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I recently made something similar to make use of the unused WWAN M.2 slot in my laptop: https://i.imgur.com/xGXl4Xt.jpeg https://i.imgur.com/xGXl4Xt.jpeg Crac

by zevv 3y ago

I recently made something similar to make use of the unused WWAN M.2 slot in my laptop: https://i.imgur.com/xGXl4Xt.jpeg https://i.imgur.com/xGXl4Xt.jpeg Crack the logitech dongle out of the USB casing and solder on the converter PCB.

BonoboIO 3y ago
NICE! How did you get it to a working physical thing? Any place somebody like me can buy this?
- zevv 3y ago
  You just send the design files to a PCB manufacturer and receive the boards on your doorstep a few days later. 5 of these PCB's cost me $6 or so.
- surteen 3y ago
  https://www.ebay.com/itm/255949891266 https://www.ebay.com/itm/255949891266
  - zevv 3y ago
    Right, please use this one instead of my crappy design, this PCB seems comes with a DC/DC converter to properly power your dongle with 5V instead of 3V3.
cl3misch 3y ago
Could you share PCB files for that? I don't have experience with designing PCBs myself, but with the files I should be able to just order them from PCBWay.
- zevv 3y ago
  Here are the original kicad files https://github.com/zevv/m2-to-usb https://github.com/zevv/m2-to-usb Please do check for yourself if this all makes sense, and I will not take responsibility for any fried laptopts or dongles. Note that the power supply for the dongle is too low: USB is supposed to deliver 5V, but on the M.2 only 3v3 is available. I decided to just give this a try and my Logitech dongle seems to be perfectly happy at this voltage. This might not be the case for others.
  - 15155 3y ago
    This is something that could be rectified (if you pardon the little pun) with a 50 cent 3v3 to 5v TI charge pump if one wanted.
    - _Microft 3y ago
      Also make sure that the data lines do not have over-voltages then (level-shifters on these?).
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
  - wkat4242 3y ago
    Also some firmware (bios) only accept certain devices on the M2 slots.
sf_rob 3y ago
I'm very ignorant of hardware, but how does this work? I would have thought that M2 and USB protocols were divergent enough that this would require significant hardware/software emulation in the interface, but this looks to be a simple mapping of some I/O.
- ac29 3y ago
  M2 is just the physical connector. It can carry PCIe, USB, and SATA.
  - throawayonthe 3y ago
    [dead]

by zevv 3y ago

BonoboIO 3y ago

NICE! How did you get it to a working physical thing? Any place somebody like me can buy this?

zevv 3y ago
You just send the design files to a PCB manufacturer and receive the boards on your doorstep a few days later. 5 of these PCB's cost me $6 or so.
surteen 3y ago
https://www.ebay.com/itm/255949891266 https://www.ebay.com/itm/255949891266
- zevv 3y ago
  Right, please use this one instead of my crappy design, this PCB seems comes with a DC/DC converter to properly power your dongle with 5V instead of 3V3.

cl3misch 3y ago

Could you share PCB files for that? I don't have experience with designing PCBs myself, but with the files I should be able to just order them from PCBWay.

zevv 3y ago
Here are the original kicad files https://github.com/zevv/m2-to-usb https://github.com/zevv/m2-to-usb Please do check for yourself if this all makes sense, and I will not take responsibility for any fried laptopts or dongles. Note that the power supply for the dongle is too low: USB is supposed to deliver 5V, but on the M.2 only 3v3 is available. I decided to just give this a try and my Logitech dongle seems to be perfectly happy at this voltage. This might not be the case for others.
- 15155 3y ago
  This is something that could be rectified (if you pardon the little pun) with a 50 cent 3v3 to 5v TI charge pump if one wanted.
  - _Microft 3y ago
    Also make sure that the data lines do not have over-voltages then (level-shifters on these?).
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- wkat4242 3y ago
  Also some firmware (bios) only accept certain devices on the M2 slots.

sf_rob 3y ago

I'm very ignorant of hardware, but how does this work? I would have thought that M2 and USB protocols were divergent enough that this would require significant hardware/software emulation in the interface, but this looks to be a simple mapping of some I/O.

ac29 3y ago
M2 is just the physical connector. It can carry PCIe, USB, and SATA.
- throawayonthe 3y ago
  [dead]