Ruggedized Framework Laptop for Use as Main Mission Control Computer for High Powered Rocketry

[Fraoch]

Very cool!

@Zachariah_Mears

Waterloo Rocketry team

(Cambridge here)

@Zachariah_Mears

built in Wi-Fi router to support adjacent wireless equipment (I saw a post about turning a framework into a router, that would be really cool to incorporate, but is likely out of scope.)

To get better wireless reception/transmission you could replace the antenna assembly with small “rubber duck” (example)-type antennas mounted on a socket drilled through holes in the case. It can be made weatherproof and ruggedized if small enough, I just saw some tiny ones on an IP67 enclosure in my day job.

Probably best to get a small off-the-shelf router with external antennas and mount the antenna sockets on the outside of the case, with reverse SMA extension cables running to the router antenna sockets on the inside of the case. Wire the board into one of the wired ports using something like this so as not to take up any USB ports and to reuse the wireless card slot.

@Zachariah_Mears

Has anyone ever tried using a completely dissimilar display on a framework mainboard? the connector is eDP and seems like it might just support other displays with no mods, but I haven’t found anyone who has done this, the closest being a thread here where someone managed to use a very similar to stock, but matte display.

Nirav Patel (founder and CEO) has used a DP to eDP board which worked well and might open up possibilities:

HDMI controller board for display panel

Incredibly enough, that little DP to eDP board just works: [image] I picked up a version that comes with a cable (Nvarcher Dp To Edp 4k 120hz Diy4k Driver Board 4k 2k 1080 Adapter Board For Portable Display - Replacement Parts - AliExpress). You need to carefully remove our custom eDP cable and then insert the cable that comes with the adapter board.