Dual USB-C Expansion Card

if you make the module slightly thicker than the chassis, or have the USB ports low on the card with a very thin cover, you would probably be fine with the way it’s designed. (although you have done more work on Expansion cards than I have, so you would know better)

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Can’t you just resistor request 5v from the host and ditch pd for the 2 ports? Otherwise a pd trigger chip it <1$ if the resistor part doesn’t work. you have 3 other ports for power so having to with just 5v seems pretty reasonable to me

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Do you need that if you are staying at 5V? Otherwise, just ditch those. No need.

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Or just use a chip that supports dual USB-C natively

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you found one?

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You can for example use this: USB7252C | Microchip Technology. There might also be smaller (BGA-) packages and probably even not publicly available solutions.
The above IC can also handle USB 3.2 Gen 2, but it’s relatively large with 12x12mm (compared to the 7x7mm of the simpler one). The complete PCB area of the expansion boards is 26x30mm, that’s not much given that you not only need the hub chipset but also power supplies, ESD-protection, connectors and of course space to connect them with traces. I’m not sure how many layers you can get on a 0.8mm PCB but I’d guess not more than 8 (for reasonable pricing at least). There are very likely people (and technologies) out there that can manage to make a nearly full-spec hub in that size, but that’s out of my capabilities and skills. I find this challenging enough and I’m doing it purely as a hobby project.

Addressing the (likely) height issue in my current design, I might go the way with a daughter board for the upstream connector (to offset it a little upwards so the downstream-ports move further to the center-line), adding an additional PCB and two board-to-board connectors to the list, but that pushes it further into ‘not likely to become produced in higher quantities’-territory.

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Can’t share information on what it is due to an NDA.

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Really ???

Wow! I’ve been using laptops for 36 years and never used a mouse nor has anyone I know. Maybe area and age specific :slight_smile:

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Any reliable ETA interval on when it’s out of NDA?

AFAIK, large amount of companies (all tech companies too) do that. Some tech companies even provide an external mechanical keyboard (And I don’t get what kind of money you were made of or job position to run around with laptops in the late 80’s.)

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The NDA has no expiry.

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What do you expect us to do with that information :unamused:?

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Not sure 1986 or 1987

A Zenith ZFL 181-93, it was a private purchase, still have it.

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he’s telling us that such a thing does exist.

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I’m also working on a Dual USB-C expansion card, with the chip that is under a NDA, which is why I was stating that it exists.

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:thinking: :+1:

OH!!!

Alright. Then I hope you can provide some good news at some point.
Good luck! :+1:

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36 years old. Weighing in at 12Lb some 5.5Kg

More a portable computer than a laptop :slight_smile:

I’ll have to find the power supply :slight_smile:

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If it can run FreeDOS there are some cool things you can still do with it.

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DON T BUY THIS CRAP x) Was too good to be true !
Doesn t charge AND doesn t work stable when connecting for exemple a USB C cam.
Its a dumb peace of plastic :frowning:

https://fr.aliexpress.com/item/1005003548000023.html?spm=a2g0o.order_detail.order_detail_item.3.52257d56q1WY6m&gatewayAdapt=glo2fra

The “good” it fites in the FW slote, it feel solide (but useless!)

SHipment for a usb module still crazy expensive :frowning:


At 50€ 2 pass through USb c my dreams of modularity are gone :smiley:

Anyone selling there usb C module out there?

I’ll try to place orders for my concept/prototype usb-hub-card and the components by the end of the month, I’m curious if it actually works :sweat_smile:. I have quite some other things to do recently so it doesn’t progress as fast as I’d like it to…

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If you want to buy a used module, I can recommend the r/frameworkmarket. If you want a new module without the high shipping cost you can check out
https://frame-parts.square.site/

both of these are unofficial, but both are committed to helping EU customers get framework parts and expansion cards cheaper.

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