I would go for a network to USB-C adapter or a small usb dock and not change the expansion card at all. The expansion cards are simple X->USB-C adapters after all, so there is no advantage of the expansion card to external adapters if you don’t plan to carry them with you laptop
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You could also use the 3D model files Framework has available to print your own spacer card to go in the space. If you don’t own a 3D printer yourself there are online services that will 3D print things for you.
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Back in the old Commodore Amiga times, there was basically the option to hack your machine optionally with so called Turbo card. What would happen, if we could have a Framework motherboard with PCI-E expansion possibility, where we can buy an single prepared CPU+GPU combo card with some extra memory slots, and when you insert this expansion card, basically disables the old motherboard soldered CPU+GPU, and turns into the old machine into a upgradeable workstation. Of course this change would be significant if Framework motherboard has soldered cheap APU combos by default.
More crazy idea would be the dual usage of both worlds: I mean switching between the two, or combining the motherboard and the expansion card calculation power together.
Or keep internal computing on and put an AI accelerator in the module. May need some cooling outriggers, though.
I would think expansion cards are too small. This is more of an Expansion Bay idea for the upcoming 16"; perhaps you should repost there.
That’s not possible anymore, but Framework does literally sell easily swappable upgrade motherboards…
It would be pretty neat to have a modern version of Latitude ON though, something like a CM4 in the Expansion Bay using the DP in, but like I mentioned in the lapdock thread I don’t know if it could interface directly with the screen.
At least the expansion bay int the 16 has an edp connection to the screen, the harder part would be getting access to the keyboard and mouse through there.
Is it a direct connection? I assumed there would be some sort of mux involved.
There is probably a mux but it has not been confirmed. However a connection through a mux is pretty much a direct connection if the mux is switched to that input.
Hi all,
New forum user here, I’ve been planning on doing this for a while but haven’t had the time until now. Currently I’m using a Logitech Unifying Receiver, but its sticking out like any other regular receiver. My plan is to take apart an existing USB-A expansion card and Logitech receiver (I have an extra of both) and directly soldering connections together and packaging it back into a flush sitting expansion card. If possible, I’m planning on reusing existing expansion card case instead of 3D printing a new one. Though I’m concerned about signal interference and if using the metal case would affect it negatively.
My question to the community: Has anyone else done this? I’ve briefly searched the forums and haven’t found anything on this. If so, any tips and tricks for a fellow community member?
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Literally found this just as I posted lol
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One great option would be if you could both hide a Logitech Unifying Receiver and still have some sort of useful USB port passthrough/daisy/hub out the side, so you are not losing a port.
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I personally prefer a number pad while working with spreadsheets and would happily pay for an expansion card number pad that could be docked on the right side of my laptop. Using an expansion slot would have the benefit of blending in with the keyboard and chassis, it could even plug into both slots for added stability. Yes, I know this could be done with a wired or wireless number pad, but I think swapping the cards as needed would be more convenient and esthetically pleasing, any thoughts? Am I alone here?
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Someone has made a mockup of this in the post below.
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Thank you for bringing this to my attention, I wonder why it didn’t appear in my search results when I searched the forums for “number pad”, perhaps I simply overlooked it.
would a bluetooth wireless solution be better? less likely to snap off, and there are already a few on the market.
I recently remembered that these type of hubs exist, and while they wouldn’t be usable with the Framework, they did give me an idea.
I am imagining this kind of “dongle” hanging off the side of the laptop, but supported by expansion card prongs. This seems like something I wouldn’t mind leaving plugged into the laptop all the time, and opens up a lot of space for those port-consuming devices, like in my case, a mouse receiver, a YubiKey Nano, and an SD card slot.
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Hey, I‘m already working on this. The big problem is charging and DP. There‘s no cheap silicon for this…
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One way around expensive silicon is to cheat and not put any in. 
One designed for the right hand side could be made with the rear port directed 90 degrees toward the rear (straight passthrough, like the current USB-C module) with a simple USB 2.0 hub connected to the front port broken out into say, 4 ports? This would allow for a display or power to be connected at an angle away from the mouse hand, while having room for several dongles.
So my idea is pretty simple and straightforward a modified only usbc dock for the framework expansion cards which you could also use on non framework laptops like your tower pc and there could be a usb a version with a usbc expansion card module so it could look like it’s in the laptop like one of the expansions card
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