July 12, 2025
Description
This cyberdeck case is designed for use with an Intel or Lenovo Compute-Stick single-board computer.
Parts:
Lenovo Compute Stick, case removed
Adafruit CH334F Mini 4-Port USB Hub Breakout*
Xbox 360 chatpad
Atmega32U4 5v 16Mhz Arduino Micro Pro compatible (for Chatpad to USB)
DiyMore 18650 double V8 Battery shield w/ 2 18650 cells
NFHK 90 degree Up Angled male to female flat cable
4.3" USB Touch Control HDMI LCD Display (generic AliExpress, ~17USD)
4x M3 heat-fit screw posts (screen)
*My original plan was to just pop a USB A male header on the host port, but they have swapped D+ and D- (D+ is next to 5v, which it never is in any standard pinouts) - I suspect to encourage you to buy their 'any direction' USB male adapters. Because of this, you must cross connect the D+/D- pins, making a clean, direct solder much more difficult. Great device, but the implementation feels intentionally kneecapped to sell more stuff.
With some work, this could be massively reduced by removing HDMI and USB ports and direct-soldering the display and hub.
Note: Sometimes the touch screens from Ali are sent without the actual capacitive sensor, so buyer beware as there's very little room for a mouse solution. This version also includes side cuts for buttons, for which I use a small 10mm square cut of biscuit board and micro switches, however I don't find I use them very often since tap and long press solve the issue.
The 360 chatpad solution isn't great, but it FEELS very nice. The chatpad is raised to clear the clip on the back, however you could reduce the post height, remove the connector, and flat solder wires to slim it down. I personally kind of like it raised, but it does look pretty hacky.
For software I used ArchLinux which seems decent out of the gate for the Atom chipset, though it's not super powerful, so don't expect to be compiling a ton of stuff to run on it. That being said, takes notes well and is a fun project to geek out about with folks. The case is press fit and can be fiddly, but stays together once clicked.
Battery life isn't something I've extensively tested. The ComputeStick draws ~1A on average, the screen about 600ma. But the stick can spike up to 3A so a better power conditioning circuit off of the 5v output of the battery shield might be advisable. I'm risking it.
License:
Creative Commons - Attribution - Share Alike