Patent ID: 7403382

Claim:
An expansion module usable as an internal and external device, comprising: an expansion module, wherein the expansion module defines: an interior volume; a recess for receiving a retaining latch external to the expansion module for retaining the expansion module positioned with respect to an expansion module sleeve; and at least two throughholes to the expansion module interior and an alignment receptacle at one end of the expansion module; a latch release attached to the expansion module for expelling a retained latch from the recess; and an interface device positioned in the expansion module interior volume, wherein the interface device receives a) a standard data connector via one of the at least two throughholes and b) a power connector via another of the at least two throughholes, and wherein the interface device includes one or more expansion device connectors internal to the expansion module interior volume for providing at least one of data signals and power received from the standard data connector and the power connector to an expansion device.