Compact solid state drive and processor assembly

• US 20080113525A1
• Filed: 04/03/2007
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SanDisk IL Ltd. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk IL Ltd. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Tzur, Ofer
• Application Number:
  US11/730,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20080113525A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/55
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/187 Mounting of fixed and removable disk drives
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0673 Single storage device
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/14 Structural association of two or more printed circuits providing electric connection to or between printed circuits H05K1/11, H01R12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10356 Cables
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10734 Ball grid array [BGA]; Bump grid array
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/222 Completing of printed circuits by adding non-printed jumper connections printed jumper connections H05K3/4685

Abstract

A hardware assembly of a non-volatile solid state drive and a processor is made more compact by eliminating elements previously associated with such assemblies. For embodiments implementing a SATA cable to electrically connect the solid state drive and processor, the SATA cable directly connects the two elements without implementing intervening bulky SATA connectors. For embodiments implementing a printed circuit board for mounting the solid state drive and processor, the SATA cable itself may be eliminated by replacing it with a hardwired signal path on the printed circuit board. These compact hardware assemblies are manufactured by hardwiring the signal path to the solid state drive at a SATA interface and hardwiring the same signal path to the processor also such that the hardwired signal path electrically connects the solid state drive to the processor.

Claims

1. A hardware assembly comprising:

a non-volatile solid state drive having a SATA interface;

a processor; and

a hardwired signal path electrically connecting said solid state drive at said SATA interface to said processor.

2. The hardware assembly of claim 1, wherein said hardwired signal path includes a SATA cable directly connected to said solid state drive at said SATA interface.

3. The hardware assembly of claim 1, wherein said hardwired signal path includes a SATA cable directly connected to said processor.

4. The hardware assembly of claim 1, wherein said hard-wired signal path includes a SATA cable directly connected to said solid state drive at said SATA interface and to said processor.

5. The hardware assembly of claim 1 further comprising:

a printed circuit board,

wherein said solid state drive and said processor are mounted on said printed circuit board.

6. The hardware assembly of claim 5, wherein said hardwired signal path includes a printed circuit path on said printed circuit board.

7. The hardware assembly of claim 5, wherein said hardwired signal path includes a SATA cable hardwired at an end to said printed circuit board, and an electrical path printed on said circuit board operationally connects said end of said SATA cable to said solid state drive at said SATA interface.

8. The hardware assembly of claim 5, wherein said hardwired signal path includes a SATA cable hardwired at an end to said printed circuit board, and an electrical path printed on said circuit board operationally connects said end of said SATA cable to said processor.

9. The hardware assembly of claim 5, wherein said hardwired signal path includes a SATA cable hardwired at a first end and at a second end to said printed circuit board, a first electrical path printed on said circuit board operationally connects said first end of said SATA cable to said solid state drive at said SATA interface, and a second electrical path printed on said circuit board operationally connects said second end of said SATA cable to said processor.

10. The hardware assembly of claim 1 further comprising:

a printed circuit board,

wherein said solid state drive is mounted on said printed circuit board.

11. The hardware assembly of claim 10, wherein said hardwired signal path includes a SATA cable hardwired at an end to said printed circuit board, and an electrical path printed on said circuit board operationally connects said end of said SATA cable to said solid state drive at said SATA interface.

12. The hardware assembly of claim 1 further comprising:

a printed circuit board,

wherein said processor is mounted on said printed circuit board.

13. The hardware assembly of claim 12, wherein said hardwired signal path includes a SATA cable hardwired at an end to said printed circuit board, and an electrical path printed on said circuit board operationally connects said end of said SATA cable to said processor.

14. The hardware assembly of claim 1 further comprising:

a first printed circuit board; and

a second printed circuit board,

wherein said solid state drive is mounted on said first printed circuit board, and said processor is mounted on said second printed circuit board.

15. The hardware assembly of claim 14, wherein said hardwired signal path includes a SATA cable hardwired at an end to said first printed circuit board, and an electrical path printed on said first circuit board operationally connects said end of said SATA cable to said solid state drive at said SATA interface.

16. The hardware assembly of claim 14, wherein said hardwired signal path includes a SATA cable hardwired at an end to said second printed circuit board, and an electrical path printed on said second circuit board operationally connects said end of said SATA cable to said processor.

17. The hardware assembly of claim 14, wherein said hardwired signal path includes a SATA cable hardwired at a first end to said first printed circuit board and at a second end to said second printed circuit board, a first electrical path printed on said first circuit board operationally connects said first end of said SATA cable to said solid state drive at said SATA interface, and a second electrical path printed on said second circuit board operationally connects said second end of said SATA cable to said processor.

18. The hardware assembly of claim 1, wherein said solid state drive is a NAND-type flash memory storage device.

19. An information processor including the hardware assembly of claim 1.

20. A personal computer including the hardware assembly of claim 1.

21. A personal digital assistant including the hardware assembly of claim 1.

22. A telephone including the hardware assembly of claim 1.

23. A portable media player including the hardware assembly of claim 1.

24. A method of manufacturing a hardware assembly, the method comprising:

hardwiring a signal path to a non-volatile solid state drive at a SATA interface; and

hardwiring the same signal path to a processor also such that said hardwired signal path electrically connects said solid state drive to said processor.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said hardwiring a signal path to a non-volatile solid state drive includes hardwiring a SATA cable directly to a solid state drive.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein said hardwiring the same signal path to a processor includes hardwiring a SATA cable directly to a processor.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein said hardwiring a signal path to a non-volatile solid state drive includes hardwiring a SATA cable directly to a solid state drive, and said hardwiring the same signal path to a processor includes hardwiring a SATA cable directly to a processor.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

mounting said solid state drive and said processor on a printed circuit board.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said hardwiring a signal path to a non-volatile solid state drive includes:

hardwiring an end of a SATA cable to said printed circuit board; and

operationally connecting said end of said SATA cable to said solid state drive.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein said hardwiring the same signal path to a processor includes:

hardwiring an end of a SATA cable to said printed circuit board; and

operationally connecting said end of said SATA cable to said processor.

31. The method of claim 28, said hardwiring said signal path to said solid state drive and to said processor includes:

hardwiring a first end of a SATA cable to said printed circuit board;

operationally connecting said first end of said SATA cable to said solid state drive;

hardwiring a second end of said SATA cable to said printed circuit board; and

operationally connecting said second end of said SATA cable to said processor.

32. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

mounting said solid state drive on a printed circuit board.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said hardwiring a signal path to a non-volatile solid state drive includes:

hardwiring an end of said SATA cable to said printed circuit board; and

operationally connecting said end of said SATA cable to said solid state drive.

34. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

mounting said processor on a printed circuit board.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said hardwiring the same signal path to a processor includes:

hardwiring an end of a SATA cable to said printed circuit board; and

operationally connecting said end of said SATA cable to said processor.

36. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

mounting said solid state drive on a first printed circuit board; and

mounting said processor on a second printed circuit board.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein said hardwiring a signal path to a non-volatile solid state drive includes:

hardwiring an end of a SATA cable to said first printed circuit board; and

operationally connecting said end of said SATA cable to said solid state drive.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein said hardwiring the same signal path to a processor includes:

hardwiring an end of a SATA cable said second printed circuit board; and

operationally connecting said end of said SATA cable to said processor.

39. The method of claim 36, said hardwiring said signal path to said solid state drive and to said processor includes:

hardwiring a first end of a SATA cable to said first printed circuit board;

operationally connecting said first end of said SATA cable to said solid state drive;

hardwiring a second end of said SATA cable to said second printed circuit board; and

operationally connecting said second end of said SATA cable to said processor.