"Dan Lenski" <dlenski@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1166744372.284314.101110@79g2000cws.googlegro ups.com...
> kony wrote:
>> >Basically, this PCI card is totally identical to a "normal" PCI card
>> >that would go in any mini-ATX desktop case, EXCEPT that the backplate
>> >is only 80 mm long from the tab to the point where it screws into the
>> >chassis, rather than the 120 mm or so for a "normal" PCI card. This is
>> >presumably to allow a slim case (the whole case is only about 100 mm
>> >wide)
>>
>> Nice ASCII art. That's probably a "low profile" card
>> bracket. Not as common, but still a standard.
>
> Thanks Kony! Looks right to me... why didn't I think of that? I found
> the spec on it:
> http://www.pcisig.com/specifications...i/lowp_ecn.pdf
>
>> Low profile. You can (with a little hunting) find some low
>> profile network adapters, though many of the wireless ones
>> that short (PCB itself) are inferior quality... it seems
>> most of the good ones are a little more than 80mm from
>> bracket tip to card PCB top edge. I probably would've used
>> a USB adapter or the built in ethernet port to a bridge
>> capable access point or capable router (the lines on what
>> each is and can do are blurring, based on installed
>> firmware).
>
> Good to know, thanks! It's strange because many PCI cards are shallow
> enough to fit this form factor easily. It's too bad that such cards
> don't come with replacement brackets, it's just a 10-cent piece of
> sheet metal basically.
>
> I searched for low-profile PCI cards and it seems like some of them are
> labeled as such based on the depth of the *card* and NOT the dimensions
> of the bracket... for instance this one here:
> http://www.acortech.com/AOpen_FM56-S...d-3204184.html
> It's clear from the relative lengths of the pins and the bracket that
> the bracket is about 120 mm... so it's clearly not a low-profile
> bracket. Is this a term that's abused a lot?
>
> Dan
>
For what it's worth, I just installed a D-Link wireless card G and B
compatible, model WDA-1320 in a friends computer. The box came with a
standard full sized mounting bracket installed on the card BUT the box also
contained a replacement bracket they called a "Low Profile Mounting Bracket"
in the box just in case I wanted to install the card in a machine like you
describe.