Headers 

To simplify the rotary connections, we used right-angle male headers to plug into the female headers on the PyGamer. 

We can can also just bend spare headers. Use two Precision Flat Pliers to carefully bend the longer ends of the pins at an angle.

Solder Wires

Refer to the Circuit Diagram page to solder the wires to each terminal on the Rotary Encoder.

We measure the wires 120mm long to reach the headers on the back of the PyGamer to the right side of the enclosure.

We used two helping hands to secure the header pins and rotary while soldering each wire.

Speaker

We used the oval speaker with the short wires to mounting to allow the case to mount easier.  

If you have speakers with longer wires, make sure to coil them around the speaker to avoid blocking the standoffs on the enclosure. 

Remove the sticker cover on the front of the speaker (opposite side of the shiny magnet) and press in the center of the speaker outline on the back of the board.

Tac for Battery

Next we'll use a small amount of sticky tack to attach the 350mAh lipo battery to the back of the board. Gently press the battery to adhere the tac to the board.

The 350 mAh battery fits the PyGamer standard case. With this case, you can instead use a 400 mAh battery for more battery life.

Plug in Rotary Header

Align the headers to pins 5,6 and 9. Press to secure the male header into the female sockets.

Install the the single Ground header into the GND connection on the opposite header socket row. 

 

3D Case 

Tuck the wires behind the board, around the STEMMA ports and around the speaker. Align the PyGamer board to the standoffs on bottom case first.

Insert the board at an angle with the headphone jack first and then position the rotary encoder into the port on the right side of the case.

Align the top part of the case to the screen and align with the screw holes and button cutouts.   

 

Screws 

Next we'll secure the two halves of the enclosure with four M3x6mm long screws. The screw mounts are counter sunk. Carefully  fasten each screw until they are below the height of the case.

 

Screws Covers

To add a bit of a polished look to the case, we'll print a set of matching screw caps.

Align each cap at an angle to the counter sunk holes and press fit to attach. 

 

Rotary Nut

Before we forget, let's add the included screw nut to the threads on Rotary encoder. 

 

Add Buttons

Finally we can start to add the buttons and even switch out the d-pad for a more squishy NinjaFlex version. Align the square connectors to the the posts on the buttons.

Test alignment by making sure each button press makes a solid click.

Attach Crank or Dial 

The last step is to pick your favorite crank style or dial! We can easily swap between each version depending on the input situation.

You can even take the shape of the rotary knob to design a custom knob shape! 

This guide was first published on Jun 11, 2019. It was last updated on Jun 11, 2019.

This page (Assembly) was last updated on Jun 10, 2019.

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