Pi1541 - Case Design (Hobby Project)

Making Of / 13 May 2019

I created this case design for the open source hardware: Pi 1541.

Before introducing the Pi 1541, I want to introduce you the Commodore 1541 which is a 5.25" floppy disk drive for Commodore computers.

These drives can be connected to Commodore 64 to load games and programs faster than datasette tapes. I already modeled the standard and 1541C version of this drive by looking to the photos of the hardware. As a self-criticism I can say I went hard on the width of the product :)

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/rgVd6 


Pi1541 is the modern replacement of this hardware that created by Stephen White. You can connect the Pi1541 to a Commodore 64 computer and attach any C64 floppy image through an SD card to make the C64 detect there inserted a real floppy disk and make it read the disk file "cycle-exact". By cycle exact, image is loaded to the Commodore 64 in same clock timing with a real 1541 floppy drive. This means amazing compatibility!

Hardware uses Raspberry Pi's various models. Like 3B, 3A+ and 3B+. There is an IO interface for Raspberry Pi that has all magic. 

Here are some links for that product:

https://www.patreon.com/user?u=11191060 

https://github.com/pi1541/Pi1541 

https://cbm-pi1541.firebaseapp.com/ 

https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/Pi1541

Pi1541's Electronic part looks like this (images taken from https://www.hackup.net/2018/06/pi1541io-revision-2/)


I have the Rapberry Pi 3A+ version of this product. And I already designed a case for the RAAT #5 meeting in Turkey.

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/Ka3JOR 

My friend Türker Gürevin sent me a 3d printed version of this case and I painted it in similar 1541 colors with acyrillic paint. Also I designed a label for the front face.

Recently, I revised the design and made it compatible for both Raspberry 3A+ and 3B+ versions. 


  This time I 3d printed with my Ender 3 printer. 



I move the power and activity leds to the fron side of the case to make the resemblence with the original product.

After case design and prototype print is OK, then I painted the case with acyrillc paint by creating custom colors.



Here some shots of the final case which I fell in love with <3











  






  


  


  





  


  


  


  






  


  


  




  


  

Second device on the photo is my tapuino case design:

https://www.artstation.com/blockmind/blog/ObwD/tapuino-my-diy-electronics-and-custom-case-design-attempt 

Update!
3D print files are here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4611954