DeskPi Lite for Raspberry Pi 4 (DP-0009)

SKUDP-0009

Target BoardRaspberry Pi 4 Model B

Form FactorABS Desktop Case

CoolingSlim Heatsink + PWM Fan

🛒 Buy DeskPi Lite on Official Store →

Description

The DeskPi Lite (DP-0009) is a compact ABS desktop enclosure for the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B. An internal adapter board relocates micro-HDMI, 3.5 mm audio, and USB-C power to the rear panel for clean cable management, while a slim aluminum heatsink with PWM fan keeps thermals in check. The integrated power-button circuit lets the host signal a safe power-off via /dev/ttyUSB0.

Key Features

• Rear-Routed I/O: Micro-HDMI to full-size HDMI, 3.5 mm audio, and USB-C power all routed to the back.
• Two Front USB Ports: Extra USB 2.0 expansion on the front face for thumb drives and peripherals.
• Safe Power-Off: Built-in MCU supports safe-cutoff via serial signal from the Pi.
• Active Cooling: Aluminum heatsink with adjustable-speed PWM fan (GPIO14).
• Office-Friendly Design: Compact ABS shell with anti-slip rubber feet.

Technical Specifications

Specification	Details
Model SKU	DP-0009
Target Board	Raspberry Pi 4 Model B
Chassis Material	ABS plastic with internal aluminum heatsink
Overall Dimensions	139 × 94 × 34 mm (5.47 × 3.70 × 1.34 in)
Front I/O	2× USB 2.0 ports, power button with status LED
Rear I/O	2× full-size HDMI (routed from micro-HDMI), 3.5 mm audio, USB-C power, Ethernet
Cooling	PWM fan via GPIO14, configurable via raspi-config
Power Button	Software safe-cutoff via /dev/ttyUSB0
Anti-Slip Base	Rubber feet

Gallery

DeskPi Lite ABS enclosure with power button and ventilation

External dimensions: 139 × 94 × 34 mm

Two front USB 2.0 ports; red LED = power, green LED = disk status

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Fan Control (PWM via GPIO14)

The bundled fan is driven by a PWM signal on GPIO14 (physical pin 8, BCM mode). The official Raspberry Pi OS raspi-config exposes this as the Performance Options → P4 Fan toggle:

sudo raspi-config

Select Performance Options → P4 Fan → Yes → trigger temperature 60°C → exit and reboot. The fan will ramp from off to full speed as the CPU crosses the threshold.

For users who prefer a custom curve (rather than the binary on/off threshold), the included Python script demonstrates the API:

#!/usr/bin/python3
import RPi.GPIO as GPIO
import time, subprocess

GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BCM)
GPIO.setup(14, GPIO.OUT)
pwm = GPIO.PWM(14, 100)
pwm.start(0)

try:
    while True:
        temp = float(subprocess.getoutput(
            "vcgencmd measure_temp | sed 's/[^0-9.]//g'"))
        if temp >= 45:   dc = 100
        elif temp >= 40: dc = 85
        else:            dc = 70
        pwm.ChangeDutyCycle(dc)
        print(f"CPU {temp}°C, fan {dc}%")
        time.sleep(60 if dc < 85 else 120 if dc < 100 else 180)
except KeyboardInterrupt:
    pwm.stop()
    GPIO.cleanup()

Safe Power-Off via /dev/ttyUSB0

The onboard MCU watches for the poweroff string on the Pi's USB-serial gadget. To wire this up:

1. Add dtoverlay=dwc2,dr_mode=host to /boot/config.txt and reboot.
2. Verify the device appears:

ls /dev/ttyUSB0

3. Run deskpi_v1/drivers/python/safecutoffpower.py (or your own script that listens for poweroff and writes power_off back to /dev/ttyUSB0).

Double-clicking the power button triggers the same signal — see the deskpi_v1 GitHub repo for reference scripts.

Compatible Hardware & Accessories

DeskPi Lite (DP-0009) pairs naturally with the following products. Boards listed below the main table have been verified to physically fit and electrically work; accessories below extend the case's functionality.

Raspberry Pi Compatibility

Board	Compatibility
Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (1GB / 2GB / 4GB / 8GB)	Full feature support: HDMI rerouting, PWM fan, safe-cutoff via /dev/ttyUSB0
Raspberry Pi 3 Model B / 3B+	Mechanically fits; HDMI rerouting and PWM fan work, but safe-cutoff serial protocol is Pi4-tuned
Raspberry Pi 400 / Compute Module 4 with carrier	Not supported — case is sized specifically for Pi 3 / Pi 4 Model B boards

Recommended Accessories

Accessory	SKU	Purpose
DeskPi Lite NAS Case (DP-0020)	DP-0020	Adds M.2 SATA SSD mount; step-up from DP-0009
DeskPi Lite Expansion Kit (DP-0018)	DP-0018	M.2 SATA SSD adapter board for the Lite chassis
DeskPi Lite for 3B/3B+ (DP-0016)	DP-0016	Discontinued Pi-3B variant (kept for archival reference only)
DeskPi Pro (DP-0001)	DP-0001	Larger aluminum case for users who want a 2.5" drive bay
DeskPi Mini Cube (DP-0019)	DP-0019	CM4-based mini PC alternative
DeskPi Raspberry Pi 4 USB-C Power Supply	—	Official 5.1V/4A PSU available on the DeskPi Lite storefront
Pi 4 Power Supply (5V/4A)	—	Generic 5V/4A USB-C PSU available on the DeskPi Lite collection

Compatibility Reminder: The DeskPi Lite (DP-0009) chassis has no 2.5" SSD bay — for that feature step up to the Lite NAS Case (DP-0020) or the Pro (DP-0001). All other Pi 4 accessories (heatsinks, fans, GPIO HATs ≤ 25 mm tall) fit inside.