Here are some issues you might encounter in building an enclosure for your SG-Pi,
and a few suggestions, based on early usage.
micro USB connector
This is a flimsy way to supply power, but obviously the fact everyone has standardized
on it is beyond our control. You'll need to be careful to provide a way to keep
that connector attached to the Pi inside your enclosure, as cables get shifted. I'm
inclined to heat-glue the micro-USB cable to the RPi's micro-USB port.
push-button switch cable
The ribbon (or other) cable is thin and I'm not thrilled about having exposed solder joints
inside the case. I suggest careful routing of the cable to avoid it getting disrupted by the
jostling of big heavy coax cables. It might be best to install the pushbutton switch on
the side of the case opposite where coax and power cables come in.
exposed GPS hat
If your Pi + GPS hat is mounted in the enclosure without a metal lid blocking the sky view,
you may be able to avoid using an external GPS antenna. This may also improve ventilation
to the Pi. Make sure you've positioned the Pi so that it's not too easy for a screwdriver to slip
off one of the DC terminal block screws (if you're using those) and into the Pi!
micro SD card prestidigitation
Unlike the beaglebone, the Pi 2/3 micro SD card slot is not spring-loaded. My kids can pull
that card out, but I can't. I found that adding a small piece of scotch tape attached to the
terminal portion of the labelled side of the micro SD card (i.e. the thick edge to the beginning
of the first notch) helped. I folded over the free side of the tape to leave nothing sticky
exposed. But it's still hard to align the card when inserting.
This will become important as people start swapping out SD cards as the faster
way to grab data from the field.
positioning of the RPi inside the enclosure
The Pi should be positioned inside your enclosure so that the micro SD card slot is clear of any
other installed components, such as a DC terminal block. If using a GPS Hat and a metal case
for the Pi within your enclosure, it might make sense to install the GPS antenna coax terminal
on the same side as the micro USB port, or opposite to the USB ports, so that the Pi's long
side opposite from the micro USB port can be against the side of your enclosure.
