Introduction: Piper Minecraft
Here I will show you how to assemble your Piper Minecraft computer.
Back in April 2015, Piper Minecraft came out with a campaign on Kickstarter for a unique gaming concept designed to get kids engaged with STEM projects. At first, we were expecting to receive our Piper in April 2016, but were fortunate enough to receive a package on Christmas Eve! So with much patience, you too can assemble your new Piper Minecraft to enjoy with family and friends.
Before we get started, it would be important to note that this would be the time that the battery and speaker should be plugged in to charge so by the time assembly is done, you won't have to wait to play with your Piper Minecraft.
Lets go!
Step 1: Controller Box
Referring to the top left picture, gather all 7 pieces to assemble the Controller Box. Assembling the box in the below order is critical to ensuring the box will come together tightly. (Select left picture for labeling of items)
Order of Assembly:
1) Bottom Board
2) Bread Board
3) Long Sides
4) Short Sides
5) Top Board
* Apply light pressure on the corners rather than the middle sections to avoid breaking the pieces. If it's not wanting to fit, look at the overall position to ensure there are no chips.
Step 2: Power Ups Box
Just like the Controller box, you will need to follow a serious of steps to guarantee the box will come out correctly on the first try. (Refer to first left picture for labeling of items)
Order of Assembly:
1) Bottom Board
2) Back #2
3) Front #1
4) Side #3
5) Top Lid
6) Side #5
7) Place nuts in capture area and secure in place with screws.
* Apply light pressure on the corners rather than the middle sections to avoid breaking the pieces. If it's not wanting to fit, look at the overall position to ensure there are no chips. Do not over tighten the screws; essentially just finger tighten the screws with the provided screw driver.
Step 3: Pi Base
The Pi Base is by far the easiest part to assemble out of the entire Piper Minecraft. We elected to buy the Raspberry Pi directly from Piper Minecraft so everything would be shipped out at once but if you ordered your Piper Minecraft without the Raspberry Pi, then you can skip this part.
Order of Assembly:
1) Orienting the Pi on the base
2) Place the plastic screws into the mounting holes
3) Secure with plastic nuts
* Do not over tighten screws.
4) Place WiFi Dongle into the USB slot
5) SD Card into the SD Card slot
Step 4: Base Plate
The Base Plate is the largest subsection that will be assembled as it will house the Controller Box, Power Ups Box, Pi Base, and remaining power sources. (Refer to top left picture for a labeling of items)
Order of Assembly:
1) Side #1 onto Base Plate
2) Side #3 onto Base Plate
3) Side #5 onto Base Plate
4) Secure the latch on the front hinged cover with the provided screws
5) Mount the #7 hinges onto the front hinged cover and the Base Plate with short #3 screws and #2 nuts
6) Place #2 nuts in the capture areas (See the right picture)
7) Secure with screws
* Again, do not over tighten screws and pay attention when assembling sides together.
Step 5: Screen Lid
Order of Assembly:
Step A
1) Screw Plexi Cover to the Top with screws and nuts
2) Secure hinges to Back #6 with screws and nuts
3) Assemble box together in the following order:
-Top
-Back
-Sides
-Front
-Nuts in Capture Areas
-Secure with screws
4) Attach lid supports with provided hardware
Step 6: Step B & Step C
Grab the HDMI Cable and the USB Power Cable (USB end with white plastic end piece on the other end) and plug them in. *As the area within the Screen Lid is very limited, I suggest pre-bending the cables so that you don't stress the connectors.
Route the cables through the slots. Based on your preference, you could route each cable through one of the two provided slots although I just routed both cables through one slot.
Grab the Screen Lid from Step A and place the screen onto the box. Place nuts in the Capture areas (Do not push them all the way through) and secure closed with screws.
Attach the latch with provided screws.
*Remember to not over tighten screws. If it is not coming together smoothly, make sure there is nothing catching or binding.
Step 7: Step D
Using the #3 screws and #2 nuts, attach the Screen Lid hinges to the Base Plate. Secure the lid supports with provided hardware.
Now you can begin placing all assembled boxes in the previous steps as well as the battery and speaker into the Base Plate. Plug the HDMI Cable and Micro USB Power Cable into the Raspberry Pi and the speaker into the 3.5 MM jack.
Step 8: Turn on and Enjoy!!!!!
Now that you've assembled everything and placed each component into it's designated place, turn on your Piper Minecraft and enjoy some STEM entertainment!
My 11 year old son really enjoyed the overall experience with wiring and playing with the Piper Minecraft. It was well worth the 10 month wait and will be enjoyed for a long time.