Octoprint tablet case and wireless charging dock

thingiverse

I've been slowly reworking my BLV MGN Cube 3D printer. Since I ended up repurposing the original PanelDue touch screen display, I wanted to come up with a different solution for the front display. I decided to go for a cheap 7" Android tablet, which would let me access the full Duet Web Control interface, as well as connecting to my other printers. (And play music and take pictures, I mean, why not?) This would *also* have the benefit of allowing me to grab the screen and take it on the go, if for example I wanted to keep an eye on my print while I was in a different part of the house! I wanted a clean look, though, and that meant not fussing around with plugging in a micro USB to the janky tablet connector all the time. So I got myself a Qi wireless transmitter and receiver, and integrated them into the dock. I also wanted a solid connection between the tablet and the dock, so I integrated pairs of neodymium magnets into the case and dock. This yields a very satisfying "thunk" when the tablet connects!  The transmitter I used also has an abundance of bright blue LEDs to indicate charging status, so I integrated a light ring printed in transparent PETG to make it visible.    It turns out the strong magnets interfere a bit with the inductive power transmission, so after a bit of research I found that angling the transmitter board gave me a reliable connection. YMMV, though, so it might also be worth trying less powerful magnets. They're *plenty* strong as they are! The case is printed in PLA with an inner TPU liner for shock absorption. It has a print-in-place kickstand for when it's undocked; the kickstand is held closed by a pair of press-fit 3x3mm cylinder magnets..  Here's a rough parts list: - [1/2" x 1/4" x 1/8" neodymium bar magnets (8)](https://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=B842) - 3x3mm neodymium cylinder magnets (2) - [wireless receiver](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DLYF1OQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1) (make sure you get the plug facing the right way for your device) - [wireless transmitter](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07M6CRGFP/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1) - various M3 screws, plus M2 screws for affixing the transmitter board - [Vankyo MatrixPad S7 tablet](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0821B76WY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)