[HN Gopher] Framework Ethernet Expansion Card is now available
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Framework Ethernet Expansion Card is now available
Author : onli
Score : 44 points
Date : 2022-09-12 18:12 UTC (1 days ago)
(HTM) web link (frame.work)
(TXT) w3m dump (frame.work)
| liminalsunset wrote:
| This is a nice throwback to the form factor of PCMCIA cards for
| really old laptops - the original expansion card slot for
| notebook computers. [1] The cards often had to stick out, whether
| to host a thick connector or an antenna. Here, we see a
| miniaturized version of that form factor...
|
| Later, this was replaced by ExpressCard, but that never took off
| as much as PCMCIA cards. Back in the day, laptops came with one
| or two PCMCIA slots, which could be used to add full size
| IEEE1394, USB, Ethernet, or even Wi-Fi ports. I remember having
| to use an ORiNOCO Gold Wi-Fi card to get online back in the day.
| I had a desktop that had a slot in the front that it plugged into
|
| [1] https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=pcmcia&iax=images&ia=images
| sschueller wrote:
| Sadly USB-C is not the same as PCMCIA or PCIe.
| [deleted]
| reisse wrote:
| USB-C (as a connector) is perfectly capable of delivering PCI
| Express via either Thunderbolt or USB4.
| smoldesu wrote:
| I would hope that we've learned our lesson after all the DMA
| attacks we had with Thunderbolt 4.
| micromacrofoot wrote:
| transparent cases in electronics seem to be making a comeback
| lately
| HeckFeck wrote:
| Now we just need to get them tinted in every colour of the
| rainbow, and we're back on the hueful road we foolishly
| abandoned.
| Jiejeing wrote:
| It does look a bit cheap, and the protruding part is not
| aesthetically pleasing, but at least it has good specs. I wish
| they could make it work while keeping it the same form factors as
| the other parts.
| liminalsunset wrote:
| The problem with the protruding part is that the Ethernet port
| itself is thicker than the laptop body itself. In this case,
| even if they were to go the route that some thin laptops use
| (hinged collapsible port), it would likely hit the table due to
| the thinness of the laptop.
|
| If you put the port on a little cable, you're back to the USB-C
| dongle thing.
| Jiejeing wrote:
| Yes, I know there is no good engineering solution unless you
| accept to have thicker expansion cards on both sides (e.g.
| with rubber pads on the bottom) that would be used as
| slightly elevated support for the laptop.
| ChuckNorris89 wrote:
| It wouldn't hit the table because foldable Ethernet ports
| fold up, not down.
|
| https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/12/8/16750574/p.
| ..
| danudey wrote:
| More moving parts reduces reliability.
|
| Also, most laptops with collapsable ethernet ports do
| indeed fold down. I've seen dozens of them, but I've never
| seen a port like the one you posted (probably because it's
| a terrible idea, but maybe for other reasons).
| TapamN wrote:
| I don't understand what the advantage of an expansion card that
| sticks out like that is over using something external on a cable.
|
| The main point of the self contained expansions is that you are
| unlikely to loose them and they can safely travel around with the
| device. With a card that protrudes like that, if you want to put
| the laptop in a bag, you have to take the card out, or risk
| damaging the card and/or laptop as the protrusion gets levered
| around. The expansion cards plug into USB-C connectors that are
| soldered directly onto the motherboard, so the risk of damaging
| the motherboard though the expansion card does exist (although
| it's probably not that likely, and any damage would probably be
| localized to just the motherboard's USB connector).
|
| With a external Ethernet port, you can have the USB expansion
| card in between the motherboard and the USB Ethernet device, to
| prevent wear on the motherboard's connector when repeatedly
| connecting and disconnecting the device.
|
| So what's the gain by using the expansion card format, when it
| can't permanently live in the laptop? You might as well just use
| a cable. I guess maybe if you only carry the laptop by hand and
| have to constantly use Ethernet, like if you're debugging a
| network installation, it would be good? But a regular USB
| Ethernet port seems like it would be more practical for most
| cases.
| kelnos wrote:
| I was thinking the same thing. Sure, this is better than a
| dongle in some ways, but is still an order of magnitude worse
| than the normal, flush-fitting expansion cards.
|
| I do recall someone on the Framework subreddit saying that they
| carry a laptop around with them on a shop/factory floor, but
| mostly use wired ethernet when they stop and put it down on a
| workbench. Using a dongle wouldn't be great because it'd be
| something that would swing around unpredictably as he'd walk
| around a crowded room with lots of people and machines running.
|
| Regardless, a retractable "XJACK"[0] from the PCMCIA days might
| have been a better choice for this, if the hardware could be
| made "short" enough in that dimension. Downside there is of
| course fragility; I imagine they're easy to snap off.
|
| [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XJACK
| smm11 wrote:
| Why do I think "desktop" when I see such fast-access ability?
| soneil wrote:
| I use 10gig for a dedicated link to a NAS. It drives me nuts
| that easily-accessible networking is so far behind storage
| speeds. SATA-I (2003) is faster than gigabit ethernet. SATA-II
| (2004) is faster than 2.5GigE.
|
| So why 2.5GigE on a laptop? So when you're at your desk, where
| your laptop spends 90%+ of its life, your bulk storage can have
| access speeds that are at least from this century, if only
| just.
| rektide wrote:
| 80Gbps usb4 2.0 host-to-host connectivity is 32x faster. (2^5
| magnitudes.)
|
| Coming soon to almost all decent laptops.
| sschueller wrote:
| I'll repeat what I said in yesterday's thread.
|
| I want to see SFP ports. Specifically SFP28 so I can stick in my
| 25gbit fiber modules etc.
|
| There is no way to get SFP28 on a laptop to my knowledge as USB-C
| (yet, USB 4 could do it) is not fast enough. It has to interface
| directly with PCIe.
| reisse wrote:
| Thunderbolt 3 to SFP28 adapters exist (though cost a fortune),
| and TB3 is supported by a lot of existing laptops.
| jbotdev wrote:
| What would you do on one of these laptops that would take
| advantage of a 25Gb connection?
| sschueller wrote:
| Connect it to my internet connection [1].
|
| [1] https://www.init7.net/en/internet/fiber7/
| alexchantavy wrote:
| Whoa, 25Gb symmetrical for normal consumers? Is this
| Switzerland only?
| OJFord wrote:
| > There is no way to get SFP28 on a laptop to my knowledge as
| USB-C
|
| So what do you expect to happen? Framework expansion cards are
| built-in USB-C adapters; if USB-C can't do it, they can't do
| it.
| sschueller wrote:
| Looks like it is possible with thunderbolt 4 which framework
| exposes on the USB-C expansion.
| ortusdux wrote:
| Previous discussion (yesterday):
| https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32814453
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