Unconventional Framework Laptop Expansion Cards

I was goin to post this in the original Expansion Cards thread, but I don’t want to deter from the actual conversation of legitimate exp. cards.

If the keyboard on the Framework Laptop is not backlit, this would be a good alternative… a Pocket Worm Expansion Card! hehe

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One of these with a fan.

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@Ben_S Say no more, fam :slight_smile:

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Lcd display expansion card

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Lcd display sounds nice. It could show all kinds of widget information,
cpu temps, battery status, wlan status, a symbol for unread mail …
I often miss those when working with full screen programs on a laptop

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I want a foldout crank input mechanism so I can run https://play.date games on the desktop :slight_smile:

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@Erik1 @j_c1

hehe gotcha :wink:

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@Brendan_Seabrook

That would be cool… maybe if the Panic Inc. Team is here, they should make their Dev Kit for the Play Date include one of these:

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Custom Button Expansion Card!

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I already know what I can assign it to

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@1111
nice. you’re right, it doesn’t actually need full lcd, even a small e-ink panel would be sufficient. maybe one of those is small is enough that it could sit flat on the surface of the card. wouldnt be much space, but enough for showing maybe battery, sound and time widgets.

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on with a small lcd clock. if possible with a tiny battery so it keeps going while the laptop is off.

Now that i think about it, an analog watch would look even more amazing ; ) there should be some that are small enough to fit in there.

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EEPROM burner, a la:
image

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@Erik1 That makes lots of sense…

I like the idea you have, and I attempted to put more effort XD

Here is a mockup of how it could look…

I added a small button in it, and this one could flip the widgets on the screen (i.e. battery, emails, etc.) and each one can be custom made and added onto the screen.

It reminds me of the days when iBooks or Macbooks would have battery indicators in the body of the laptops too.

I also added some ports into it so that the expansion card does not go to waste and can also serve to at least give some ports. The graphic illustrates my wording better hehe

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@1111
nice!
you should post that in the main expansion card thread!

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@Erik1 haha thanks, tho I don’t think it would count tho because idk if there is a realistic way to make this… (at least, as far as the extra ports behind the e-Ink) on the small space of this card

I’ll post it as a standalone and see what folks say :wink:

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I was thinking that if I’m not using all the 4 modules, keeping the components cool would be my priority. A fan module helping with the thermal exhaustion or a heatsink module (most likely not efficient tho) can be a really nice addition.

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I’d think a nice cooling mat or dock could help keep thins chilly…

Or, alternatively, there could be a possibility of a thicker bottom shell to accommodate extra fans, or even an extra battery and increase performance and battery life! :smiley:

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When I saw the title of this thread: Expansion Card-sized reflow hot plate

…my brain didn’t quite jump to the same place it was supposed to: simply flip your laptop upside down and balance a circuit board on the bottom of the expansion card for a convenient soldering experience on the go!

In fact, maybe if we overclock the CPU high enough we can skip the expansion card entirely

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@Jamie_McClymont well if you use bismuth solder-paste, you can get close but still… nope it’s not going to work sadly.

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