The FairywrenTech USB-A-ugment Expansion Card Is a Modular Add-On for Framework's Modular Laptops
Modular laptop's modular module provides additional USB connectivity, power-saving features, and even a USB UART bridge.
Semi-pseudonymous electronics designer Arya, of FairywrenTech, has taken the Framework Laptop's chop-and-change nature to its absolute limit — by designing a modular module for the modular laptop, the USB-A-ugment Expansion Card.
"This card is the Framework Laptop USB-A Expansion Card but augmented to the extreme," Riga-based Arya explains of the design. "The USB-A-ugment card has all the features of the stock USB-A Expansion Card including USB 3 support, and then a whole lot more."
The module is designed for use with Framework's Laptop family of devices, which launched two years ago and was refreshed back in March with the promise of greater customizability and upgradeability through the use of a replaceable Mainboard system and compact Expansion Card modules for external interfaces. Typically, these modules offer things like USB Type-A or Type-C connectivity, or an HDMI video output, but Arya's version goes beyond Framework's own designs by being modular itself.
"There's a 9-pin grid that lets you connect 3.3V or 5V USB devices, as well as access CC2 and SBU1/2 pins," Arya explains. "This grid lets you stack another add-on card on top of the USB-A-ugment card, adding cool features in exchange for a small increase in thickness, letting you make your day-to-day carry bag a few USB dongles lighter. I have built three different add-on cards, and you can easily make your own ones, too!"
Those three cards provide additional functionality beyond a straightforward USB port: a microSD Card reader, a secondary USB 2.0 Type-C port, or a USB UART bridge with debug capabilities. These can be added on top of the module's other bonus features: an internal USB Type-A socket for wireless keyboard and mouse dongles and a power switch which lets the USB Type-C port go into a full power-saving mode when not required.
"For how featureful this card is, currently, there is a catch," Arya admits. "I don't have a 3D printed shell design for you at the moment; my computer with SolidWorks is not with me, so I can't even start the design yet myself. However, I am putting up a bounty for any 3D designers in the Framework community - I will send a full set of USB-A-ugment expansion card and add-ons to whoever can get a design up and running from the 3D models I will provide. If nobody takes up the bet, I will do a design of my own within a week."
The boards themselves are available to order from the FairywrenTech Tindie store at $20, plus $10 each for the microSD or USB Type-C add-on boards or $20 for the USB UART and debug board.