Adafruit’s DIN Rail Mount Bracket for the Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone, and Arduino costs $20, or $37 with a terminal block breakout adapter and cable. We also look at RPi DIN rail housings from DINrPlate, Phoenix Contact, and Zihatec.

We have covered plenty of compact industrial computers with optional or standard DIN rail mounts, including Kunbus’ Raspberry Pi based Revolution Pi (RevPi Core). Adafruit has now launched a mounting kit that can enable any Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone, or Arduino with 4x mounting holes to ride the DIN rail.

DIN Rail Mount Bracket with Raspberry Pi with (left) and without optional breakout adapter and ribbon cable
(click images to enlarge)

The $19.95 “DIN Rail Mount Bracket” consists of an aluminum bracket with a pair of DIN rail adapter legs and mount screws. You also get 6x standoffs and 12x flat-head and pan-head screws.

For a complete DIN rail system you will need to add Adafruit’s $13.95 2×20 IDC to Terminal Block Adapter and $2.95 GPIO Ribbon Cable. The Terminal Block Adapter breaks out 40 GPIO pins into terminal block connections.

Other DIN rail mounts for the Raspberry Pi include the $13 DIN Rail Mount for Raspberry Pi 3 from DINrPlate. This plastic mount has 4x screws and a tie-wrap. It also supports the Odroid C2 and Asus Tinkerboard.

DINrPlate DIN Rail Mount for Raspberry Pi 3 (left) and Phoenix Contact’s DIN Rail Housing for Raspberry Pi
(click images to enlarge)

Phoenix Contact sells a fully enclosed DIN Rail Housing for Raspberry Pi for $18.17. The IP20-protected, -40 to 105°C tolerant case is made of polycarbonate and includes a “lower upper cover PCB holder” and 16x contacts. You need to buy a separate BC DEV-KIT to add terminal block connectors.

RasPiBox Compact

Zihatec sells several RasPiBox DIN rail housings for standard and Zero form-factor Raspberry Pi models. The 15-Euro ($16.70) RaspiBox Compact supports standard-sized RPi models and offers a milled cab rail enclosure and a top shell with transparent cover.

DIN-rail designs can reduce clutter and ease access. By mounting a computer on the DIN rail alongside its ribbon-connected peripherals, you avoid the complexity of panel mounting and have easier access for modifications and maintenance.

DIN rail can save space, reduce wiring, and improve airflow, among other advantages. You can also choose from a wide variety of components that comply with the DIN rail standard.

 
Further information

The DIN Rail Mount Bracket for the Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone, and Arduino sells for $19.95. A complete kit with terminal block adapter and cable goes for $36.70. More information may be found on Adafruit’s product and shopping page. (We learned about the product from Geeky Gadgets.)