Post
by akronmacon » Tue Oct 30, 2018 1:04 am
@devnull is correct - I'm just using the connector for my own expansion not in a compliant form. This is not a decision I would make on a board I intended for widespread use outside my home lab. I like the supply chain prospects of the connector in the long term - hence standardizing on it for myself. I can get straight, right angle, I can expand it if I need more I/O later and stay with in the PCIeXx family, I can take a desoldering iron to any pile of surplus computer guts if I got really desperate, or I suppose, even cut and jump a motherboard if I really just wanted Hack-a-day credit.
One thing I'm playing with is figuring out what I want on an interface. I can emulate others I've seen, but through experience at home I'll get a better feel for what really is useful, what limitations (current draws, pinouts, interference/emc...) I'll run into, and what are the real limits of the different protocols and signals as I abuse them over ribbon cable/jumpers/or the like.
I've generally found that while I often am tempted to read and plan things to death, experimentation is often the best teacher - especially when the stakes are low.
@WhiteHare / devnull: To clarify on the price, $72 ea is at Qty 4; in single quantity I think it was closer to $100. For most builds I generally want at least 3 on my first order.
