I was wondering if the connector used to connect Expansion Bay modules could be swapped regularly, in my case this would be ideal because i could put the gpu in when im at home playing games but not when i travel around. Is there any rating on how many times you can plug it in and remove it again?
Datasheet says 50 cycles but this is pre-production so production may be better.
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Wait, 50? So like just for upgrading? I thought I could swap it daily for GPU/battery pack. Isn’t it designed like that?
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A lot of people have been assuming that. That it’s like a docking port, that just secures with a latch. Available information shows it uses screws and may require some disassembly to even access the screws. See Framework’s github.
Links and pictures
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Yep, will need to take out the keyboard and remove two screws to remove it.
If you look in the promo video, the keyboard is completely removed, then the bay changed, then the keyboard put on again. I thought that was weird before I looked at the sheets properly but it makes sense. Still doesn’t look like swapping will take too long but the durability may be an issue.
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Here are the relevant data sheets:
Manufacturer: https://neoconix.com/wp-content/uploads/AS-000031-XBM-X-Beam-Product-Spec-Rev-D.pdf (this might not be the exact product Framework uses, but it’s the closest I could find)
The manufacturer says that it’s rated for 50 cycles (I assume this is for the release model of the connector) and disassembly definitely requires removing the keyboard and removing at least 2 screws, so it’s probably not something you want to do often. Yes, it looks like it’s more for upgrading or occasional swaps and less for “lets plug the GPU in when I get home”.
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Yeah it’s closer to a an improved mxm format (or hell m.2 device) than an expansion card.
If you are thinking you can swap expansion bays like expansion cards, you are gonna have a bad time.
It’s the FX Beam connector.
Overview pdf
The FX beam connector data sheet doesn’t give a durability rating and says instead “Integrates X-Beam Connector”, so I think it is okay to look at the X beam data sheet. Or do you have another source of information?
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I missed that. The lack of the 3 plastic pins on the X beam made me think there could be other differences.
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Board to board connectors do usually have a relatively low number of specified mating cycles, even regular PCIe connectors do only have 50 (for example this), most m.2 connectors 25, fine pitch mezzanine connectors sometimes even only 10 (this one for example), the display connector on the framework-mainboard has 30 if I remember it correctly.
For comparison USB-C connectors usually have a specified durability of 10000 mating cycles.
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