Tools

These are some common tools used to work on this device. You might not need every tool for every procedure.

Background Information

MNT Reform is an open hardware laptop designed to be as open and transparent as possible and to support a free and open-source software stack from the ground up.

Users are invited to take a look under the hood, customize the documented electronics, and even repair the laptop themselves if they like.

Built not around Intel technology, but an upgradeable NXP i.MX8MQ CPU module with 64-bit ARM Cortex-A53 cores, MNT Reform has a much easier-to-understand architecture than conventional laptops.

Technical Specifications

SoC Options

The MNT Reform Laptop features several SOC module options for upgrading

i.MX8MQi.MX8MPLUSRCM4 A311DRCM4 RPILS1028ARKX7
CPU4x 1.5GHz Cortex-A534x 1.8GHz Cortex-A53 (2GHz overclocked)4x 2.2 GHz Cortex-A73 + 2x 1.8 GHz Cortex-A534x 1.5 GHz Cortex-A72 (2 GHz overclocked)2x 1.5 GHz Cortex-A72Kintex-7 FPGA (i.e. VexRiscV/LiteX)
GPUVivante GC7000L (OpenGL/ES 2.1 with Etnaviv)Vivante GC7000UL (OpenGL/ES 2.1 with Etnaviv)ARM Mali G52 MP4 (OpenGL/ES 3.1 with Panfrost)VideoCore 4 (OpenGL/ES 3.1, Vulkan 1.0)Vivante GC7000UL (OpenGL/ES 2.1 with Etnaviv)User defined
RAM4 GB LPDDR48 GB LPDDR44 GB LPDDR48GB LPDDR416 GB DDR42 GB DDR3
Wi-Fivia mPCIe cardIntegrated QCA9377 (WiFi 5)Integrated RTL8822CS (WiFi 5)Integrated BCM43455 (WiFi 5)via mPCIe cardN/A
BluetoothN/AIntegrated QCA9377 (BT 5.0)Integrated RTL8822CS (BT 5.0)Integrated BCM43455 (BT 5.0)N/AN/A
PCIe2 x Slots1 x Slot1 x Slot1 x Slot1 x Slot, 1 x External, 1 x SATA 32 x Slots
Dual Display SupportYesYesNoYesNoYes
Open Source FirmwareDDR4C and HDMI (optional) have closed-source firmwareDDR4C and WiFi/BT have closed-source firmwarePart of boot/TF-A and Wi-Fi firmware is closed sourceClosed boot blobeDP has closed source firmware (required only in laptop)Yes
PDF SchematicsYes, fullYes, fullPartialPartialYesYes
KiCAD SourcesNoAdapter onlyAdapter onlyAdapter onlyYes, fullYes, full
USB SupportUSB 3.0USB 3.0USB 2.0USB 2.0USB 3.0USB 1.0 (User Defined)
HDMI SupportHDMI 2.0aHDMI 2.0aHDMI 2.1HDMI 2.0No (external PCIe for eGPU instead)HDMI 1.4
Price Comparison (Euros/USD)€249 ($271.26)€399 ($434.67)€249 ($271.26)€149 ($162.32)€899 ($979.37)€1,599 ($1741.94)

Display

  • Diagonal Size: 12.5"
  • Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
  • Pixel System Control: 128 x 32 pixel system control OLED
  • Display Driver: MIPI-DSI

I/O

  • USB 3.0: 3 x Type-A USB 3.0 (External)
  • USB 2.0: 2 x USB 2.0 (Internal)
  • HDMI: 1 x HDMI
  • Ethernet: 1 x Gigabit Ethernet Port

Networking

  • Ethernet: Gigabit Ethernet
  • Wi-Fi Card: ath9k miniPCIe

Storage

  • Storage Type: SSD
  • Key Slot: M.2 M-key socket
  • eMMC: 16 GB
  • Full-Size SD Card Slot: Yes

PCIe

  • PCIe Socket: 1 x miniPCIe 2.0.1x
  • M.2/NGFF: PCIe 2.0 on LS1028A, SATA-3 on A311D

Operating System

  • Preloaded O/S: Debian GNU/Linux

Keyboard/Trackpad Options

  • Keyboard: Reform Mechanical USB Keyboard w/ Kailua Choc Brown Switches
  • Keyboard Backlight: Dimmable Backlight
  • Keyboard Firmware: Open Firmware
  • Trackpad: Reform Capacitive USB Trackpad
  • Trackball: Reform Optical USB Trackball w/ 5 Mechanical Switches

Enclosure

  • Case Finish: Bead-Blasted, Black-Anodized 6061 Aluminum
  • Case: Modular Case from CNC-Milled
  • Bottom Cover: Milled Simi-Transparent Acrylic

Microphone/Speakers

  • Speakers: Wolfson WM8960 ADC/DAC Stereo Speakers
  • Headphone Jack: 3.5 mm Headphone Jack w/ Microphone Support
  • Internal Microphone: No

Battery

  • Battery Technology: LiFePO4
  • Battery Cells: 8 x 18650 Cells
  • Owner-Serviceable: Yes
  • Battery Life: 5 Hours

Sources

  • Hardware Sources:
    • KiCAD Sources for Motherboard, Keyboard and Trackball
    • STEP/STL/FreeCAD files for other case components
  • Software Sources:
    • C Sources for Firmware (input devices and system controller), script building support for boot and system images.

Additional Information