One of the things framework is missing for their laptops is the option for a card reader. The 13 model likely will not have such an option due to the chassis not supporting such a physically large modification, however the 16 model could potentially.
I was wondering if anyone has looked into the dimensions for the two lower touchpad spacers and if they could accommodate a card reader if fused together.
Ideally this would attach next to the touchpad and you can insert a card from the front edge. I know the pogo pin connections will not work out of the box without some modifications to the upper keyboard deck but that is a later problem.
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for what kind of card?
this could maybe work in the expansion bay
Inserting from the front edge?
Looks like it wouldn’t fit.
github.com/FrameworkComputer/InputModules/tree/main
Keyboard-sized modules (283.16mm wide)
Numpad-sized modules (67.85mm wide)
Half-sized modules (33.825mm wide)
Two touchpad spacers side-by-side are the same width as two upper spacers or a numpad module at 67.85mm wide, and a standard card is 85.6 mm wide.
People has proposed an expansion card (side card) though. Of course the width doesn’t fit here either, but since a smartcard is so thin, a proposed solution is to have the expansion card extend down a couple millimeters and form a slot just under the body of the laptop.
from what I am searching up, a standard card like what is used for a CAC card is 53.98 mm on the short side. that sounds like it should be wide enough to construct a module, but what is the thickness of the touchpad spacers?
Oh, I thought they were credit card sized. The wikipedia page says CACs are “about the size of a credit card” but the smartcard page says an ID-1 size card is 85.60 by 53.98 millimetres.
That might be a problem. Due to the mounting rails, there seems to be little height for a card. You can find a 3d model of a double wide touchpad spacer here: printables.com/model/804797-framework-laptop-16-trackpad-spacer
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darn, looks like any option for a card reader in the input deck would require the card bending slightly to avoid the locking rail. not impossible, but not ideal.
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So, I noticed the card’s measurements are in a landscape and all the card readers I’ve use require the card to be in portrait. Meaning we need to compare the height of the card with the width of the modules.
Personally, I’d like to swap out the spacers next to the touch pad for a card reader. I’d like this method because I’d still like to have my keyboard and my num pad while being able to use the card reader.
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