Can We Crowd Source 2D/3D Models of the InWin A500 I/O Shields?

[jdmcs]

Update: Apparently, despite having installed countless ATX I/O Shields over the past 25 years or so, I did it wrong. Apparently, I should have started with the botton edge, then pushed the two sides in, and finally pushed the top side in. If you start with the top edge, you won't have enough leverage to push the bottom edge into the case.

That being said, there could be technical tolerances at play here, and the original InWin shields were shaped differently. Sine someone could want to re-create one for some strange reason, I'm still going to collect the data to facilitate the design of 2D/3D models.

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The InWin A500 and its sibling cases can use a proprietary I/O shield design. Instead of snapping in like current ATX cases, or being retained by screws like some early ATX cases, the proprietary shield design uses two tabs to hold the shield in place.

And although the opening looks big enough to snap a modern I/O shield in place, it’s not actually the right size to do so. IIRC, it’s too narrow. (Update: this was likely due to user error, though there could be mechanical tolerances at play that make this more difficult on some cases.)

I want to make my vintage builds look like vintage builds, including proper I/O shields in ATX cases. But what are you to do when your second PC was in an InWin A500 case and you can’t find the proper I/O shield or an existing 3D model to print one?

You ask the TD community for help, that’s what!

I have an InWin A500 case that needs an I/O shield. Despite several saved searches to try to catch any I/O shields that get listed, I’ve yet to spot an InWin one by itself. I’ve seen one or two in a case, but the price was prohibitive.

I’m hoping someone might have one already that could either create a 3D model, or maybe get the community the data needed (dimensions and some good photographs) so we can start to create 3D models. Then all these InWin cases that show up on eBay without shields can one again Rick an awesome vintage build!

Who’s in?

 

[phunguss]

I can help model and test print something. I have no InWin devices, so yes, photos and dimensions would be required.

 

[phunguss]

I don't think this helps much, but have you seen this link to the manual?

 

[jdmcs]

I just bought an A500 case with an I/O shield, so hopefully I'll have a shield for taking measurements of within a week or two.

 

[Trash80toG4]

I've got that or its identical twin. Pulled it off the shelf and took a quick look at it. I installed the standard ATX I/O panel shield that cam with my Intel ATOM mini board without problem as I recall. Might they have modified the sheet metal at some point?

 

[jdmcs]

I've got that or its identical twin. Pulled it off the shelf and took a quick look at it. I installed the standard ATX I/O panel shield that cam with my Intel ATOM mini board without problem as I recall. Might they have modified the sheet metal at some point?

Or it was user error on my part. I was able to install a standard I/O shield by starting with the bottom edge.

To be fair, there could be some mechanical variances between cases that make it harder to install a standard I/O shield on some cases. I have a second case on the way that I can use to answer that question.

The original InWin I/O shields were different, so I'm still going to measure the one in the second case to facilitate modeling. Maybe there's a reason why someone might want the tab style shield vs. the press-fit shield - access to metal fabrication equipment could be one use case for the InWin style...

 

[NJRoadfan]

Back in the late 90's, people didn't know where the market for ATX backplates was going. Most of the early ATX cases I had worked with included a set of "standard" back plates. Most of these were port configurations (ex: "Micronics", "Intel", etc.) that were already released onto the market including a standard AT version with just a 5-pin DIN cutout.

For a while, motherboards were almost always using this layout, so cases came with that backplate installed by default. This held until built-in Ethernet became commonplace and an extra knockout over the USB ports was needed! The push for more modern I/O by 2000 lead to everyone starting to do their own thing with back plates, beginning the mess we have today.


If I recall, the InWin cases came with backplates similar to the photo above, with an extra tab with screw to fasten them.

 

[jdmcs]

Back in the late 90's, people didn't know where the market for ATX backplates was going. Most of the early ATX cases I had worked with included a set of "standard" back plates. Most of these were port configurations (ex: "Micronics", "Intel", etc.) that were already released onto the market including a standard AT version with just a 5-pin DIN cutout.

For a while, motherboards were almost always using this layout, so cases came with that backplate installed by default. This held until built-in Ethernet became commonplace and an extra knockout over the USB ports was needed! The push for more modern I/O by 2000 lead to everyone starting to do their own thing with back plates, beginning the mess we have today.
View attachment 18884

If I recall, the InWin cases came with backplates similar to the photo above, with an extra tab with screw to fasten them.

It's close - it has two tabs and doesn't appear to be retained by a screw (probably just the motherboard keeping it in place). Here's a crop of the photo of the one I bought:

I'll get better photos once I receive the case.