Patents by Inventor Donald F. Coffin

Donald F. Coffin has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6181004
    Abstract: A printed circuit module supports host processors and memories. The module permits easy upgrades and repairs of the semiconductor devices without requiring modification of the motherboard. The module includes a multilayer printed circuit board with a symmetrical design, permitting chips to be placed on both sides of the board. Microvias connect the contact points on a signal layer directly to a ground layer on the printed circuit board, thereby reducing the need for escape routing. This greatly simplifies the design layout of the module, The ground layer is located between two signal layers, thereby decreasing the crosstalk between the signal layers. The symmetrical design permits drilled vias to extend from a quadrant of one chip and exit through a similar quadrant on the opposite side of the circuit board. The modular design also simplifies impedance matching. Testing of the module may also be accomplished even when the module is not fully populated through the use of test bypass circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Inventors: Jerry D. Koontz, Donald F. Coffin