Introduction

We have the great pleasure of bringing you another great EPIA-Based PC project. Bart Banaan in the Netherlands has created a custom case made of Plexiglass - if there were a competition for number of lights crammed in a PC we're sure Bart would win easily! In Bart's own words he wanted the LED's to be "near burning your eyeballs". We can only imagine he's trying to avoid seasonal affective disorder next winter!

He's managed to squeeze much more than bright lights in there, too - there's also a very nifty looking LCD panel (much larger than you normally see in PC projects). The construction pictures are very informative and he planned his project well - enjoy. We've included over 50 hi-res pictures in the SpaceCase Gallery. Do you have a Mini-ITX based project we should be seeing here?

Contents

1. Initial Designs
2. The First Components
3. The LCD Screen
4. The Base and Front Module
5. The 'Back' of the Front
6. Close up of the HDD and the DVD/CD-RW
7. The Base
8. The RF Receiver for Keyboard and Mouse
9. The Motherboard Arrives!
10. Connecting the RF Receiver
11. Completing the Wiring
12. Connecting the GfX-LCD
13. Connecting the GfX-LCD (2)
14. The Front and Back Modules
15. The Wiring Close-Up
16. The Wiring Close-Up (2)
17. Almost Finished!
18. A Bird's Eye View
19. Rear View
20. Technical Specifications
21. Some Detailed Pictures of the SpaceCase
22. SpaceCase Gallery

1. Initial Designs

Early in May 2002 I ordered a VIA Epia C3-800MHz mobo and made this design in Bryce, a 3-D rendering program.

A Plexiglass tube diameter 20cm and length 30cm, two plates of 8mm thick smoke perpex 21cm x 21cm.

With a jigsaw I cut out the circles for the front and back plate.

3. The LCD Screen

The Front Panel with the Datavision DG-24128-5-S1FLBY GfX LCD Screen.

I used a Proxxon Multi-drill in a stand to make the mounting-holes.