Abstract: A line card includes a metal frame that includes a front section, and a bottom section connected to the front section via an angled section, where the angled section results in an opening between the line card and a second line card, when the line card is installed above the second line card in a rack, and where the opening allows directed air to enter the rack from a front direction; a printed circuit board attached to the metal frame; and a group of front panel connectors attached to the front section of the metal frame.

Abstract: A portable, self-powered, interface converter for converting between Ethernet over twisted pair cables and Ethernet over optical fiber is described. In one implementation, the device may include a first interface to a power-over-Ethernet connection and a second interface to provide a connection to receive fiber optic cabling. A power-over-Ethernet (PoE) circuit may derive power from the PoE connection and output a corresponding power signal. A transcoder may perform physical layer conversion between Ethernet communications over twisted pair cabling connected to the first interface and Ethernet communications over the fiber optic cabling. The transcoder may be powered by the power signal output by the PoE circuit.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a printed circuit board, configured to be coupled to electronic components, includes a first material portion and any number of second material portions. Each second material portion is sized and spaced apart from an adjacent second material portion such that electromagnetic waves associated with the operation of the electronic components are substantially not reflected. The first material portion defines a first dielectric constant and the second material portion defines a second dielectric constant that is different than the value of the first dielectric constant.

Abstract: In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a first coupler, and a second coupler. The first substrate is formed from a first material and includes an electrical pad. The second substrate is formed from a second material and includes an electrical pad. The first coupler is configured to mechanically couple the first substrate to the second substrate without a soldered connection. The second coupler includes a first end portion, configured to be soldered to the electrical pad of the first substrate, and a second end portion, configured to be soldered to the electrical pad of the second substrate. The second coupler configured to electrically couple the first substrate to the second substrate.

Abstract: In some embodiments, an equipment unit has a set of visual indicators, a power switch, and a set of compute components. The power switch receives a signal representing a status such that when the status is in a first mode, the power switch provides power to the set of visual indicators and when the status is in a second mode the power switch does not provide power to the set of visual indicators. The compute components are configured to receive power when the power switch does not provide power to the set of visual indicators.

Abstract: A method for cooling a system having a midplane design in which the midplane includes holes to allow air to flow via the midplane. Cards connected to the midplane have a front face that includes holes to allow the air to flow. The air flows from front to back or back to front to cool the cards connected to the midplane. A multi-slot chassis includes rails to support the cards. The rails form spaces to permit access to sockets associated with the cards to which cables may be connected. Platforms associated with the cards may permit a user to manage cables connected to the cards.

Abstract: A line card includes a metal frame that includes a front section, and a bottom section connected to the front section via an angled section, where the angled section results in an opening between the line card and a second line card, when the line card is installed above the second line card in a rack, and where the opening allows directed air to enter the rack from a front direction; a printed circuit board attached to the metal frame; and a group of front panel connectors attached to the front section of the metal frame.

Abstract: A line card includes a metal frame that includes a front section, and a bottom section connected to the front section via an angled section, where the angled section results in an opening between the line card and a second line card, when the line card is installed above the second line card in a rack, and where the opening allows directed air to enter the rack from a front direction; a printed circuit board attached to the metal frame; and a group of front panel connectors attached to the front section of the metal frame.

Abstract: A bandwidth management card includes a switch control unit and multiple ports connected to one or more line cards that are separate from the bandwidth management card. The bandwidth management card further includes at least one switch, and multiple network ports, where each of the multiple network ports is connected to a respective link to at least one external network. A first switch of the at least one switch receives instructions from the switch control unit, switches a first subset of the multiple network ports through to a first port of the multiple ports based on the received instructions, and switches a second subset of the multiple network ports through to a second port of the multiple ports based on the received first instructions.

Abstract: A printed circuit board (PCB) includes a ball grid array (BGA). The PCB further includes a first BGA pad having a circular shape, and a first via having a circular shape, where the circular shape of the first via overlaps a portion of the circular shape of the first BGA pad and is rotated diagonally relative to a center of the first BGA pad. The PCB also includes a second BGA pad having a circular shape, and a second via having a circular shape, where the circular shape of the second via overlaps a portion of the circular shape of the second BGA pad and is rotated diagonally relative to a center of the second pad, and where a center of the second via is located at a first distance from the center of the first via and at a first angle relative to an axis that crosses a center of the first via.

Abstract: A device may include polling logic configured to store a table of received addresses, sequentially receive sensor data from each address in the table via a serial data bus, store the sensor data in a memory, receive an address from a processor via a high speed data bus, and provide stored sensor data from the memory to the processor via a parallel data bus.

Abstract: A device may include polling logic configured to store a table of received addresses, sequentially receive sensor data from each address in the table via a serial data bus, store the sensor data in a memory, receive an address from a processor via a high speed data bus, and provide stored sensor data from the memory to the processor via a parallel data bus.

Abstract: A device may include polling logic configured to store a table of received addresses, sequentially receive sensor data from each address in the table via a serial data bus, store the sensor data in a memory, receive an address from a processor via a high speed data bus, and provide stored sensor data from the memory to the processor via a parallel data bus.

Abstract: A printed circuit board (PCB) includes a ball grid array (BGA). The PCB further includes a first BGA pad having a circular shape, and a first via having a circular shape, where the circular shape of the first via overlaps a portion of the circular shape of the first BGA pad and is rotated diagonally relative to a center of the first BGA pad. The PCB also includes a second BGA pad having a circular shape, and a second via having a circular shape, where the circular shape of the second via overlaps a portion of the circular shape of the second BGA pad and is rotated diagonally relative to a center of the second pad, and where a center of the second via is located at a first distance from the center of the first via and at a first angle relative to an axis that crosses a center of the first via.

Abstract: A bandwidth management card includes a switch control unit and multiple ports connected to one or more line cards that are separate from the bandwidth management card. The bandwidth management card further includes at least one switch, and multiple network ports, where each of the multiple network ports is connected to a respective link to at least one external network. A first switch of the at least one switch receives instructions from the switch control unit, switches a first subset of the multiple network ports through to a first port of the multiple ports based on the received instructions, and switches a second subset of the multiple network ports through to a second port of the multiple ports based on the received first instructions.