Dual-stacked 10 Gigabit X2 uplinks in a single rack unit switch

• US 20060044774A1
• Filed: 08/30/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Edwards, William F. Jr., Vasavda, Samir, Kornprobst, Michael, Nelsen, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,136,289 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/796
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4246 Bidirectionally operating package structures
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4284 of optical modules with disconnectable electrical connectors latching arms for electrical connectors H01R13/627
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4292 the light guide being disconnectable from the opto-electronic element, e.g. mutually self aligning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/184 Mounting of motherboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/185 Mounting of expansion boards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/186 Securing of expansion boards in correspondence to slots provided at the computer enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/716 Coupling device provided on the PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/724 containing contact members forming a right angle
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/04 for network, e.g. LAN connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/141 One or more single auxiliary printed circuits mounted on a main printed circuit, e.g. modules, adapters H05K1/142 and H05K1/147 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/045 Hierarchy auxiliary PCB, i.e. more than two levels of hierarchy for daughter PCBs are important
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10189 Non-printed connector
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10515 Stacked components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1572 Processing both sides of a PCB by the same process; Providing a similar arrangement of components on both sides; Making interlayer connections from two sides
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/142 Spacers not being card guides
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1428 for small modular apparatus with terminal block

Abstract

A system for providing dual 10 GB uplinks in the front side of a single rack unit switch that stacks two MSA X2 I/O devices in a limited space. In one embodiment the two X2 I/O devices are mounted on opposite sides of a single circuit board positioned above the motherboard.

Claims

1. A system providing dual X2 10 Gigabit uplink I/O devices in a limited area on the front surface of the chassis of a single rack-unit switch, with a motherboard included in the switch, said system comprising:

a dual-sided printed circuit board, having an upper side and a lower side;

a first connector mounted on the upper side and a second connector mounted on the lower side of the dual-sided circuit board

a first X2 module mounted on the upper side of the dual-sided circuit board and coupled to the first connector;

a second X2 module mounted on the lower side of the dual-sided circuit board and coupled to the second connector;

a mechanical support, connected to the bottom of the chassis for holding the dual-sided circuit board above the motherboard; and

a vertical connector connecting the dual-sided circuit board to the motherboard.

2. The system of claim 1 where the dual-sided circuit board is about 0.2 inches thick.

3. A system providing dual X2 10 Gigabit uplink I/O devices in a limited area on the front surface of the chassis of a single rack-unit switch, with a motherboard included in the switch, said system comprising:

a dual-sided printed circuit board, having an upper side and a lower side;

a first X2 module mounted on the upper side of the dual-sided circuit board;

a second X2 module mounted on the lower side of the dual-sided circuit board;

a mechanical support, connected to the bottom of the chassis for holding the dual-sided circuit board above the motherboard; and

a first ribbon connector mounted coupling the first X2 module to the motherboard and a second ribbon connector mounted coupling the second X2 module to the motherboard.

4. A system providing dual X2 10 Gigabit uplink I/O devices in a limited area on the front surface of the chassis of a single rack-unit switch, with a motherboard included in the switch, said system comprising:

a printed circuit board having an upper side;

a first connector mounted on the upper side of the printed circuit board and a second connector mounted on the motherboard;

a first X2 module mounted on the upper side of the circuit board and coupled to the first connector;

a second X2 module mounted on the motherboard and coupled to the second connector;

a mechanical support, connected to the bottom of the chassis for holding the circuit board above the motherboard; and

a vertical connector connecting the circuit board to the motherboard.

5. A system providing dual X2 10 Gigabit uplink I/O devices in a limited area on the front surface of the chassis of a single rack-unit switch, a motherboard included in the switch, said system comprising:

a printed circuit board having a lower side;

a first connector mounted on the lower side of the circuit board and a second connector mounted on the mother board

a first X2 module mounted on the lower side of the circuit board and coupled to the first connector;

a second X2 module mounted on the mother board and coupled to the second connector;

a mechanical support, connected to the bottom of the chassis for holding the circuit board above the motherboard; and

a vertical connector connecting the circuit board to the motherboard.

6. A system providing dual X2 10 Gigabit uplink I/O devices in a limited area on the front surface of the chassis of a single rack-unit switch, a motherboard included in the switch, said system comprising:

means for coupling the first and second X2 modules in a stacked configuration with lower sides of the first and second module facing each other; and

means for mounting coupled first and second modules above the printed circuit board and connecting circuits on the X2 modules to circuits on the motherboard.