Wanhao I3 Front Cover with internal Raspberry Pi

thingiverse

This is a custom-designed alternative to the standard Wanhao i3 Front Cover, providing space for a Raspberry Pi Model B ("the older model") inside the i3 enclosure. Raspberry Pi connectors are easily accessible on this customized version. Key benefits of using this modified front cover include running OctoPrint on the Raspberry Pi (with a WiFi dongle), allowing for remote starting and stopping of printing, uploading gcode and stl files, and controlling stepper motors. No more worrying about SD cards! I've integrated a Raspberry Camera to capture timelapse videos of every printed part or to keep an eye on printing details while multitasking in the kitchen. **Installation Guide** This is version 1 of this customized cover, which I've been using myself with great results. Please note that there are some known issues that I'm not yet fixing, as I'm currently satisfied with the performance and haven't encountered any show-stoppers. Here are a few things you might want to keep in mind: The standard RepRap LCD won't fit properly without modification due to the size of the printed holes. Flathead screws for wood or Sugru could be used to secure it instead. There's no room for the original LCD button, so you'll need to create a custom one - I've added that to my to-do list! One screw is used to secure the Raspberry Pi board; ideally two would be better to prevent any accidental detachment during use. No special ventilation measures are taken into account in this design, but it's crucial to keep an eye on Raspberry Pi temperatures. This cover has been tested on a Wanhao i3 printer and took about 8 hours to print. Design inspiration for this customized cover comes from TiDiPi's control box cover, albeit with modifications.