Rigsby Getting Started

What’s in the Box

Photo placeholder: all parts laid out on a flat surface

Assembly

Assembly takes only a few minutes. No tools required except a Phillips screwdriver for the four case screws.

1. Unpack and identify all parts Lay out all components from the box. Confirm everything from the parts list above is present.
2. Remove the top plate

   Remove the top plate. It’s snap-fit only (no screws). Set the case on a flat surface with the top plate facing up, then lift up from one edge until it pops free. Remove any parts stored under the top plate (as packaged) and set them aside.

   When you’re ready to close the case back up: place the top plate over the case body, align one edge into the snap-fit openings, then press down on the opposite corners until it clicks into place.

   Top plate note: Standard-height HATs fit with the top plate in place. For taller HATs (like RCA/audio boards), leave the top plate off.
3. Remove the base plate, backplate, and boards

   Turn the case over, remove the four screws, and lift off the base plate.

   Remove the pre-installed backplate and both the PulseBoard and SignalBoard.

4. Insert the PulseBoard Align the PulseBoard with your Raspberry Pi’s connectors (both micro-HDMI ports and the USB-C port), then press firmly until fully seated.
   

   Photo placeholder: PulseBoard being inserted into Pi
5. Attach the SignalBoard Slide the SignalBoard down over your Pi’s GPIO header pins. It’s a friction fit — press down evenly until seated.
   

   Photo placeholder: SignalBoard being pressed onto GPIO
6. Connect the jumper cable

   Plug the included jumper cable between the PulseBoard and SignalBoard headers.

   This supports routing IR signals to the Raspberry Pi. With the jumper installed (and the SignalBoard left in its default configuration), audio vs IR output through the 4-pole 3.5mm jack is software-selectable (no physical changes required).

   

   Photo placeholder: jumper cable connected between both boards
7. Optional: microSD (and extender)
   • With extender
     Insert the microSD extender board into your Pi’s SD slot. Do not insert the microSD card yet — wait until after the base plate is installed and secured.
   • Without extender
     Insert your microSD card directly into the Pi’s slot. The card stays inside the sealed case.
   • No microSD
     If you’re using network boot (PXE) or an NVMe HAT, skip this step entirely.
8. Apply thermal pads Peel the backing from both silicone thermal pads. Place the larger pad on the Pi’s main processor (SoC). Place the smaller pad on the power management area near the USB-C port.
   

   Photo placeholder: thermal pad placement on Pi board
9. Choose and attach the correct backplate Select the backplate that matches your Pi model (Pi 4 or Pi 5). Align the backplate over the board assembly — it will set in place with a light friction fit.
   

   Photo placeholder: backplate being attached to board assembly
10. Set the assembly into the case Lower the board assembly (Pi + backplate + daughter boards) into the bottom cavity of the case. Align the backplate edges with the backplate opening on the case.
    

    Photo placeholder: assembly being placed into case body
11. Reinstall the base plate and screws Place the base plate back into position, then install and tighten the four screws. Don’t over-tighten — snug is sufficient.
    

    Photo placeholder: screws being tightened on bottom
12. Add the rubber feet Apply the rubber feet to the bottom of the base plate.
    

    Photo placeholder: rubber feet placement on base plate
13. If using the extender: insert the microSD card With the base plate installed and screws tightened, insert the microSD card into the extender from outside the case.

Wall / Surface Mounting

The Rigsby has built-in T-slot mounting rails on the bottom plate. These support four orientations for flexible wall or under-desk mounting. No additional brackets or adapters needed.

Photo placeholder: T-slot mounting detail

Software Install

The Rigsby software manages communication between your Raspberry Pi and the case hardware — fan control, power button behavior, watchdog timer, IR remote, and more.

Requirements

• Raspberry Pi 4 or Pi 5
• Raspberry Pi OS (Bookworm or later recommended)
• Internet connection (for the one-time install)

Install

Open a terminal on your Pi and run:

Copycurl -fsSL https://swelltek.com/install.sh | sudo bash

The installer will:

1. Download the latest SwellTek software package
2. Install any missing system dependencies
3. Install the hardware daemon and user daemon
4. Enable both services to start automatically on boot
5. Configure D-Bus for secure communication between components

Verify

Confirm both services are running:

Copysystemctl status swelltek-hw-daemon

Copysystemctl --user status swelltek-user-daemon

Check for Updates

Copysudo swelltek_install.sh --check-update

Uninstall

If you ever need to remove the software:

Copysudo swelltek_install.sh --uninstall

Your configuration settings are preserved at /etc/swelltek/settings.ini in case you reinstall later.

Configuration

The Rigsby works out of the box with sensible defaults. Customize your setup when you’re ready.

Terminal UI (Headless / SSH)

A raspi-config style menu interface — works over SSH, no monitor needed:

Copysudo swelltek-config

Screenshot placeholder: swelltek-config TUI main menu

Desktop GUI

If you have a monitor connected, use the graphical configuration tool:

Copysudo swelltek-config-gui

Screenshot placeholder: swelltek-config-gui main window

What You Can Configure

Feature Details

Power Button Patterns

The Rigsby’s smart power button recognizes multiple press patterns. Each pattern can trigger a different action:

Custom scripts let you trigger anything from a button press — launch a backup, toggle a service, send a notification, or run any command your Pi can execute.

Watchdog Timer

For always-on deployments (home automation hubs, network services, kiosks), the watchdog ensures your Pi recovers from lockups automatically. When enabled:

1. The software daemon sends a heartbeat to the case hardware every few seconds
2. If the heartbeat stops for longer than the timeout (default: 30 seconds), the case takes action
3. Action is configurable: hard restart (aggressive keep-alive) or full power off

IR Remote Power On

Power on your Pi from across the room using any NEC-compatible IR remote:

1. Open sudo swelltek-config and navigate to IR settings
2. Select “Learn IR Code”
3. Point your remote at the Rigsby and press the button you want to use
4. Press the same button 10 times to confirm (the case learns by repetition)
5. Once learned, that button will power on your Pi when it’s off

Cooling System

The Rigsby uses a dual approach to thermal management:

• Passive: The entire die-cast aluminum body acts as a heatsink. Thermal pads transfer heat from the Pi’s processor and power regulator directly into the case.
• Active: An integrated fan kicks in when temperatures exceed your configured thresholds. Four fan speed stages let you balance noise and cooling.

Full-Size HDMI

The PulseBoard converts your Pi’s micro-HDMI output to a standard full-size HDMI port — no more adapters or fragile micro-HDMI cables.

SignalBoard & 3.5mm Jack

The SignalBoard routes signals through a standard 4-pole 3.5mm jack. By default (with the jumper cable installed), audio and IR are software-selectable with no physical changes required. Optional pin remapping and GPIO routing are supported via solder jumpers.

• Audio output — standard analog audio
• IR output — send IR signals to control other devices
• GPIO routing — route up to 4 GPIO signals through the 3.5mm jack for external hardware

GPIO Routing

GPIO output through the SignalBoard’s 3.5mm jack is intended for advanced use and requires a small, intentional hardware reconfiguration.

Enable GPIO Routing

1. Cut the traces between the three solderable jumper pads directly behind the 3.5mm jack (top side of the SignalBoard).
2. In the GPIO solder-pad matrix, solder jumper pairs corresponding to the GPIO pin and 3.5mm pole sections you would like to use. Take care to ensure you only solder one jumper selection per 3.5mm pole section.

The board includes a silkscreen reference showing a 4-pole male plug with each pole section aligned to a column of jumper pads. GPIO pins are labeled and aligned by rows, forming a simple matrix.

Power options are also supported (as indicated on the silkscreen): on a 4-pole TRRS plug, the sleeve (farthest from the tip) can be 5V, ring 1 (closest to the tip) can be 3.3V, and ring 2 (between ring 1 and sleeve) can be GND.

Revert to Default

If you want to reverse course, thoroughly remove solder from the GPIO solder-pad matrix, then re-bridge the three pads directly behind the 3.5mm jack.

IR & Audio Alternate Pins (Advanced)

The SignalBoard supports default and alternate pin selections for IR in/out and audio left/right. This flexibility is designed to mitigate conflicts with other HATs and GPIO-based projects.

The default choice is shown with a filled circle in silkscreen, and the alternate is shown with an open circle (the pin number is labeled for each).

To switch to an alternate: cut the trace between the center and default side of a 3-segment solder pad, then solder the center and alternate pads together.

Note: The pins above match the SignalBoard silkscreen and align with Raspberry Pi hardware PWM-capable pins (commonly used for simple analog audio).

Graphic placeholder: SignalBoard GPIO routing cut/solder map

Troubleshooting

The fan doesn’t spin

• The fan only activates when CPU temperature exceeds the first threshold (default: 50°C). Under light load, the passive aluminum cooling may be sufficient.
• Check that the fan is enabled: sudo swelltek-config → Fan Options → Fan Enabled
• Verify the hardware daemon is running: systemctl status swelltek-hw-daemon

The power button doesn’t respond

• Ensure the jumper cable is connected between the PulseBoard and SignalBoard
• Check that button actions are enabled: sudo swelltek-config → Button Options
• Verify both services are running (see Verify section above)

The Pi won’t boot / no power

• Confirm the USB-C power supply is connected and providing adequate power (5V 3A+ recommended)
• If using the bundle power supply, verify it’s plugged into the Pi’s USB-C port (not the case)
• Check if “Auto Power On” is disabled — you may need to press the power button once

Low power warning after install

• The Rigsby monitors USB-C power delivery. If the power supply doesn’t negotiate sufficient current, the system may trigger a reboot on first run to renegotiate. This is normal and should only happen once.
• For best results, use a USB-C power supply rated for 5V/3A or higher (the bundle supply meets this requirement).

Services fail to start

Copy# Check hardware daemon logs
journalctl -u swelltek-hw-daemon -n 50

# Check user daemon logs
journalctl --user -u swelltek-user-daemon -n 50

Reinstall from scratch

Copy# Remove everything
sudo swelltek_install.sh --uninstall

# Fresh install
curl -fsSL https://swelltek.com/install.sh | sudo bash

Need help?

Email [email protected] with your issue and the output of:

Copyswelltek_install.sh --version
uname -a
cat /etc/os-release
systemctl status swelltek-hw-daemon