When looking at the webcam modules I do see a module specifically for the 11/12th gen, but i was wondering if the newer camera with the newer sensor would work on the older laptops?
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Following, potentially interested for my AMD 13 where auto white balance Is really bad
Yes I have the same question. I downloaded the product images, did some analysis, and searched around.
TL;DR - I didn’t find any clear evidence of broken compatibility, but I also didn’t find enough information to confirm compatibility.
So here’s what I found:
- Webcam Module (2nd Gen) - Looks like this modules has 12 conductors, and the ribbon cable connection is 84-86ish pixels wide.
- Framework Laptop 13 Webcam Module (11th/12th Gen Intel) - This module has 12 conductors too. It’s about 84-85 pixels wide too.
Then I found this thread where the pinout of the module was described:
Going one step further, there is a GitHub repo with the same electrical details:
The GitHub repo only lists one Web Cam Pinout specification. So I think there are two possibilities:
- The new webcam is electrically compatible. They re-used the same pinout for all web cams
. - The new webcam is not electrically compatible, and they’ll update the repo soon (but all other web cams up to this point have electrical compatibility)
As for physical compatibility, it looks like we can draw similar conclusions:
- All Web Cams up to this point are using the same physical connector.
- The new web cam might be the same or different.
My gut impression is that the Webcam Module (2nd Gen) is both electrically compatible and uses the same Physical ribbon interface (but I don’t have a strong belief). Also I’m not sure if the overall assembly fits in place. So there are still many unknowns. But the good news is that I didn’t see any obvious deal-breakers.
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I found more evidence that this webcam module will work. Here’s a video from the framework YouTube channel where they talk about it:
The link takes you to the part of the video that talks about the web cam. The web cam is the “…same form factor as our previous web cam…”
So it seems more likely that:
- the web cam is electrically compatible
- it uses the same ribbon cable interface
- the assembly fits in place
So it’s probably going to work? I’m starting to think I’ll order one when I can.
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Me too. Worst case is, it doesn’t work and it’s a cheap experiment for the next tne i get.
Webcam module should be backwards compatible.
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When will it be available for purchase? I need to replace a broken webcam module (1st gen) and would love to get the 2nd gen if it’s not too long of a wait.
Thanks
Sorry to hear that, it should be available with the rest of the marketplace items we have announced, later this year.
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I see that it’s available, but it seems it can’t be purchased without purchasing a whole laptop?
The message I get when I have it in the cart and try to check out is “Sorry, we only have stock of that item at our non-US warehouse. You can only purchase it when combined with a laptop order”.
The Webcaom Modele (2nd Gen) is best for Intel Core Ultra Series?
I can confirm that the camera part of the Webcam Module (2nd Gen) works with the 12th gen Intel mainboards. The new webcam module arrived today and the camera seems to be working. I tested it with Ubuntu 24.04.
Unfortunately, the microphone seems messed up. I can hear loud interference and other distortion sounds. It’s like VHS Generation Loss Distortion after thousands of generations (it’s super distorted like that 
). Put another way, it sounds like white noise mixed with interference noise blasting at full volume at all times. But this hiss sound doesn’t completely overpower my voice. My voice seems to modulate the interference sound. So you can still understand some of my words. Overall the interference is loud and unacceptable.
Given the way the audio sounds, I think I might have done something wrong. When I attached the bezel, maybe the mute switch on the bezel was in the wrong position? Or maybe the ribbon connection is messed up? Not sure. I will keep messing with it when I can.
Also, my old web cam module is busted. I recommend never trying to flip the mute switch with tweezers… the little switches on the web cam module are delicate… The amount of force you use to slide the bezel switches is enough to break them like it’s nothing… At least that was true for my old web cam module (I think it’s the one. that shipped with the 11th gen framework 13)
Overall I’m decently happy with the picture quality from the module. If you plan to use the web cam + a headset for zoom or something then this is a pretty good camera for that.
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There is no physical switch on the module itself. The webcam module uses an optical interrupter with a small paddle on the bezel side, not a physical switch. If you pulled on any part of the webcam module with tweezers, it is little wonder that it is now broken.
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There’s no switch…it’s a sensor. It’s contact-less.
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Thanks for the info about the camera modules using optical interrupters. I’ll be more careful with the new one!
I forgot to mention that my old webcam module wasn’t working properly to begin with. While it’s unfortunate that I damaged it further, it was already broken.
I don’t want to be speaking out of turn here, but I believe the concept of Framework is that their laptops are modular and upgradable. Because of this, I would expect explicit information indicating a lack of compatibility, and in the absence of it assume that compatibility is implied.
The new web cam is a nice improvement as well, but I’m still using the 1st gen and it is good enough for me. My mainboard has changed a few times though. Gotta love modularity!
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