Three-dimensional electronic circuit of interconnected modules

• US 5,568,361 A
• Filed: 07/25/1994
• Issued: 10/22/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Nguyen, John N., Pezaris, John S., Pratt, Gill A., Ward, Stephen A.
• Primary Examiner(s): SPARKS, DONALD ALAN
• Application Number:
  US08/279,693
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 257/686, 273/153 P, 273/160, 310/328, 310/309, 310/330, 310/332, 361/729, 361/730, 361/731, 361/733, 361/735, 361/784, 361/785, 361/790, 361/791, 361/803, 437/51, 437/208, 437/915, 439/44, 439/45, 439/47, 439/68, 439/69, 439/74, 439/55, 446/120, 446/121, 446/122, 446/124, 446/125, 446/127
• US Class Current: 361/735
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/803 Three-dimensional arrays or hypercubes
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/00 Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures printed connections to, or between, printed circuits H05K1/11
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/514 composed as a modular blocks or assembly, i.e. composed of co-operating parts provided with contact members or holding contact members between them
• 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 7/023 Stackable modules

Abstract

Circuit supporting modules form a three-dimensional communication interconnect mesh. Each module has fewer than six sets of connectors, preferably four. The preferred three-dimensional communication interconnect is a tetrahedral lattice having a regular, isotropic, three-dimensional topology in which each module connects to its four physically closest neighbors. The structure of the tetrahedral interconnect is isomorphic with a diamond lattice structure.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional electronic circuit assembly comprising:

a plurality of data processing modules comprising respective integrated electronic circuits for performing data processing operations and controlling communications between modules, each module having at least three sets of connectors along fewer than six surfaces thereof for joining the circuits on the modules to adjacent modules to enable communications between modules via the sets of connectors, each one of the sets of connectors supporting multiple electrical connections to other modules, adjacent modules being oriented relative to each other such that adjacent modules interconnect in a three-dimensional array having levels; and

a common clock signal that is supplied to the modules of the array.

2. A three-dimensional electronic circuit assembly according to claim 1, wherein each module communicates with three other modules.

3. A three-dimensional electronic circuit assembly according to claim 1, wherein each module communicates with four other modules.

4. A three-dimensional electronic circuit assembly according to claim 3, wherein the integrated electronic circuits of the modules address the communications between each other within the array by four element vectors.

5. A three-dimensional electronic circuit assembly according to claim 1 wherein the three-dimensional array is an isotropic lattice.

6. A three-dimensional electronic circuit assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the data processing modules each comprise a plurality of integrated electronic circuit chips.

7. A three-dimensional electronic circuit assembly according to claim 1 further comprising auxiliary circuit boards mounted to the modules.

8. A three-dimensional electronic circuit assembly according to claim 1 wherein each of the connectors connects along an axis orthogonal to the levels.

9. A three-dimensional electronic circuit assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the three-dimensional array forms a lattice structure which is isomorphic with a diamond lattice.

10. A three-dimensional electronic circuit assembly according to claim 1 wherein each module of the array is in only one of two orientations, each orientation having different directions of interconnection, each module being connected only to modules of the opposite orientation.

11. A three-dimensional electronic circuit assembly according to claim 10 further comprising a two-phase clock input for controlling communications between modules, modules of opposite orientation operating on opposite phases of the clock.

12. A three-dimensional electronic circuit assembly according to claim 1, wherein the sets of connects are located on opposed surfaces of the modules and rotated with respect to each other around an axis that is orthogonal to the surfaces.

13. A three dimensional electronic circuit assembly according to claim 1, wherein different modules operate in response to different phases of the clock signal.

14. A three-dimensional electronic circuit assembly according to claim 1, wherein the integrated electronic circuits comprise a microprocessor.

15. A three-dimensional circuit assembly comprising:

a plurality of modules having opposed surfaces and including circuits for performing data processing operations and controlling communications with other modules, each surface supporting a pair of like, parallel, extended connector sets providing communication paths between modules, the connector sets on opposite surfaces of the modules being complementary to each other and rotated relative to each other, modules being joined to adjacent modules such that the modules define a three-dimensional lattice; and

auxiliary circuit boards mounted to substrates within modules.

16. A three-dimensional circuit assembly according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of modules are spaced horizontally within levels such that there are serpentine vertical flow paths between the plurality of modules.

17. A three-dimensional electronic circuit assembly according to claim 15 wherein the modules are addressed within the array by a four element vector.

18. A three-dimensional electronic circuit assembly as claimed in claim 15 wherein the circuits comprise a plurality of circuit chips on each module.

19. A three-dimensional electronic circuit assembly according to claim 15 wherein each module is in one of two orientations, each orientation having different directions of interconnection, each module being connected only to modules of the opposite orientation.

20. A three-dimensional electronic circuit assembly according to claim 19 further comprising a two-phase clock input for controlling communications between modules, modules of opposite orientations outputting signals with opposite phases of the clock.

21. A three-dimensional circuit assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein the modules are organized in stacked horizontal levels and the connector sets of each surface of each module connect to different modules of a higher or lower level.

22. A three-dimensional electronic circuit assembly comprising:

a plurality of modules supporting respective circuits, each module having connectors for connecting to adjacent modules of a three-dimensional array of modules along four axes, adjacent modules being connected along a single common axis but being rotated relative to each other such that connections from adjacent modules are made in opposite directions; and

a two-phase clock input for controlling communications between modules, modules of opposite orientation operating on opposite phases of the clock.

23. A three-dimensional electronic circuit assembly according to claim 22, wherein the modules are addressed within the array by a four element vector.

24. A three-dimensional electronic circuit assembly according to claim 22, wherein the connectors provide vertical connections.

25. A method of providing a three-dimensional electronic circuit assembly, including the steps of:

providing a plurality of modules;

supporting circuits on the plurality of modules;

connecting adjacent modules along fewer than six module axes such that the connected modules are rotated relative to each other to form a three-dimensional array, each module assuming one of two orientations; and

clocking a module to communicate in alternate phases of a clock signal according to orientation.

26. A method according to claim 25, further including the step of each module addressing every other module with a four element vector.

27. A method according to claim 25, wherein each of the connected modules communicates with only three other modules.

28. A method according to claim 25, wherein the connected modules each communicate with only four other modules.

29. A method according to claim 25, wherein the three-dimensional array is isotropic.

30. A method according to claim 25 wherein the modules are connected through vertical connections.

31. A method according to claim 25, wherein the three-dimensional array is isomorphic with a diamond lattice.