Which dell docking station connector exactly @Josh_Cook ? Do you have a link?
A barrel plug for power would be really handy; USB-C for power & data is really convenient but the cables are also really fragile compared to the bulkier, cheaper barrel plugs. Having the option for a right-angled 12V barrel would be nice.
A ethernet port 1/10 gigabit that accepts Type3/4 POE++ input for power / charging
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Here is a link for it https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIP.zmUBvhMNfyWIUzgPPQ4XsQEgDY?w=261&h=196&c=7&o=5&pid=1.7 @Colton_Idle It is quite old but I am sure the community or framework themselves could create a system for it, making a ginormous expansion card!
@Josh_Cook once it gets thunderbolt cert… I plan on using this dock. A single cable to connect to the dock and I get like 20 ports + charging of the laptop!
Super basic, but a sunk-in version of the USB port. Just flip the laptop upside down to unplug a dongle.
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@Barryn_Chun Maybe we could create something that puts it inside of the expansion card, there is circuitry inside of the expansion cards but from what I understand we do not exactly need that, we can just get the USB-C plug broken out to the USB 2.0 standard and attach a female USB A all enclosed so you would be able to have them in a sealed unit and not hanging out.
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It would be kinda cool to have an xqd card reader for an expansion card but I’d imagine the form factor would be too small. It would definitely set you all apart from any other laptop manufacturer.
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But even if It took up 2 slots and was a bit bigger than the laptop would be nice, wether that be adding length down the side for more capacity it would be worth the 2 port give up especially since USB-C passthrough would be easy to implement a single one from 2 but allows for the battery to be more secure.
How about a port with a USB port as well as a barrel plug for charging? That would take up far less space, potentially allowing for a full USB (A or C) port in addition to charging if the space constraints work out
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How about a module with a USB port as well as a barrel plug for charging? That would take up far less space, potentially allowing for a full USB (A or C) port in addition to charging if the space constraints work out
@dkter I’m unsure with that as I would have to find a brick that would be the right voltage and I do not think they can be regulated unless there was a regulator which is tricky to fit, the circuitry takes up the whole depth of the board.
@Mansour_Behabadi As much as I would love to have firewire on a laptop I would have to convert thunderbolt 2 to 3/4 for the firewire adapter as they only support TB 2, as for magnetic chargers there is a risk as the magsafe chargers were tested a fair bit to make sure static would not kill the laptop, here is the thread on magnetic chargers. Magnetic usb-c Charching Adapter - #8 by aquaticDolphin
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Would it be possible to have a empty expansion card of just the mecanical rail with a open front face and a hole for a USB-C at the back so that we could make our own expansion card?
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Ideas for expansion cards (some probably already mentioned):
- Dual USB-C thunderbolt. Won’t have full bandwidth when in use simultaneously, but when only used as USB, 40Gbits shared is plenty.
- Internal USB-A port. The expansion card will be hollow, with the top (hidden) side able to open. Inside is a USB-A port for permanently connected dongles. Maybe even with another USB-A port on the outside.
- Multi card reader, microSD and SD being the most important but whatever you can fit.
- Charging ports. Able to charge using whatever proprietary charging ports different manufacturers have been using over the years. Very limited market, but would be cool.
- HDMI input, for recording an external source or using the laptop as an HDMI display.
- HDMI and Displayport combo. I don’t care if they have to be so close that they touch each other, I would be happy to just have the choice and use only one at a time.
- NFC reader.
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I posted this in a security thread elsewhere - For a very basic theft deterrent, an expansion module with maybe a USB-C and a kensington lock combo would probably be enough to deter an opportunistic thief in a cafe or shared work space. Obviously they could flip the laptop over and release the module but even that would slow someone down and be conspicuous and that’s assuming they know the module can be removed. The casual observer who doesn’t know might just see the cable lock and move on. For a more complicated solution - a dock that uses the two rear expansion slots and locks together such that you can’t remove it without unlocking the two from each other. The bar underneath would provide a secure tether point, would lift the back up maybe .5in for wrist ergonomics and airflow and also provide a lot of real estate for ports on either side (where they’d normally be) and along the back (under the laptop facing towards the hinges). Another theft deterrent suitable for a cafe or shared work space would be an expansion module with a sensor on the bottom. Placing the laptop into some sort of secure mode would sound of some sort of full volume alarm if the laptop is ever removed from the surface it’s on while in secure mode.
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(post withdrawn by author, will be automatically deleted in 24 hours unless flagged)
Everyone, only post the same topic ONCE in the whole community, because stuff gets confusing while looking through all the threads.
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But even if It took up 2 slots and was a bit bigger than the laptop would be nice, whether that be adding length down the side for more capacity it would be worth the 2 port give up especially since USB-C passthrough would be easy to implement a single one from 2 but allows for the battery to be more secure.