws on the 2 brackets you already installed.
  9. With the LCD in place install the last (2) wood LCD brackets with the remaining (4) 1/2" screws.

Step 13: LCD Installation

  1. Grab (2) 5/16" screws and the front bezel with LCD mounted.
  2. Set the front bezel onto the rest of your PIvena.
  3. Use (2) 5/16" screws to secure the front bezel to the 3D printed corners.
  4. CAREFULLY install the LCD flex cable into the LCD main board.
    1. The connector on the LCD main board has a black retaining clip. When is it pressed into the rest of the connector it locks the cable into the connector. In order to install the cable though, it needs to be pulled out. You can see in the fifth picture I used a pair of tweezers to carefully pull open the retaining clip.
    2. Slide the flex cable into the connector.
    3. Push in the black retaining clip to secure the LCD flex cable.

Step 14: Kickstand

  1. Grab (1) 5/16" screw.
  2. Hold the LCD in the open position and line the Kickstand up with the Kickstand Mount
  3. Use the 5/16" screw to attach the Kickstand to the Kickstand Mount
  4. Leave this screw a little loose so that the kickstand can move freely
  5. Test the opening and closing functionality of the kickstand. There is a notch in the end of the curved slot that will prevent the screen from flopping open unintentionally. When opening the screen you will need to pull the protruding kickstand screw up slightly, then it will open easily.

Step 15: Last Step! Install the Front Plate

  1. Grab the Front Plate and (3) 5/16" screws.
  2. Install the front plate
  3. Use (3) 5/16" screws to secure the front plate to the 3D printed corners.

Hurray! You've successfully built your very own PIvena! Congratulations on being awesome!