Here's Plan A, for my Thunderbolt/USB4 eNIC.
Most of the parts have been delivered. I'm still waiting for some 12V DC-DC boosters - the M.2 to PCIe x4 adaptor needs an external 12V supply.
I hope that i don't have to flash custom firmware onto that ASM2464PD, in order to handle PCIe instead of NVMe devices.
👀👉 alt text
🧵 2/n i could test it tonight, actually.
Who doesn't have a DIY "Franken-daptor", that adapts just about everything to everything? 😅
Nah, maybe tomorrow…🍻
🧵 3/3 IT WÖRKS, it bloody wörks! 🤩 👍
10 gig networking via an #ASMedia #ASM2464PD #Thunderbolt / #USB4 bridge, originally intended as an #NVMe enclosure.
The NIC runs at Gen3 (8GT/s) x2, which is more than enough for 10G.
🧵 4/4 I'm gonna need active cooling for my eNIC; 50°C is only 5 below spec max.
The 5V 20mm fan in the photo is too loud, though. There's another rather loud 20mm centrifugal fan below the PCB, taking care of the ASM2464 IC.
I'll have to build a custom chassis, get a 40-50mm 12V fan, running at 5V, and add a heat sink for the ASM.
🧵 5/5 …the 12V DC-DC boosters got delivered, finally!
I'm currently verifying the specs - it should do "12V at 500mA" - which should be just-about-enough for the max. 4.84W of that ConnectX-3 NIC.
Test setup: adjustable RD6006 PSU, at 5V + adjustable DL24M electronic load - BOTH have fancy displays and measurements
this is a thread 👉 🧵 😉
🧵 1 hour later…
It's tiny, in metric.
red=5V (V-in)
yellow=12V(fixed output)
proper copper wires seem hard to salvage; 240V mains flex, that's why it's blue and brown 😅
500mA on the output is actually the MAX! The input can drop down to 3V, as per spec. (i didn't test below 4.5)
But, you're NOT getting more than 500mA on the 12V output!
🧵 n/n
Remember the NIC spec sheet? → that'd be 4.84W MAX! (see also 🧵👆)
that DCDC booster gets rather hot, at 12V/500mA
too-hot-to-touch, but it might be just fine 👉 👀 img alt text
…i'm still prototyping; follow this thread 😅
🧵 n/n this might just do!
As per the ConnectX-3 spec sheet, that'd be 4.84W max.
V-in = 4V
P-out still at 12V/500mA
This DCDC can do this all day - but 500mA is the limit!
EDIT; you might want to scroll right up to the OP! This DCDC might be able to supply 12V to my "eNIC".
🧵 my #Thunderbolt #USB4 eNIC has an "internal" 12V supply now.
The lines are a bit long, but it totally wörks - the little booster is barely warm, even after 5 minutes of "iperf3 --bidir"
Pro tip: verify your soldering with the conductivity beeper - inverting the polarity might appear like a 50 Ohm short.
Multi Purr Puss 