Did a few searches to see if people had already posted about this, but didn’t find anything specific. AIA if I missed something.
I’m a cheapskate so I got a refurb DIY and no expansion cards. I figured the cards plugged into USB-C so I should have 4 recessed USB-C ports in my Framework 13. I was right! Been using a small USB-C to USB-A adapter I had laying around that fit nicely in one expansion port and was getting suspicious I wouldn’t find an easy-to-follow [single] USB-C expansion card design in the forums here after lurking for a while.
(And the recessed ports don’t feel like they’re rated for as many uses as most USB-C ports, honestly. The one I usually use for power is looser than the rest now, so I’m increasingly motivated to find “real” expansion cards.)
Then I found out there were small USB-C “extenders” (rather than adapters like my C-to-A) for folks with Otterboxes and other giant phone cases.
How about one of these on a Framework? Any considerations about power/data etc? The one I linked says it does Thunderbolt 3, which is encouraging, and I think 5mm would fit in the slot. And $9 shipped for 3 is similarly encouraging.
3D print a body around it and it should work. if they didn’t do anything stupid with those extenders it should work like a regular usb-c expansion card (asuming they just 1:1 the pins).
I’d suggest getting at least one Expansion Card to protect the mainboard port. Real or 3D printed, as long as the extender within is solidly mounted to not allow movement.
