What new Expansion Card types do you want to see released?

[Ranko_Kohime]

@oxplot

Oooh, just thought of a niche one: an Ethernet port which can regulate Power-over-Ethernet from 48V down to 20V and present as a USB-PD source for the laptop to get its power from. If I’m not mistaken, PoE can only supply in the ~30 watt range, but just putting the idea out there.

I’ve had some interesting charging experiences with lower-power laptops, notably what would be in roughly the same power category as a Framework: The XPS 13. When off, or sleeping, the XPS 13 would accept charge from literally anything, including a 5V, 0.85A KINDLE CHARGER. When awake it demanded higher voltage to accept charge, but it would accept the Nintendo power brick, which provided 15V, 2.6A.

I also have a Pixelbook which doesn’t seem to like the Kindle charger, but will gladly charge from any 5V 2A phone charger, if with a complaint notification about the charger being low power. It does still charge, though.

I want to echo the desire for a PoE ethernet card.

[Brenton_Ferullo]

@Twocuddlefish

Even without the pcb the port itself is bigger than the cards.

Ethernet ports are also too big, but thin laptops will have the port be folded and expand anytime it needs to be used. you could engineer something similar here lol

there is also this origami port which could work as well.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9833365/u904_ethernet.gif(image larger than 4 MB)

[Brenton_Ferullo]

A 500gb card would be nice, but I’d love a 128gb version as well.

[M_Mothersole]

These are in no particular order and I don’t know how realistic these are:

1. A small emergency rechargeable power bank with manual toggle to switch input/output charging.

2. A double usb-c port that makes use of existing double usb-c hubs.

3. A hardware temperature and humidity reader (with small LCD panel).

4. A GPS tracker.

5. A spring loaded drawer (to hold small items like the Framework tool bit or a tiny ice pack to help keep the chassis cool).

[Gary_Z]

@M_Mothersole

A spring loaded drawer (to hold small items like the Framework tool bit or a tiny ice pack to help keep the chassis cool).

This exists: SNACK: Sd cards, Notes, Appitizers, Cash, and Keepsakes. A Drawer Expansion Card - #82 by Brando

[NaN]

HDMI 2.1 for 4k@120 Hz with VRR+10/12 Bit HDR support would be great!
Probably the internal ports cannot deliver 48 GBit/s, but 40 GBit/s (perhaps with the help of DSC) could already offer many features and resolutions that classic HDMI 2.0 can’t.

[Dheera_Venkatraman]

@Elijah_Hackett

Obviously they could flip the laptop over and release the module

Maybe a very tiny tank of high pressure 2000psi fart spray that releases if the module is released while it is locked?

[Bobby_Albert]

A mobile GPU. I’ve been struggling to get my EVGA 1080 ti loading on my system (not showing up in the device manager) with a Sonnet Breakaway Box 750ex. Everything turns on, including the GPU, but all that loads are the USB/Ethernet drivers.

[Paulie420]

@Randy_Braun

Without Ethernet, I cannot buy this laptop, even though I really want to.
I’m totally with David, I would also start switching all company laptops over to Framework immediately if it had full-size Ethernet. I also hate foldable ports, but I have used them when I had to.

Frame.work has released the 3D STLs so one could design a port - if its for corporate use, you could have someone whip you up a solution easy peasy.

[Shawn_Wilson]

I also vote for the plug-in GPU and the Ethernet port. And:

How about a magnetic charging plug, and a cord to go with it, like Macbooks have? I have to plug/unplug my laptop a dozen times a day, and a magnetic tip would save a lot of wear and tear on the components

[Edward_Gray]

@Shawn_Wilson

How about a magnetic charging plug, and a cord to go with it, like Macbooks have? I have to plug/unplug my laptop a dozen times a day, and a magnetic tip would save a lot of wear and tear on the components

A magnetic charging port has been developed by one of the community members.

[Clyde_Joven_Rico]

VGA, too. In case the laptop becomes available in my country, I’d like to have it. Many of schools here still use it. I hate using dongles.

[Shiroudan]

For a community made one, I think a variable input button would be great (Not sure if it’s called that), just a input that inputs a float value, between 0 and 1, could be useful if you could wire it into games, not sure if they’ll accept it though!

[Xavier_Jiang]

@Ranko_Kohime

The XPS 13. When off, or sleeping, the XPS 13 would accept charge from literally anything, including a 5V, 0.85A

interesting. I know that my old XPS (XPS 9360) would charge through a 30W (20V 1.5A) Anker. I think I have tried 5V but it won’t work.
Yes. The quality of the circuit design and component for Dell is legendary.

[Kenneth_Lamb]

Was thinking something like a housing with a Nano Ybico key with a usb A to C adapter so you could just remove the module to ultra lock your computer. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HBDX2CM/ref=emc_b_5_t
https://www.amazon.com/nonda-Adapter-Thunderbolt-MacBook-Surface/dp/B07XYTHCXV/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=small+usb+to+usb+c&qid=1642195916&sprefix=small+usba+to+%2Caps%2C63&sr=8-5

[Jay_Vogt]

@Kenneth_Lamb

Was thinking something like a housing with a Nano Ybico key with a usb A to C adapter so you could just remove the module to ultra lock your computer.

Oooo, not a bad idea. I’ve got a Yubikey 5C that could be just small enough that I could print a card blank with a cutout for it. I might give this a shot and post my results.

[Peter_Schofield]

another vote for a barrel jack charger port, I have stack of redundant laptop power bricks. IMO USB PD is potentially dangerous and should NEVER be the only option.

As for all the the comments about folding Ethernet ports and Ethernet being ‘too big’, is nobody here old enough to remember 3Com PCMCIA Ethernet cards? They had a flat connector and a short (~5-10cm) breakout cable that converted the flat connector into an rj45 socket.

I definitely want gig or higher ethernet, ideally Intel controller, and definitely not Realtek, since every Realtek I’ve ever used craps out at less than 1/10th of its supposed maximum throughput.

[Josh_Cook]

No matter however you step the voltage down with barrel jack you will have to go through USB-PD you cannot have a direct input. The Ethernet expansion card I’ve designed uses Realtek as it’s cheaper and easier to integrate aswell as forwards compatibility for higher speeds.

[Peter_Schofield]

then PD is even more dangerous if it prevents alternatives. I do not want data lines in my charger, it is yet another potential security risk I have to protect against.

Re: Realtek, what good is ‘forwards compatibility for higher speeds’ if it’s not even capable of achieving the current standard speeds?

I have consistently found that large transfers complete quicker using an Intel fast Ethernet card than Realtek gigabit. The Intel card is consistent at 11-12MB/s for the duration of the transfer, while the Realtek slowly ramps up from a few hundred KB/s to around 13MB/s then bleeps itself and starts again from 200KB/s. Repeatedly, for the whole duration of the transfer.

My experience is that Realtek can’t sustain even fast Ethernet throughput and I have ZERO confidence that they can achieve anything higher. As far as I’m concerned their claims of ‘2.5/5gbps’ are complete fantasy, because I’ve never seen any evidence of them being capable of sustained fast Ethernet throughput, let alone gigabit.

Definitely want a full size SD reader as well. I’d find that a lot more useful than micro, frankly.

[Jonathan_Haas]

@Peter_Schofield

then PD is even more dangerous if it prevents alternatives. I do not want data lines in my charger,

Usb PD doesn’t make use of the data lines. You need to just connect the voltage lines and the CC lines for cable and orientation detection. PD power supplies do not connect the data lines and those with attached cable typically don’t have these lines in the cable.