Laser-Cut Lego Frames Enclosure

I finally got the panels cut for my USB – four RS232 ports + four 3.3V/5V serial interface today.

The front and back panels are printed circuit boards – a very cost-effective way to get accurate machining and silkscreen artwork. The top and bottom are blue transparent acrylic (got to keep a eye on what's happening in there ). The end panels are plywood for a retro look – contemporary to a lot of RS-232 devices!

Looks like a store-bought thing. It's built around the CH348 USB – octal serial chip. A few bucks and pretty simple to use.

Do you have any plans to expand or refine it, or is it perfect?

The enclosure is pretty much perfect for the application. I'm really pleased with it. There's more about this technique on Jon's Imaginarium If you're interested.

As far as the hub, there's one change I'd make if I was doing it again. I didn't think about the fact that DTR is used to trigger program loading on many micros. I only included Tx and Rx on all 8 ports.