Computer system modular add-in daughter card for an adapter card which also functions as an independent add-in card

• US 5,611,057 A
• Filed: 01/20/1995
• Issued: 03/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dell USA LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell USA LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Russell C., Pecone, Victor K., Lory, Jay R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Sumati
• Application Number:
  US08/376,312
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 361/784, 361/785, 439/74, 439/75, 395/281-282
• US Class Current: 710/301
• 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: H05K 1/0286 Programmable, customizable or modifiable circuits by programmable non-printed jumper connections H05K3/222
• 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

Abstract

A daughter card for mounting to an adapter card, wherein the daughter card includes adapter card connectors for mounting to the adapter card and also an edge connector for insertion directly into a computer slot so that the daughter card may also function as a stand-alone card. The daughter card is both mechanically and electrically compliant as an independent PCI add-in card and includes a PCI edge connector for insertion directly into a PCI slot. This provides additional modularity since the daughter card can be purchased and configured as a separate and independent PCI adapter card as well as for mating to a host adapter card to provide extra functionality to the host adapter card. In addition, since the daughter card can be directly inserted into the PCI bus, the daughter card provides greater component access and probing for testing. Further, the daughter card can be tested independently of the host adapter card during manufacturing functional test, thus providing more reliable testing.

Claims

1. A daughter card for use in a computer system, the daughter card comprising:

one or more controllers providing signals for performing functions in the computer system;

one or more adapter card connectors for coupling to an adapter card when the daughter card is mounted to an adapter card, wherein the daughter card provides additional functionality to the adapter card when the daughter card is mounted to the adapter card; and

an edge connector for insertion in a connector slot of a computer system when the daughter card is used as a stand-alone card, wherein said edge connector complies with a bus specification;

wherein the daughter card is mountable to an adapter card and wherein the daughter card can also function as a stand-alone card to provide modular and upgradable expansion options.

2. The daughter card of claim 1, wherein said edge connector is a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) edge connector adapted for insertion in a PCI slot of a computer system.

3. The daughter card of claim 2, wherein said daughter card complies with Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) mechanical specifications.

4. The daughter card of claim 1, wherein said daughter card is inserted directly into an expansion slot of a computer system during testing of said daughter card.

5. The daughter card of claim 1, wherein said daughter card is adapted for connecting to said adapter card in a parallel mezzanine fashion.

6. The daughter card of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more connectors coupled to said one or more controllers, wherein said one or more connectors are each adapted for coupling to one or more devices in the computer system.

7. The daughter card of claim 6, wherein said one or more controllers comprised on said daughter card are small computer systems interface (SCSI) controllers for providing one or more SCSI channels;

wherein said one or more connectors coupled to said one or more controllers comprise SCSI connectors for coupling to one or more SCSI devices in the computer system.

8. The daughter card of claim 6, wherein said one or more controllers comprised on said daughter card are network interface controllers;

wherein said one or more connectors coupled to said one or more controllers comprise network interface ports.

9. A daughter card for use in a computer system comprising:

one or more SCSI controllers providing signals for one or more SCSI channels;

one or more SCSI connectors coupled to said one or more SCSI controllers, wherein said one or more SCSI connectors are each adapted for coupling to one or more SCSI devices in the computer system;

one or more adapter card connectors for coupling to a SCSI adapter card, wherein when said daughter card is mounted to said SCSI adapter card said daughter card provides additional functionality to said SCSI adapter card;

an edge connector for insertion in a bus connector slot of a computer system when the daughter card is used as a stand-alone card; and

wherein said daughter card is mountable to a SCSI adapter card and wherein said daughter card can also function as a stand-alone card to provide modular and upgradable expansion options.

10. The daughter card of claim 9, wherein said daughter card includes an external SCSI connector which is adapted to be externally accessible from the computer system when said daughter card is connected to said SCSI adapter card and said SCSI adapter card is inserted into an expansion slot of the computer system;

wherein said external SCSI connector is also adapted to be externally accessible from the computer system when said daughter card edge connector is inserted directly into a bus connector slot of a computer system;

wherein said external SCSI connector is adapted for coupling to one or more external SCSI devices.

11. The daughter card of claim 9, wherein said edge connector is a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) edge connector adapted for insertion in a PCI slot of a computer system.

12. The daughter card of claim 11, wherein said daughter card complies with Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) mechanical specifications.

13. The daughter card of claim 9, wherein said daughter card is inserted directly into an expansion slot of a computer system during testing of said daughter card.

14. The daughter card of claim 9, wherein said daughter card is adapted for connecting to said SCSI adapter card in a parallel mezzanine fashion.

15. A computer system comprising:

a system unit;

a bus comprised within said system unit including one or more expansion slots for receiving adapter cards;

a daughter card comprised within said system unit and including an edge connector adapted for coupling to an expansion slot on said bus, wherein said daughter card includes one or more adapter card connectors for connecting to an adapter card, wherein said daughter card is mountable to an adapter card, and wherein said daughter card can also function as a stand-alone card in the computer system.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein said daughter card edge connector is inserted into one of said one or more expansion slots of said bus whereby said daughter card is directly coupled to said bus;

wherein said daughter card functions as a stand-alone adapter card in said computer system.

17. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising:

an adapter card comprised within said system unit and coupled to an expansion slot on said bus, wherein said adapter card includes one or more controllers providing signals for one or more bus channels, wherein said adapter card also includes one or more daughter card connectors for receiving a daughter card;

wherein said daughter card is coupled to said one or more daughter card connectors on said adapter card and provides additional functionality to said adapter card.

18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein said daughter card is removably coupled to said one or more daughter card connectors on said adapter card.

19. The computer system of claim 15, wherein said bus is a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus and said one or more expansion slots comprise PCI bus expansion slots;

wherein said edge connector is a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) edge connector adapted for insertion in one of said PCI bus expansion slots in said computer system.

20. The computer system of claim 19, wherein said daughter card complies with Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) mechanical specifications.

21. The computer system of claim 15, wherein said daughter card is inserted directly into one of said one or more expansion slots of said computer system during testing of said daughter card.