T
he Raspberry Pi Zero (see Issue 150)
and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth-equipped
Raspberry Pi Zero W (see Issue 166)
are undeniably remarkable devices. Priced at
just £4.80 and £9.30 inc VAT respectively,
they’re about as cheap as a computer can get- and their gumstick-like form factor makes
them ideal for embedded applications, at least
once you’ve finished development.
During development, though, their compact
size and light weight aren’t necessarily
advantages, given their tendency to be pushed
around the desk as you connect and disconnect
cables and accessories. In this situation, the
Pi Hut’s ZeroDock aims to offer support. It
contains no electronics or metal parts, bar
the electrical traces underneath the compact
breadboard bundled for prototyping purposes.
It’s just four alternating black and clear sheets of
laser-cut Perspex, plus a handful of plastic nuts
and bolts to hold it together.
Assembly is quick and easy. Pop three of
the sheets together, attach any model of
Raspberry Pi Zero – although the header-
equipped H-suffix models are necessary if
you don’t want to supply and fit pins to the
general-purpose input/output (GPIO) header
yourself – and finish with the bottom layer,
which includes nuts that double as feet.
loosely, so you can’t use the ZeroDock
as an easy means of transporting all
the gear at once.
It’s the prototyping area that saves the
ZeroDock. The large rectangular cut-out to
the bottom is perfectly sized for the bundled
miniature solderless breadboard, which can
either be slotted loosely in place, or attached
permanently using the pre-applied adhesive
backing. Once fitted, the breadboard provides an
(admittedly limited) area for quick circuit building,
positioned easily close enough to the Raspberry
Pi Zero’s GPIO header for tangle-free connection
with short female-to-male jumper leads.
It’s a shame no such leads are supplied,
because that may have helped to justify the
price. At £10 (inc VAT) from thepihut.com, it’s
the same price as the company’s Raspberry
Pi 4 case, which contains more acrylic, more
fasteners and a bundled 5V cooling fan, although
admittedly not the solderless breadboard.
The price puts the ZeroDock above even
the most expensive Raspberry Pi Zero model,
which is an admittedly low bar given the
boards’ bargain-basement pricing. For those
who do a lot of prototyping of smaller circuits,
limited to just the handful of components that
would fit on the compact breadboard supplied,
it’s likely a price worth paying. For general
users, though, the ZeroDock is simply too
much money for too little utility.CUSTOMISATION / HOBBY TECH
REVIEW
Pi Hut ZeroDock
The result is a relatively compact plastic
creation that keeps the Raspberry Pi Zero
entirely stable – it’s dramatically less likely
to be pushed around the desk as you attach
and disconnect cables. All ports remain
accessible, and there’s a cut-out underneath
to allow the board to breathe as the system-
on-chip warms up.
The upper three layers have laser-cut holes
in them, designed for storage of commonly
-used accessories. The two smaller slots
to the right are ideally shaped for micro SD
cards, while the two larger slots to their left
are the right size for USB dongles.
There’s a large slot to the top,
which can take a full-sized
SD card or an adaptor for the
micro SD cards, and another
which can accept a mini-
HDMI to HDMI adaptor.
It’s a neat idea, and
it does help to keep
your desk a little tidier,
but it also feels rather
unnecessary. Most
accessories are likely
to spend their lives
permanently attached
to the Raspberry Pi
Zero – those that don’t
are only held in placeGareth Halfacree is a keen computer hobbyist, journalist and author. His work can be found at freelance.halfacree.co.uk @ghalfacree
A handful of plastic and a mini
breadboard isn’t much for £10
of anyone’s cashThe ZeroDock does exactly as promised, but is that enough to justify the price?T
heRaspberryPiZero(seeIssue150)
andWi-Fi/Bluetooth-equipped
RaspberryPiZeroW(seeIssue166)
areundeniablyremarkabledevices.Pricedat
just£4.80and£9.30incVATrespectively,
they’reaboutascheapasa computercanget- andtheirgumstick-likeformfactormakes
themidealforembeddedapplications,atleast
onceyou’vefinisheddevelopment.
Duringdevelopment,though,theircompact
sizeandlightweightaren’tnecessarily
advantages,giventheirtendencytobepushed
aroundthedeskasyouconnectanddisconnect
cablesandaccessories.Inthissituation,the
PiHut’sZeroDockaimstooffersupport.It
containsnoelectronicsormetalparts,bar
theelectricaltracesunderneaththecompact
breadboardbundledforprototypingpurposes.
It’sjustfouralternatingblackandclearsheetsof
laser-cutPerspex,plusa handfulofplasticnuts
andboltstoholdit together.
Assemblyis quickandeasy.Popthreeof
thesheetstogether,attachanymodelof
RaspberryPiZero– althoughtheheader-
equippedH-suffixmodelsarenecessaryif
youdon’twanttosupplyandfitpinstothe
general-purposeinput/output(GPIO)header
yourself– andfinishwiththebottomlayer,
whichincludesnutsthatdoubleasfeet.
loosely, so you can’t use the ZeroDock
as an easy means of transporting all
the gear at once.
It’s the prototyping area that saves the
ZeroDock. The large rectangular cut-out to
the bottom is perfectly sized for the bundled
miniature solderless breadboard, which can
either be slotted loosely in place, or attached
permanently using the pre-applied adhesive
backing. Once fitted, the breadboard provides an
(admittedly limited) area for quick circuit building,
positioned easily close enough to the Raspberry
Pi Zero’s GPIO header for tangle-free connection
with short female-to-male jumper leads.
It’s a shame no such leads are supplied,
because that may have helped to justify the
price. At £10 (inc VAT) from thepihut.com, it’s
the same price as the company’s Raspberry
Pi 4 case, which contains more acrylic, more
fasteners and a bundled 5V cooling fan, although
admittedly not the solderless breadboard.
The price puts the ZeroDock above even
the most expensive Raspberry Pi Zero model,
which is an admittedly low bar given the
boards’ bargain-basement pricing. For those
who do a lot of prototyping of smaller circuits,
limited to just the handful of components that
would fit on the compact breadboard supplied,
it’s likely a price worth paying. For general
users, though, the ZeroDock is simply too
much money for too little utility.CUSTOMISATION / HOBBY TECH
REVIEW
Pi Hut ZeroDock
Theresultisa relativelycompact plastic
creationthatkeepstheRaspberry Pi Zero
entirelystable– it’sdramatically less likely
tobepushedaroundthedeskas you attach
anddisconnectcables.Allports remain
accessible,andthere’sa cut-out underneath
toallowtheboardtobreatheas the system-
on-chipwarmsup.
Theupperthreelayershavelaser-cut holes
inthem,designedforstorageof commonly
-usedaccessories.Thetwosmaller slots
totherightareideallyshapedfor micro SD
cards,whilethetwolargerslots to their left
aretherightsizefor USB dongles.
There’sa largeslot to the top,
whichcantake a full-sized
SDcardoranadaptor for the
microSDcards, and another
whichcanaccept a mini-
HDMItoHDMI adaptor.
It’sa neat idea, and
it doeshelp to keep
yourdeska little tidier,
butit alsofeels rather
unnecessary. Most
accessories are likely
tospend their lives
permanently attached
totheRaspberry Pi
Zero– those that don’t
areonly held in placeGarethHalfacreeisa keencomputerhobbyist,journalistandauthor.Hiswork can be found at freelance.halfacree.co.uk @ghalfacree
A handful of plastic and a mini
breadboard isn’t much for £10
of anyone’s cashThe ZeroDock does exactly as promised, but is that enough to justify the price?