ZimaBoard Modular 1U Rack

Modular 1U Rackmount for ZimaBoards, to be co-located with Raspberry Pi and OpenUPS2.

The design provides 5 “slots” to make up the 19" rack, which can be made from a combination of single and double-width holders which are secured together with a 5mm threaded rod. “Sleds” for different mounting options can then be added to suit your needs and slot securely into place.

I've attempted to reduce the amount of material required as screwing components onto the sleds provides additional structure.

Notes

• The Raspberry Pi sled fits both Raspberry Pi 3 and Raspberry Pi 4 as the spacing is the same.
• A ZimaBoard mounted to the sled that supports 2 x 2.5" 7mm SSD drives, will end up being slightly taller than 1U, but only by a few mm.
  • I've added a second version that supports less rounded SSD/HDD called: “ZimaBoard Sled (2 Drives)(large)”
• PCIe cards up to 85mm high should fit on the ZimaBoard sleds.
• I've not printed the OpenUPS2 sled, as I don't have an OpenUPS2 (yet) but thought it might be useful for someone.

Customisation

I've included some blank 1W and 2W sleds as STEP files, in order to make it easier for remixes for other components to be added more easily. I'd love to see your work.

Parts

• Rack:
  • 1m M5 threaded steel rod
  • 4 x M5 nuts to secure the rod, I opted for Nyloc nuts
• ZimaBoards:
  • Version with space for 2 SSD: 16mm M3 bolts, 4 per ZimaBoard
  • Version without space for drives: Use original M3 bolts
  • (optional) Power over Ethernet adapter, gigabit network speed, 5.5mm x 2.5mm barrel jack
• Raspberry Pi:
  • 8mm M2.5 bolts, 4 per Raspberry Pi
  • 4 x M2.5 nuts (if not using PoE HAT) per Raspberry Pi
• OpenUPS2:
  • M2.5 Nuts and bolts

Printing 

Suggest using PETG for its additional strength and better performance in hot environments where racks tend to be.

• Material: PETG Prusament Anthracite Grey and Pursament Prusa Orange
• Print Settings (PrusaSlicer): 0.20mm Quality, 20% Infill
• Supports: None
• Parts to Print:
  • 1 x Rack Ear Right
  • 1 x Rack Ear Left
  • 1-5 x 1W Holder
  • 0-2 x 2W Holder
  • 0-5 x Sleds to suite

Assembly

• Cut the threaded rod to length (sorry I didn't make a note of the exact length I used).
• Thread the rods through the holes at the front and rear of the holders and secure them with nuts.
• Attach components to the sleds/trays
  • When attaching ZimaBoards, remove the 2 lowest perspex covers.
• If installing PCIe cards on ZimaBoards, remove the metal bracket, mark and drill a small pilot hole into the raised support. Secure the PCIe Card to the sled using the screw from the metal bracket.
• Slide the sleds into the holders
• Mount into rack enclosure using standard Rack cage nuts and bolts.

Version History

• V30 - 19 Jan 2023 - Added sled with larger space of drives.
• V24 - 9 June 2022 - Initial release
• 5 July 2022 - Added some blank 1W and 2W sleds for easier customisation.

Credits

Whilst this is an original design, I took a lot of inspiration from other works specifically:

• Raspberry Pi 4 1U rack-mount bracket by russross
• Raspberry Pi 1U/1HE Rackmount with SSD and Fan by ThomasMielke
• Raspberry Pi 1U Rackmount Remix by seanhodgins