H110M-STX - Using M.2 2280 slot for non SSD's?

Ofty78 wrote: The only internal expansion for this motherboard is the M.2 2280 slot which is advertised as being for SSD's. Does anyone know if the motherboard allows matching form factor devices of another nature, or will it only detect SSD's? http://www.dpie.com/datasheets/m.2/EGPL-G101_Datasheet.pdf This is what I want to install in the slot, an M.2 to LAN adapter in order to gain a second internal LAN port. It fits physically and is designed to go in the slot, but 99% of what people use this slot for is SSD's, and in some cases motherboard manufacturers disable features on M.2 slots. This is an obscure adapter which is not easy to buy; I am not worried about drivers (O/S wise, it uses built in Windows/Linux drivers), only whether or not the motherboard will recognize it. The motherboard M.2 2280 slot is key M, the adapter is key B+M Edit: Since the adapter uses M.2 2280 as the form factor, but USB3 on the chip, I need to know whether or not the M.2 2280 is wired for USB

Quick answer to your second question, is the M.2 2280 slot in the H110M-STX board wired for USB, no it is not. We know this M.2 slot is M keyed, and this table shows the various interfaces supported for each key type:



M.2 key/slot types that support USB are A, B, and E.

The mother board's M.2 slot key type interface at least partially, if not completely determines the type of devices that can be used in it. Obviously an M.2 E key WiFi card will not work in an M key M.2 slot. An M key M.2 NMVe SSD will not work in an M.2 E key slot.

Your first question, whether or not the board will recognize the networking portion of the innodisk GbE LAN module M.2 card, I don't know. I think that innodisk would be the best source of an answer to that question. I can tell you a few details about this board and the M.2 slot that might help.

The PCIe 3.0 (x4) lanes the M.2 slot is connected to are supplied by the CPU on any H110 chipset board. That is the potentially important point I want to make. That is unique in contrast to any of the other Intel 100 series chipset boards, that have the M key M.2 slots connected to the PCIe 3.0 lanes provided by the chipset. It is possible for an M key M.2 slot to be connected to the CPU's PCIe 3.0 lanes, but the addition of PCIe 3.0 lanes in most of the 100 series chipsets is a major feature that leaves the CPU's 16 PCIe 3.0 lanes available to the PCIe slots.

The H110 chipset does not provide PCIe 3.0 lanes, only PCIe 2.0. That's why the M.2 slot on this board is connected to the CPU's PCIe 3.0 lanes.

I said potentially important, because if it matters to the innodisk card what the source of the PCIe lanes are, the CPU or chipset, then you know with this board it is the CPU. The specs of this innodisk card state a PCIe 2.1 x1 interface. PCIe 2.0 lanes are normally provided by the chipset in earlier Intel boards. PCIe 2.0 x1 add on networking cards are always connected to the chipset.

Whether or not this card will work with PCIe 3.0 lanes is another question. The ability to change the PCIe interface type (3.0/Gen3, 2.0/Gen2) is not available on M.2 slots.

If the M key support of PCIe lanes, and the SMBUS of an M key M.2 slot is enough to allow the networking feature of the innodisk card to work, then there is a chance it might work. But the UEFI/BIOS may only support storage devices in the M.2 slot. Given the features shown in the chart that are supported by an M key M.2 slot interface, I don't see any features that could be disabled that would prevent this card from working on that basis alone.

M.2 SATA SSDs are keyed B+M. This board's M.2 slot does not support SATA SSDs. No surprise, it does not use the PCIe lanes from the chipset, that is the source of SATA support. Which means, I assume, that a B+M keyed card put into the M.2 slot will not be recognized as a SATA SSD.

I agree, that is an obscure and unique M.2 card. Too many variables here and some unknowns that leave me unable to provide even an educated guess about whether or not it would work in this M.2 slot. I am fascinated by what type of M.2 slot innodisk requires for this card. If the B key portion is only for the USB support, then is the M key portion only required for the network support? What USB revision is supported, and what is the connection between the M.2 card and the USB daughter board? The LAN connector and cable shown in the datasheet? Frankly, I don't see any mention of USB 3.0 in the datasheet.