Abstract: A backplane consisting of segmented bus lines on a mother board with loop-through connections to active transceivers mounted on connectors to daughter boards. The transceivers isolate the interconnect to the daughter boards from the bus lines. The loop-through transmission line on the connectors preserves the impedance of the bus lines and allows the interconnect stub to the transceivers to be short, minimizing reflections and enabling high-speed backplane operation. The connectors are removable from the motherboard for repair.

Abstract: An apparatus for increasing the number of input/output ports of a computer system while maintaining the form factor of the computer chassis is disclosed. The apparatus includes a first system or motherboard mounted within the computer chassis. The first edge of a riser board is connected to the motherboard such the riser board extends generally perpendicular to the motherboard. The second edge of the riser board is connected to a second system board. The second system board is mounted to a sub panel and includes multiple input/output connectors positioned at both the front of the chassis and the rear of the chassis. A front bezel, having openings corresponding to the input/output connectors, is placed over the front of the chassis.

Abstract: An electronic system contains a backplane circuit card assembly for distribution of electrical signals among component devices. Power is distributed in embedded power planes, one of which is associated with ground. The backplane also contains multiple embedded ground planes. The circuit card assembly is divided by an axis into two halves, each half receiving and consuming approximately equal power. Electrical couplings for power sources and power planes in each half of the backplane are located symmetrically with respect to the axis. A row of ground vias along the axis couples the ground planes to the associated power plane. At all other locations on the backplane, the ground planes are electrically isolated from the associated power plane. Preferably, the backplane assembly comprises a pair of base cards, connected by a single smaller jumper card in which all ground vias are located. Each base card lies on a respective side of the axis, the jumper straddling the axis.

Abstract: A computer includes a main enclosure for housing a plurality of computer components. A subenclosure or card cage for housing a planar circuit board, including a CPU means, and at least one accessory board may be removably secured within the main enclosure, wherein the subenclosure, planar circuit board, and accessory circuit board may be selectively removed from the main enclosure as a unit. A connection means is provided to releasably electrically connect at least the planar circuit board to one of the computer components housed within the main enclosure.

Abstract: A computer system is described having a chassis, a motherboard coupled to the chassis, the motherboard having at least one PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) connector, and a riser board coupled to the at least one PCI connector. When installed, a surface of the riser board having at least one PCI connector is oriented substantially perpendicular to the motherboard. The computer system may also include a bracket connected to the motherboard, that allows the motherboard to be slideably inserted and removed from the chassis.

Abstract: When a plurality of hard disks are connected by using a backplane, in order to enable a low-noise installation of the bus and a high-density installation of the hard disk to be simultaneously realized, a signal line of the bus and connectors are installed to the backplane, slots are set to installing regions of the drives, wirings of the signal lines between the connectors are set to, for example, a U-character shape, and a length of signal lines between the connectors is set to be longer than a distance between the connectors adjacent to the bus.

Abstract: A mother board is mounted in an electrical equipment frame and has the receptacle of a first connector attached thereto at one face. The plug of the first connector is attached to a daughter board at an interconnect edge so that the first connector can be engaged by movement of the daughter board toward the mother board along an axis perpendicular to the interconnect edge of the daughter board and to the face of the mother board. A mezzanine assembly is attached to the daughter board and includes a mezzanine board in spaced parallel relationship with the daughter board and having an edge which is substantially parallel to the interconnect edge of the daughter board and at which the receptacle of a second connector is attached to the mezzanine board. An interconnect board is mounted in the frame and has an edge at which the plug of the second connector is attached to the interconnect board.

Abstract: A divider for preventing a card device from contacting another card device or other electrical component includes a planar member, and locating and securing features which serve to locate the planar member with respect to a card connector, a card planer board, and to locate and secure a card device with respect to the divider.

Abstract: A high-speed memory module defined by first and second elements the first element including a plurality of flexible, interior layers laminated together to form a substrate having opposed exterior surfaces, the substrate having a network of conductive traces and vias forming data paths therein, at least two substantially quadrangular, rigid circuit boards, each of the boards laminarly split into substantially symmetric half-sections, each of the half-sections having solder lands formed on a first face for mounting electronic components thereto and conductive traces and vias incorporated therein forming a continuation of the data paths, each of the half-sections having an opposite second face for bonding to the exterior surfaces of the substrate, the half-sections laminated together on either side of a portion of the substrate with the substrate being sandwiched therebetween, wherein any gap between two parallel spaced-apart edges of any two adjacent boards is wide enough to allow mounting of the boards in a pa

Abstract: A module interconnection system which minimizes electronic signal propagation delays is disclosed. The module interconnection system includes a backplane, a first plurality of connectors arranged in a side by side generally parallel arrangement, and a second plurality of connectors arranged in a side by side generally parallel arrangement. In a preferred embodiment, the second plurality of connectors are mounted on the backplane at right angles to the first plurality of connectors so as provide short routing paths between each of the second plurality of connectors and at least one of the first plurality of connectors. Point-to-point signal interconnections are selectively utilized to provide data paths between selected contacts of at least one of the first plurality of connectors and selected contacts of the second plurality of connectors.

Abstract: According to known methods, several circuit board pieces in a three-dimensional arrangement of an electronic module are connected together electrically by the film connectors and arranged around an operator control or actuator element in the three-dimensional form. The assembly of such modules is, however, very costly because the circuit boards must all be fastened mechanically. By using film connectors with greater stiffness, circuit board pieces can be held over these directly without additional mechanical securing devices and the three-dimensional circuit board arrangement can be secured by appropriate securing devices in the three-dimensional form. A preferred application is for electronic modules with operator control and/or actuator elements where the space available is very limited, in particular for modules fitted in motor vehicles.

Abstract: This discloses a memory module adapter card that allows newer dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs) to be used by computer system boards that were built to use older single inline memory modules (SIMMs) thereby permitting computer owners to update and upgrade older machines without modifying or changing their system boards. This memory module adapter card is designed to connect a memory DIMM inserted into a DIMM socket, carried thereon, to a pair of smaller SIMM sockets on a computer system board such that the DIMM appears to the computer as a pair of the smaller SIMMs that the board was originally designed for. This decreases the need for manufacturing and maintaining an inventory of the older SIMMs and provides owners of older computers the means to extend the useful life of their existing computer system even if the SIMMs designed for the computer no longer exist or are prohibitively expensive or very difficult to locate.

Abstract: An interface adapter enables a replacement controller to be mechanically received in a housing configured for an older model controller having a larger volume. Moreover, the interface adapter enables terminals of the replacement controller having a first configuration to be connected to the contacts of a housing connecter having a second configuration configured to couple with contacts of the older model controller. The interface adapter includes a faceplate having a central aperture for receiving the replacement controller and a pair of sideboard printed circuit boards (PCBs) positioned perpendicular to a surface of the faceplate in spaced parallel relation on opposite sides of the central receiving aperture. A main PCB is electrically and mechanically connected between the sideboard PCBs. The main PCB and the sideboard PCBs have contacts adjacent their ends opposite the faceplate.

Abstract: This testboard for an IC tester comprises second connector 4, housing 7, cable 9, and socket board 12; and second connector 4 is mounted on base card 5 and engages first connectors 3 of a plurality of pincards 1. Housing 7 is mounted on base card 5 on the opposite side to second connector 4, holds third connector 8 which is fitted into second connector 4, while being arranged orthogonally to the above-mentioned plurality of pincards 1; and there is one housing 7 for each device 14 being tested. Cable 9 is connected to third connector 8 of housing 7 and to fourth connector 10 at the socket board 12 end. Fifth connector 11 which engages fourth connector 10 and IC socket 13 for the above-mentioned device 14 being tested are mounted on socket board 12.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of renovating a cabinet for electronic card drawers, the method comprising steps consisting in:creating an unpluggable electronic drawer having connectors on its back face;mounting an adapter intermediate mechanical support in the cabinet to be renovated, which support supports a set of floating backplane connectors for the unpluggable electronic drawer;creating a free zone Z between said back supports for the backplane connectors of the cabinet, and said intermediate supports; andfitting adapter wiring between said back supports and said intermediate supports.

Abstract: A device having a composite interconnection medium that reduces or avoids long-term reliability problems exhibited by current media, containing a first component and a second component, e.g., circuit boards, and an intermediate area between the first component and the second component. The intermediate area contains electrically conductive particles in a non-conductive matrix and compression-limiting bodies that are either located within the matrix or separately attached to one of the components. The conductive particles are arranged in chains of two or more particles across the thickness of the matrix to provide electrical connection between the first component and second component. The compression-limiting bodies substantially reduce the likelihood that dimensional changes in the components, e.g., due to warping or servicing, will stress or deform the matrix to an extent that unacceptably affects the electrical conductivity through the intermediate area.

Abstract: An interconnection arrangement includes an input card, a signal distribution board having first and second opposite main faces, and an input connector having first and second releasably engageable parts with the first part of the input connector attached to the signal distribution board at the first main face thereof and the second part of the input connector attached to the input card. A bus driver circuit is mounted on the input card and has a signal input terminal for receiving an input signal to be distributed. The bus driver circuit includes first and second bus drivers. The first and second bus drivers each have an input connected to the signal input terminal of the bus driver circuit and they have separate respective outputs connected to first and second pins respectively of the second part of the input connector.

Abstract: An interface cable which allows access to an operational Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus compatible circuit board is disclosed. A flat flexible cable (30,72) secures a plurality of connectors (50,32,36,38) at substantially equal intervals. The connectors on the flat cable are adapted to receive a connection (62,63,64,66,68) on a first edge of the PCI compatible circuit board (82,90). When the PCI compatible circuit board is plugged into the flat flexible cable, a second edge of the PCI compatible circuit board which is opposite the first edge is free to move laterally, away from neighboring circuit boards in response to a flexing of the flat flexible cable. Open space is created adjacent to the PCI compatible circuit board allowing sufficient access to surfaces of the functioning PCI compatible circuit board for testing purpose.

Abstract: An electrical interconnection structure. The electrical interconnection structure includes a mother board substrate having a plurality of layers. At least one layer includes a signal path having a characteristic impedance of Z.sub.O and a conductive ground plane. A signal via passes through each layer of the mother board substrate. The signal via electrically is connected to the signal path. A ground via passes through each layer of the mother board substrate. The ground via is electrically connected to the conductive ground plane. The electrical interconnection structure further includes a plurality of flex circuits. Each flex circuit includes a flex signal path having a characteristic impedance of Z.sub.O and a flex ground plane. Each flex signal path is electrically connected to the signal via and each flex ground plane is electrically connected to the ground via.

Abstract: In a modular tower building block system for containing computing system devices, a power bus is incorporated into the modular blocks of the building block system by using a printed circuit board to carry the power bus in each modular block. The printed circuit board is mounted and positioned in each modular block to electrically connect with a printed circuit board in a next adjacent modular block when two modular blocks are stacked on each other. Also, there are a plurality of three-phase power buses on the printed circuit boards and only one phase of each power bus is distributed from each modular block. The printed circuit board is precisely located in each modular block at a predetermined position. Alignment pins and receivers provide alignment between stacked modular blocks to precisely position one modular block to the other modular block.

Abstract: A desktop computer system is provided in which a motherboard is mounted within a computer chassis atop a tray which is rearwardly slidable out of a rear wall opening in the chassis to provide access to the motherboard. I/O cables are coupled to I/O connectors mounted on a rear end edge of the motherboard, and a connector socket extending along a side edge portion of the motherboard removably receives a bottom side edge connector portion of a riser card which transversely projects upwardly from the motherboard. All cable connections from internal computer devices are made directly to the riser card instead of to the motherboard. Accordingly, all that is necessary to provide access to the motherboard is to upwardly unseat the riser card from the motherboard and then slide the motherboard, with the I/O cables still connected thereto, rearwardly out of the chassis on the tray.

Abstract: A data processing system includes a backplane and a plurality of logic boards connected to the backplane by a plurality of connectors. A set of common points is electrically coupled to the connectors by individual conductive traces between each common point and the corresponding pins of the connectors. The inductance of longer traces is reduced by merging traces near a central portion of the backplane to form a conductive region that extends to at least one connector on either side of the common points, thereby electrically shortening the longer traces. The inductance is further reduced by widening the longer traces. Longer traces are wider than shorter traces to reduce the differences in the LC products associated with each trace and, therefore, the differences in delay among the traces.

Abstract: A low-profile computer assembly having a universal footprint on a riser card for mounting peripheral card connectors on the riser card is provided. The peripheral card connectors can be of the edge-card type and can be mounted in pairs, back-to-back, with each connector of the pair extending uniaxially and perpendicularly from opposing sides of a riser card. The two opposing universal footprints on which such a pair of peripheral card connectors are mounted can support a first peripheral card connector having a first bus form factor for a first peripheral bus conforming to a first bus protocol specification and a second, paired peripheral card connector having a second, different bus form factor for a second peripheral bus conforming to a second, different bus protocol specification.

Abstract: A PC Card slot which can enhance the safety, operability and assembly efficiency of a device by removing and locking a plurality of PC Cards by the use of only a single operating knob. In the case of the aforementioned PC Card slot, a lock portion, which is able to abut against a PC Card, is formed in an operating knob, which is provided on a lever operating stick, and is further used as a lock mechanism for preventing a PC Card from coming off the PC Card slot.

Abstract: An electronic assembly that includes a plurality of electronic substrates that are plugged into a polygonal shaped motherboard. The polygonal shape of the motherboard minimizes the electrical path between electronic substrates while providing enough space between adjacent substrates to allow a fluid to sufficiently remove heat generated by integrated circuits of the substrates.

Abstract: When a plurality of hard disks are connected by using a backplane, in order to enable a low-noise installation of the bus and a high-density installation of the hard disk to be simultaneously realized, a signal line of the bus and connectors are installed to the backplane, slots are set to installing regions of the drives, wirings of the signal lines between the connectors are set to, for example, a U-character shape, and a length of signal lines between the connectors is set to be longer than a distance between the connectors adjacent to the bus.

Abstract: An electronic device has an opening for up to two data carrier devices or, respectively, chip cards with row-type contact surfaces positioned alongside one another. The devices or, cards are stackable over one another in offset fashion. In a region of the terminal side lying opposite the plug opening it comprises two rows of contact springs lying next to one another, said rows being spatially offset upwards by the height of a card, and also offset in the insertion direction in a manner corresponding to the card offset. The resilient ends at the plug side of these contact springs respectively contact the contact surfaces of inserted data carriers from above.

Abstract: A system for coupling circuit card assemblies or modules that comprise a given device, that accommodates manufacturing and design differences in connector configurations. A common back-plane having one or more signal buses is joined to the circuit card assemblies or modules by means of unique interface backplanes configured to engage the common backplane connectors and the connectors on the circuit card assemblies. The system is specifically described in conjunction with electrical and optical bus interfaces.

Abstract: A card rack is provided for removably housing two types of circuit packs in respective first and second portions, e.g., upper and lower portions of the card rack. The card rack includes connectors for interconnecting components on the circuit packs with one another and to input and output cables. The input cables are connected only to circuit packs of one type which are disposed only in one, e.g., the lower, portion of the card rack. The upper card rack portion overhangs the lower card rack portion for, in combination with sides of the card rack, forming a recessed space through which the input cables are routed to the lower portion circuit packs. The passage of the cables through the recessed space isolates the cables from becoming entangled with traffic passing in front of the card rack and thereby avoids the need for a separate door enclosing the front portion of the card rack.

Abstract: A drawer for electronic cards, the electronic cards being connected to a mother board by card connectors, and the electronic cards being connected to output connectors, wherein the drawer is automatically pluggable and unpluggable and wherein the following are disposed successively from the back to the front of the drawer:The output connectors being disposed inside a drawer support and secured a back face of the drawer support;The electronic cards being disposed between the output connectors in back and the card connectors in front; andthe mother board disposed close to the front face of the drawer.

Abstract: A physical interconnection architecture for making connections between a plurality of first printed-circuit boards and a plurality of second printed-circuit boards includes a midplane printed-circuit board having a plurality of first connectors oriented in a first direction on one side of the midplane for making connections to the plurality of first printed-circuit boards. The midplane printed-circuit board also has a plurality of second connectors oriented in a second direction orthogonal to the plurality of first connectors on the other side of the midplane. The connectors are positioned such that connection pins on the plurality of first connectors and plurality of second connectors in regions of intersection are double-ended pins common to both. The remaining connection pins of the plurality of first connectors are single-ended connection pins which are connected to the single-ended connection pins of the plurality of second connectors via conductive traces on the midplane printed-circuit board.

Abstract: A communication apparatus is provided which permits system configuration to be freely changed even after electronic circuit boards are mounted to a shelf. The apparatus is a combination of an open rack and a shelf mounted on the rack, office cables for interconnecting external electronic devices are guided toward the rear of the apparatus and connected directly to external connectors of the electronic circuit boards, and a back wiring board is arranged on the rear surface of the shelf and has sheet connectors to which power supply connectors of the electronic circuit boards are connected.

Abstract: A computer/disk storage system interface is provided having disk controller, CPU controller, and cache memory printed circuit boards interconnected through buses provided in a backplane. The backplane has columns of electrical connectors. Each electrical connector has a plurality of rows of pins. One portion of the pins in each row is electrically connected to one bus and the other portion of the pins is electrically connected to the other bus. Each printed circuit board has an electrical connector adapted to connect with the backplane electrical connectors. While the number of pins in the each row of the cache memory printed circuit board electrical connector is the same as the number of pins in each row of the backplane electrical connector, the number of pins in each row of the controller printed circuit board electrical connector is less than the number of pins in the row of pins in the backplane electrical connector.

Abstract: A backplane system provides a terminator assembly that mounts along an axis that is parallel to a plane of the backplane. The backplane system has modular backplanes connected to a removable terminator assembly. Connectors coupled the backplanes to the terminator assembly and each other.

Abstract: A press locking connector for the antenna of a mobile-phone, the connector is more suitably connected to the antenna of a car and a mobile-phone and is formed a sheet member having at the upper portion thereof a collar with a diameter size coincident with that of the shaft of the antenna, the collar has an opening of suitable size; a hook is provided beside and at a slightly lower portion from the collar, a plug contact device is inserted in a through hole near the bottom of the sheet member, so that the collar opening can be aligned with the antenna and is clamped by a force exerted forwardly from behind on the shaft of the mobile-phone, the hook will snap hook into a recess provided on the top of the mobile-phone, the plug contact device is connected to a socket contact on the mobile-phone by a force exerted in one single direction.

Abstract: A power distribution system utilizing a power distribution circuit board having a front and back side with at least one connector on each side. The connector on the front side is disposed to mate with a selected power supply and the connector on the back side is disposed to mate with a substantially identical power supply. The connector on the back side is rotated 180.degree. so that substantially identical power supplies can be located in close proximity to each other while maintaining required conductor spacing in order to provide an improved power distribution system.

Abstract: A socket connector for high speed memory modules utilizes planar contact strips having the same contact element design for signal, ground, power and daisy chain. The daisy chain contact strips are segmented and staggered to permit the use of flat contact elements.

Abstract: A computer having a motherboard housed in a chassis having a bottom panel and a rear panel perpendicular to the bottom panel. The rear panel has a cutout therein. The motherboard is secured to the chassis in parallel with the bottom panel. The motherboard has a socket and the audio card is mounted in the socket perpendicular to the motherboard. The audio card has connectors, such as audio line-in, line-out, microphone, speaker power and game port, mounted perpendicular to the audio card such that the connectors are aligned with the cutout in the rear panel. The audio card is grounded to the chassis with an electromagnetic interference (EMI) gasket contoured to the cutout.

Abstract: The invention relates to a PC-based electronic control unit 10 with a mother board 20 and an additional printed circuit board 38, whose connection plugs are accessible through apertures, arranged in parallel rows, in a housing wall 18. Between these rows there is a further row of apertures for 134,150,154 connection plugs 34,50,54 which may be provided on the mother board 20 or on the additional printed circuit board 38 or else on daughter boards 28 which can be plugged onto one of the mother board 20 or the additional printed circuit board 38. A connector 56 for receiving a memory card 60 is provided on the mother board 20. A plug 62 is engageable with the memory card and the plug cable 64 is passed through an opening 66 in the housing wall 18.

Abstract: A shelf for housing printed circuit boards in which a back plane has an extension in the form of a back plane extender printed circuit board electrically connected to the back plane and extending forwards from the back plane at one side of the shelf. In a location forwardly of the back plane, the extender printed circuit board carries a connector structure which extends outwards from the extender printed circuit board and has connectors outwards from the extender printed circuit board. These connectors are accessible either from the front or rear of the shelf dependent upon connector orientation. This structure avoids the need for connectors on the rear face of the back plane thus allowing for the back plane to be located further to the rear and permitting increase in size in circuit boards to be mounted within the shelf. The connector structure is preferably detachable so as to permit its replacement with a different design of connector structure.

Abstract: A printed circuit board having a footprint that is capable of receiving one of two electronic components having differing pin configurations. The footprint includes a first and a second common pin receptor arranged about a first axis. The first and second common pin receptors are configured to receive a first and a second pin on either of the electronic components. The footprint also includes a third pin receptor that is positioned along the first axis so as to be interposed between the first and the second common pin receptors and is configured to receive a third pin receptor of the first electronic component. The footprint also includes a fourth pin receptor that is positioned along a second axis, that is orthogonal to and intersects the first axis at the location of the third pin receptor. The fourth pin receptor is configured to receive a third pin of the second electronic component.

Abstract: An interconnection system is for interconnecting sensors, such as temperature gauges for controlling industrial processes, to a bus cable that interconnects the sensors to a central computation unit. The connection assembly comprises edge card connectors for connection to electronic modules having printed circuit boards. The plurality of modules are interconnected to the ribbon cable bus by a printed circuit board, and a connector mounted on the PCB and pluggable with a bus connector terminated to the cable.

Abstract: An improved multichip semiconductor module compatible with existing SIMM memory sockets comprising a molded module frame and a composite semiconductor substrate subassembly received in a cavity in said frame. The composite semiconductor substrate subassembly or subassembly(s) comprises a plurality of semiconductor devices which are connected to electrical contacts on an edge of the molded frame by a variety of configurations described herein. In one embodiment of the invention, the subassembly(s) includes a composite substrate which comprises a thin metal cover plate and thin laminate circuit which is bonded to the metal cover plate by a film adhesive. The composite substrate provides a mounting surface for the placement of semiconductor devices and their associated passive components.

Abstract: Disclosed is a backplane assembly that includes stiffeners to provide both mechanical stiffening and electrical power distribution. In particular, the present invention provides a power distribution system that comprises a backplane, a power stiffener having alternate layers of dielectrics and conductors proximately located to the backplane, and removable connection to electrically connect the conductors in the stiffener to the backplane. Because power can be transferred directly to the backplane from the stiffener via the connection, the need for power cables and bus bars on the backplane is eliminated. In addition, noise suppressing capacitors may be located on the power stiffener, close to the load source.

Abstract: A cylindrically shaped backplane contains conductors that provide circular buses that connect corresponding contacts of connectors mounted to the backplane. When circuit cards are inserted into the connectors, the circuit cards extend radially from the cylindrical backplane.

Abstract: This invention is a system for self guiding interengagement of a securement member within a mating member having a slot for holding and securing two surface areas. The securement member is attached to one surface area and the mating member is attached to the other surface area. The securement member has a shape and the mating member has a tongue with a guiding surface, thereby promoting self guiding interengagement of the securement member within the slot of the mating member. The system is convenient for inserting a board within the obstructed view of a receptacle, such as a computer enclosure.

Abstract: An electronic circuit pack and mounting frame in which a cable directed to the circuit pack is received in a connector mounted upon a face of the pack or upon a face of a printed circuit board within the pack. Cables are mounted away from the front face of the pack and are directed from a cable receiving channel of a mounting frame to the connector with cable bends being permanently held by a surrounding molded encapsulation received within an access opening of the frame.

Abstract: In a subrack for electronic circuit boards connected to mother boards the mother boards are disposed in at least two planes parallel to the front face of the subrack. Each plane contains one or more mother boards. The planes are superposed to form a stack in the shape of a pyramid.

Abstract: A computer includes a main enclosure for housing a plurality of computer components. A subenclosure or card cage for housing a planar circuit board, including a CPU, and at least one accessory board may be removably secured within the main enclosure, wherein the subenclosure, planar circuit board, and accessory circuit board may be selectively removed from the main enclosure as a unit. A connection device is provided to releasably electrically connect at least the planar circuit board to one of the computer components housed within the main enclosure.

Abstract: A computer housing and expansion card design facilitates the addition and removal of expansion cards from the front of a computer housing without disassembly of the housing, and further facilitates the connection of external cables to the expansion cards from the back of the computer housing.