Nintendo Switch OLED Mini Dock

If you've ever wished you could have a small portable dock for your Nintendo Switch to take with you on all your trips, then this is the model for you. This is a very compact version that uses the original electronics and brings the size down to pretty much the outline of the PCB.

In designing this I wanted to maintain a fairly aesthetic look and a satisfying feel. To achieve this I designed the sides of the model in such a way that it can be printed flat on a textured surface to transfer it to the sides of the chassis then wrapped around the core body. This way, all faces of the model inherit the texture of the print bed.

Personally I just used the textured PEI plate that came with my P1S printer, but this model has a huge potential for different looks and I encourage anyone printing it to have fun with the textures!

I am planning on making more detailed instructions with visuals later in the future whenever time allows.

INSTRUCTIONS - Read all of the printing notes before printing !!!

Printed Parts List

1 x CORE.stl *

1 x CORE_WRAP.stl *

1 x TOP_COVER_FRONT.stl **

1 x TOP_COVER_REAR.stl

1 x TOP_COVER_MIDDLE.stl

1 x TOP_FLAP_L.stl ***

1 x TOP_FLAP_R.stl ***

Printing Notes

In general print these with 0.2 mm layer thickness or lower. I test fitted everything with a 0.2 mm layer but used 0.08 for the final product.

The flap parts and middle top cover were printed standing upright with supports enabled. I recommend placing the flap parts with the bevel facing downwards.

All other parts can be printed flat according to typical best practices, with supports turned off.

* - If you don't want the hassle of wrapping your print or your filament is too brittle then you can just print the ‘CORE_FUSED.stl’ instead of the ‘CORE.stl’ and ‘CORE_WRAP.stl’ models.

** - The front top cover has a feature in it that holds the status indicator LED PCB and a round spot that diffuses its light. In order to work this has to be printed out of a translucent material, either via multi-material printing or by printing the top layers of the part out of such a material. Personally I just used Grey ASA as that's what I had on hand.

*** - Each of these halves have embedded magnets that need to be placed inside mid-print. You should be easily able to determine where to add a pause in your g-code via your slicer of choice. You might want to superglue these in to avoid magnets slipping out as the nozzle passes over them. You can position magnets in any orientation you like, just make sure that all of them have their polarity oriented the same direction with regard to the movement of the hinge.

Additional Required Parts List

1 x Superglue ( preferably one with a brush)

8 x Neodymium magnets ( 10 x 5 x 1 mm )

3 x Metal rod pins / Filament pieces ( 2 mm diameter, 10 mm length )

1 x Metal rod axle / Filament piece ( 2 mm diameter, 54 ~ 68 mm length )

Additional Optional Parts/Tools (Completely Optional)

2 x M2 Screws ( 5 mm length ) ( to secure the usb c plug to the body )

3 x M2.5 Threaded Inserts ( to provide anchor points for the PCB )

3 x M2.5 Screws ( 3 mm length ) ( to secure the PCB to the body )

1 x Utility Knife ( for cleaning surfaces and de-burring edges )

1 x Cordless electrical drill

1 x 2 mm metal drill bit

1 x Mid to Fine grit sandpaper 

Assembly Instructions

In these instructions I will refer to the front as the side with the two USB A ports ( the part of the dock that you see when the Nintendo Switch screen is facing you ).

STEP 1 - Wrapping the core ( Skip this step if using fused core model )

It is best to start with the right hand side. Try delicately wrapping the core without any glue at first to get a feel for how to do it. The thicker parts of the core wrap should slot into their respective cutouts in the core. 

When gluing try to push in the wrap into the slots and down towards the bottom of the core to minimize the gap between the two edges.

Apply the superglue bit by bit and make your way around the core. Be sure to maintain pressure for at least 10 seconds each time to avoid delimitation. Corners are the trickiest!

Once you go all the way around, be sure to glue the two ends of the wrap near the RJ45 port ( LAN port ) cutout. Additionally I recommend going around the finished piece and adding more glue from the inside ( not too much though! ) to strengthen the bond.

If you choose to use the M2.5 threaded brass inserts then you can insert them now into the three visible holes inside the core body.

STEP 2 - Inserting the main PCB

Make sure that the ribbon cable is attached to the underside of the PCB and that the latch holding it down is firmly closed. Bend the ribbon cable upwards so that it wraps around the edge of the PCB and protrudes upwards on the other side.

Place the PCB inside the body ( it might be a slight friction fit ). Make sure that the PCB is flat against the bottom lip of the case; this will be evident by how well the ports are aligned with their cutouts.

You can now secure the PCB down with three M2.5 screws however this shouldn't be necessary.

STEP 3 - Inserting rear top housing cover

Pick up the top rear cover with the rounded corners facing backwards. Bend the ribbon cable outside to the right of the case and out of the way. Put the rear top cover in the middle of the case and slide it in backwards making sure it starts to grab the core. The cover should slide flat against the RJ45 connector.

Slide it all the way making sure you hear it click into place. If it doesn't you can try pushing against the back side of the case while sliding forwards, This should secure it in place and prevent the back side of the case from wobbling.

STEP 4  - Inserting front top housing cover

Pick up the top front cover. On its underside you should see a cutout that holds the status indicator LED PCB. Making sure the wires are pointing downward and the LED is on the side of the round window, place the PCB inside and using a pointed object slide it towards the front of the cover. Make sure that it is in place and not wobbling around.

You can now similarly hold the ribbon cable out of the way and slide in the top front cover backwards towards the front edge of the core.

Likewise, make sure that it clicks into place.

If it isn't already, you can plug in the status indicator LED into its 2 pin header on the main PCB

STEP 5 - Attaching the top flap to the top middle cover

The two top flap halves will be joined together with the top middle cover in place to form a hinge.

Try placing the two halves of the flap together to see if they fit flush. If they don't you can use some sandpaper or a file to sand them flat.

Fully push in the three 10 mm metal rods or filament pieces into one of the two halves and see if they line up with the other half.

Push in the long 54 ~ 68 mm axle through the hole in the top middle cover so that equal amounts of the axle stick out of both sides.

Close the two halves of the top flap around the axle, making sure that the three pins also line up with their respective holes.

You may use superglue to permanently glue both halves together, however if you're using metal pins the friction should be enough to hold the pieces together and allow for future disassembly.

STEP 6 - Adding magnets to the middle top cover

All that is left to complete the middle assembly is to add magnets such that the flap will be able to snap to one of its two resting positions.

Placing magnets on the flap to determine proper polarity you can slide in the four magnets into their respective cavities located just under the protruding lip and glue them in place.

STEP 7 - Inserting the daughter USB C PCB into the middle assembly

You can now insert the long male USB C plug through the pill-shaped cutout in the middle top cover. The PCB should be facing with the longer side facing downwards and towards the middle of the part.

You may want to use two M2 screws to secure the PCB to the middle part so that it doesn't slip out during operation, however friction and internal tolerances should keep it in place pretty well.

If it isn't already, you may now plug in the ribbon cable into the daughter board making sure the orientation is correct.

This might be a good moment to ensure that everything is in working order. plug in the AC adapter, HDMI cable and your switch to ensure everything is in working condition.

STEP 8 - Closing everything up

If everything is working correctly, time for what is possibly the hardest part of the assembly. You will need to snap the top middle cover into place by pushing it directly downwards into the gap between the two top covers.

Before pushing it in, ensure that the LED status indicator cable is neatly tucked away behind the USB A ports and that the ribbon cable will be able to fold flat. Here I recommend that you first straighten out the cable and then lay it down flat so that it lies flat against the HDMI metal shielding. From there it should make a ‘U-turn’  underneath itself and fold at a diagonal to turn 90 degrees to meet the port. This may take some time to get right!

Now, when inserting the middle part, the flap should be at the back and the USB plug should at the front.

Being careful not to snap the PCB holding the USB C port firmly push the middle assembly downwards and into place. This will also require some trial and error. The tolerances are very tight by design, to ensure minimal gaps and a secure fit. You may want to sand the edges on a flat surface for an easier fit.

Once you hear a loud snap and you see the part resting in its proper place, you're done.

Enjoy your new portable mini dock!

P.S. 

If you ever need to disassemble it for any reason you can grab a flat dull tool such as a slim butter knife, can opener or a flat head screwdriver to get into the gap between the middle part and the core body to pry it apart.