Abstract: A stacked backplane assembly, including two or more backplanes or midplanes having different functionality and combined together so as to form an integral unit, is provided. The backplanes forming the assembly are manufactured with prime and secondary manufacturing holes to enable alignment, so that the resulting tolerance build-up of the assembly is similar to that of a single backplane. Connectors can be arranged on the backplanes of the assembly so that an electronic or optical card can be simultaneously plugged in to one or more of the backplanes that comprise the stacked backplane assembly. The stacked backplane assembly of the embodiments of the invention is illustrated by having power and signal backplanes and midplanes, but can be equally applied to backplanes that provide other types of functionality.

Abstract: A stacked backplane assembly, including two or more backplanes or midplanes having different functionality and combined together so as to form an integral unit, is provided. The backplanes forming the assembly are manufactured with prime and secondary manufacturing holes to enable alignment, so that the resulting tolerance build-up of the assembly is similar to that of a single backplane. Connectors can be arranged on the backplanes of the assembly so that an electronic or optical card can be simultaneously plugged in to one or more of the backplanes that comprise the stacked backplane assembly. The stacked backplane assembly of the embodiments of the invention is illustrated by having power and signal backplanes and midplanes, but can be equally applied to backplanes that provide other types of functionality.