I’ve seen many different kind of cases for development board from the simple acrylic enclosures, cheap plastic case, and more expansive wooden or metal cases. However so far I don’t think I had ever come across silicone cases, but while browsing new arrivals on DFRobot, I discovered a silicone case for LattePanda board.
The case will fit closely all around the board, and have opening for ports and headers that are clearly marked including I/O pins. It takes a little less space than other type of cases, and should absorb shocks better in case of fall. At first look, it looks like it might prevent good cooling, as it does not appears suitable for the heatsinks kit sold for the board, but actually the bottom cover offers space for the fan.
Other specifications listed for the case:
- Non-toxic and non-smell silicone material (food grade)
- Cold & heat fatigue resisting
- Static electricity isolation
- Heat resistance: -40~250℃
- Dimensions – Top enclosure: 101.2 x 83.2 x 28.2 mm; bottom enclosure: 97 x 79 x 17.1 mm
- Weight – 60 grams (without board)
DFRobot sells the case for $6.90. That type of design is indeed not quite common, as I failed to find any equivalent case for Raspberry Pi boards.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
This kind of casing is becoming fairly common in exposed automotive devices. The 3D printed molds are relatively inexpensive because the base material is a liquid at room temperature before setting.