I was recently able to spend some time with the Ironclad series of MiSTer accessory boards. There are quite a few MiSTer form factors on the market these days, but the Ironclad offers a unique proposition – your MiSTer in a Mini ITX PC case. To accomplish this, it provides a standard 170mm x 170mm Mini ITX board that you can use with any of the available Cyclone V SoC dev boards on the market – the DE10-Nano, the QMTech board, or the MiSTer Pi. You’ll need an inexpensive compatibility kit if you’re using the QMTech or MiSTer Pi boards (something I didn’t realize at first), but installation is otherwise straightforward.
In terms of outputs, you get HDMI directly from the dev board, analog video over VGA (with purportedly better image quality than the standard MiSTer IO board), analog audio via a 3.5mm jack, and multiple USB ports thanks to the onboard FE2.1 USB host controller. There’s also a passthrough Ethernet port, internal headers for front panel USB, and an audio expansion connector if you want to add the optional Hi-Fi Blaster for high fidelity audio.
One of the most clever aspects of the IronClad is the inclusion of a microcontroller to handle system functions. The power button doesn’t just turn the unit on and off — it also handles the Reset, Menu, and User buttons, based on different press patterns. There’s also built-in support for an infrared remote, which is a huge bonus if you’re planning to use this setup in a living room. I wired up an IR sensor behind the front panel of my case and paired it with a small USB remote/keyboard, and it’s been fantastic.
The board also natively supports an internal MT32-Pi setup via a dedicated connector. To facilitate this, D3fmod Designs sells a custom MT32-Pi hat that connects to a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 and plugs right into the Ironclad, freeing up the User Port and keeping everything neat and tucked away. Even better, the custom MT32-Pi board adds a real-time clock to your MiSTer, which saves the time and date settings when it’s turned off.
Overall, the Ironclad delivers exactly what it promises: a clean, PC-style MiSTer setup. That said, it’s not perfect — I would’ve loved a breakout option for the fan speed/config button and I’m not a big fan of the way the SNAC level shifting is being done. But if you’re looking for a clean setup for your MiSTer and want to move it into a Mini-ITX case, this is absolutely worth checking out.
If you want to pick up an Ironclad, you can purchase one in D3fmod Design’s shop. Unfortunately, at the time I’m writing this, both the Lite version and DX version are out of stock. I believe D3fmod Designs is a one-person operation, so stock can come and go pretty quickly. If you’re interested, I’d recommend checking the store regularly or reaching out to Roberto directly to see when the next batch will be available.