Crowdfunding is one of the best ways to turn an idea into an actual product. A creator pitches something, sets a funding goal, and backers decide whether it is worth building.

While most campaigns stay small, a few do break out completely. The original Pebble smartwatch asked for $100,000 in 2012, walked away with over $10 million, going on to ship more than two million watches. It has since returned as an open source-focused outfit.

HW Media Lab already knows that path. Its first product, WebScreen, a hackable secondary display for gamers and creators, asked Crowd Supply for $5,250 and came back with $10,718, more than double its goal.

Now they are back again with a new creation that focuses on modular, repairable USB-C docking.

Just a generic USB-C hub?

laying on a white table is a framework laptop, over which two expansion cards and a purple-colored dockframe usb-c hub are placed

Not quite; the DockFrame is a modular USB-C hub built around Framework’s open source Expansion Card slot standard. Instead of a fixed set of ports, it gives you four open slots that accept the same cards Framework sells for its laptops and desktops.

The hub itself operates on USB 3.2, with USB-C DisplayPort and Power Delivery passthrough up to 100 W on the downstream ports. The case is injection-molded and translucent, supports Framework’s Desktop Tiles, and has a LEGO-compatible stud grid on the bottom so multiple units can be stacked once four slots stop being enough.

Slot in any of the Framework Expansion Cards, and DockFrame will treat them like they belong there. This means any spare USB-A, HDMI, Ethernet, or storage cards left over from a laptop upgrade do not have to sit in a drawer; they can go straight into the hub instead.

HW Media Lab builds its own Tool Cards too:

  • The Multimeter Card can read DC/AC voltage, current, and continuity.
  • The Mini Hub Card adds four USB 3.0 ports, each capable of 5 Gbps transfer speeds.
  • The Power Supply Card is a programmable buck-boost supply with USB PD input up to 100 W.
  • The BreadBoard Card carries a Seeed Studio XIAO board and standard 0.1 inch headers for prototyping work.
an early view of the dockframe pcb inside an orange case with lego studs on both sides

If none of the four fit what you need, you can design your own card using the same open slot standard or build a custom host app that talks to the onboard MCUs over USB serial, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or ESP-NOW.

Repairability is also a focus here, as the DockFrame is held together with screws instead of glue. Makers, embedded engineers, educators, and anyone tired of keeping a dock, a multimeter, and a bench supply as three separate boxes are the target audience here.

While you wait…

The DockFrame is yet to receive an official release date or a price tag. While you wait, you can keep an eye out on the Crowd Supply page for it, and if you want to share feedback, the official product page has a form you can fill out.

DockFrame (Crowd Supply)

All the hardware-related files, like schematics, layouts, firmware, and the FreeCAD case files, should be available on GitHub once the crowdfunding campaign ends. You can track development by joining HW Lab’s Discord server.

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