Radial circuit board, system, and methods

• US 20060164820A1
• Filed: 01/10/2006
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Legacy Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Legacy Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Mecker, Donald W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,435,097 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/760
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/04 Supports for storage elements , e.g. memory modules; Mounting or fixing of storage elements on such supports
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/063 Voltage and signal distribution in integrated semi-conductor memory access lines, e.g. word-line, bit-line, cross-over resistance, propagation delay
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/144 Stacked arrangements of planar printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/181 associated with surface mounted components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09027 Non-rectangular flat PCB, e.g. circular
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09418 Special orientation of pads, lands or terminals of component, e.g. radial or polygonal orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10689 Leaded Integrated Circuit [IC] package, e.g. dual-in-line [DIL]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

The present invention relates to circuit boards with radially arrayed components. One specific embodiment is a memory circuit board with memory components, such as, for example, DRAM chips, radially arrayed around a central point. The present invention also relates to stacking and connecting multiple circuit boards with radially arrayed components. Another embodiment of the invention involves methods of preparing radially arrayed components on a circuit board module with substantially equidistant paths to the components.

Claims

1. A circuit board module comprising:

a connector;

a plurality of components radially arrayed substantially equidistant around said connector; and

an array of substantially equidistant electrical connections electrically coupling said connector and said components.

2. The circuit board module of claim 1, wherein one or more of said components comprise memory chips.

3. The circuit board module of claim 1, wherein one or more of said components are selected from the group consisting of DRAM and SRAM.

4. The circuit board module of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one input-output device, wherein said array of substantially equidistant electrical connections connects the connector and said input-output devices; and

a second array of substantially equidistant electrical connections positioned between said input-output device and said components.

5. The circuit board module of claim 4, wherein said input-output device comprises a fully buffered control chip.

6. The circuit board module of claim 4, wherein said input-output device comprises a plurality of control chips.

7. The circuit board module of claim 1, further comprising alignment pins positioned on the circuit board module.

8. The circuit board module of claim 1, wherein said connector comprises pressure pins arrayed on the bottom of said circuit board module.

9. The circuit board module of claim 8, further comprising a pressure pin pad array positioned on the top of said circuit board module configured to connect with the pressure pin connector of a second circuit board module.

10. The circuit board module of claim 1, wherein said connector comprises a male/female connector on the bottom of said circuit board module.

11. The circuit board module of claim 10, further comprising a male/female connector on the top of said circuit board module configured to connect with the male/female connector of a second circuit board module.

12. The circuit board module of claim 1, wherein said connector further comprises:

a post mechanically connected to a second circuit board with a predetermined cross-sectional shape; and

wherein

said circuit board module further comprises a center aperture that is congruent with a peripheral edge of said predetermined cross-sectional shape of said post;

said center aperture having a first set of electrical contacts and said post having a second set of electrical contacts at its peripheral edge, said first and second set of electrical contacts being configured such that when said circuit board is placed over said post so that its aperture is around said post said first and second electrical contacts connect to each other and provide an electrical connection and mechanical connection for said circuit board to said post; and

said post includes electrical connections between said second contacts and said second circuit board.

13. The circuit board module of claim 12, wherein said post has at least one conduit for the passage of air through it.

14. The circuit board module of claim 12, wherein said post and said aperture are detachably connected at said first and second electrical contacts.

15. The circuit board module of claim 13, wherein said at least one conduit has a first opening for injection of air and at least one opening adjacent to said second set of electrical contacts to allow passage of air from said conduit and over said circular board.

16. A stackable memory system comprising:

a circuit board; and

a plurality of circuit board modules of claim 1,

wherein one or more components on said circuit board modules are memory chips, and said circuit board modules are adapted to communicate with said circuit board via the connector on said circuit board module.

17. The stackable memory system of claim 16, wherein said circuit board modules are circular.

18. The stackable memory system of claim 16, wherein said connectors comprise:

a post mechanically connected to said circuit board with a predetermined cross-sectional shape comprising at least one set of electrical contacts; and

wherein each circuit board module has a center aperture that is congruent with a peripheral edge of said predetermined cross-sectional shape of said post and with at least one set of electrical contacts in contact with the set of contacts on said post.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a first circuit board module with memory chips radially disposed;

a main circuit board;

an apparatus for connecting said first circuit board module to said main circuit board;

an input-output device on said first circuit board module located in a position that is approximately equal distant from each of the memory chips;

a first array of equidistant electrical connection lines between said input-output device and said memory chips; and

a second array of electrical connection lines between said input-output device and said apparatus for connecting said circuit board to said main circuit board.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the shape of said first circuit board is selected from the group consisting of a circle, rectangle, square, and polygon.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said main circuit board comprises a mother board.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said apparatus for connecting said first circuit board to said main circuit board comprises a post mechanically connected to said main circuit board with a predetermined cross-sectional shape and wherein said post has a first set of electrical contacts at its peripheral edge.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said first circuit board has a center aperture that is congruent with a peripheral edge of said predetermined cross-sectional shape of said post and wherein said center aperture has a second set of electrical contacts, and wherein said first and second set of electrical contacts being configured such that when said first circuit board is placed over said post so that its aperture is around said post said first and second electrical contacts detachably connect to each other and provide an electrical connection for said first circuit board to said post.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said post includes electrical connections between said first electrical contacts and said main circuit board.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said post has at least one conduit for the passage of air through it.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said at least one conduit has at least one opening adjacent to said second set of electrical contacts to allow passage of air from said conduit and over said first circuit board.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising a second circuit board similar to said first circuit board stacked upon said first circuit board and electrically connected to said post.

28. A method of manufacturing comprising:

providing a circuit board module;

providing a circuit board module connector on said circuit board module;

disposing a plurality of components radially about said connector; and

electrically connecting said components to said circuit board module connector.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising disposing at least one input-output device on said circuit board module.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising disposing at least one fully buffered control chip on said circuit board module.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein said electrically connecting step further comprises the step of providing an array of substantially equidistant electrical connections between said connector and said components.

32. The method of claim 28, further comprising providing alignment pins on said circuit board module.

33. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

providing a main circuit board with a main circuit board connector; and

connecting said circuit module connector with said main circuit board connector.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said main circuit board connector comprises a post.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising providing a second circuit board module with a connector and connecting said second circuit board module with said main circuit board.

36. The method of claim 33, further comprising providing a second circuit board module with a connector and connecting said second circuit board module with said first circuit board module.

37. A method of stacking circuit board modules comprising:

providing a main circuit board with a connector; and

providing first and second circuit board modules with components radially disposed substantially equidistance from a connector on said circuit board module;

wherein said first circuit board is connected to said main circuit board and said second circuit board is connected to said first circuit board.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising providing a third circuit board module with components radially disposed about a connector on said circuit board module and wherein said third circuit board is connected to said second circuit board.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein said connector is a male/female connector.

40. A method of stacking circuit board modules comprising:

providing a main circuit board with a post comprising a predetermined cross-sectional shape;

providing a first and second circuit board module with components radially disposed substantially equidistant from an aperture that is congruent with a peripheral edge of said predetermine cross-sectional shape of said post;

stacking said first and second circuit board modules one upon another; and

coupling said first and second circuit board modules with said post.

41. The method of stacking circuit board modules of claim 40, wherein said coupling step further comprises electrically coupling.

42. The method of stacking circuit board modules of claim 40, wherein said coupling step further comprises mechanically coupling.

43. The method of stacking circuit board modules of claim 40, further comprising providing alignment pins on said circuit board modules.

44. The method of stacking circuit board modules of claim 40, further comprising providing a conduit within said post for the passage of air.