GoKawiilWhat just happened? In recent years, Raspberry Pi has played a major role in popularizing single-board computers as DIY products. Now, the UK-based organization has decided to promote an SBC-based cyberdeck that can be built using a few off-the-shelf components and offers plenty of customization options.
Raspberry Pi recently shared a series of DIY instructions for building a custom cyberdeck. The organization said the maker community has fallen in love with these homemade machines, which is why it has now published an "official" tutorial explaining how to build one using Raspberry Pi hardware and accessories.
By Raspberry Pi's definition, a cyberdeck is a computing device created from scratch, a purpose-built machine, or anything else designed to solve a specific problem. Cyberdecks occupy a niche filled with devices that can perform tasks traditional tablets or PCs cannot. However, we have also seen plenty of cyberdeck-like offerings that feel more like portable computers with custom designs than cyberpunk-inspired hacking devices.
Raspberry Pi's own idea of a cyberdeck is built inside a Pelican-style case, although the device could just as easily be housed in a wooden box, briefcase, or anything in between. Needless to say, the UK-based organization believes that a Raspberry Pi 5 single-board computer would be a perfect fit for the cyberdeck's "brain."
Other important components that form the basis of the custom-built machine include a 128GB Raspberry Pi Flash Drive, which is reportedly faster and more reliable than a standard microSD card, and a 7-inch Raspberry Pi Touch Display 2 with a 1,280 × 720 landscape resolution. The Rii RK302 Bluetooth keyboard has a low profile and fits almost perfectly inside the Pelican-style case.
Raspberry Pi also gave careful consideration to the question of power. While a cyberdeck can certainly run on batteries, the organization said that using a power bank makes the component layout easier and safer. There is also an option to add a Raspberry Pi RTC Battery, giving the cyberdeck real-time clock functionality.
The Raspberry Pi cyberdeck will require some soldering and gluing, but it should be accessible enough for DIY newcomers and computer enthusiasts who are not confident in their building skills beyond the Lego-like experience of assembling modern PCs. That said, the guide also feels somewhat like a cleverly crafted advertisement designed to sell more Raspberry Pi products to the maker community.
The tutorial was also featured in issue #168 of the Raspberry Pi official magazine, which can be read online for free. The magazine's print edition is apparently sold out already.