Printed circuit board component packaging

• US 6,487,082 B1
• Filed: 07/20/2000
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Silicon Graphics Incorporated (Graphics Properties Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Conger, Jeffrey S., Crapisi, Thomas Alex, Dobbs, Bonnie Kay, Gruber, David Paul, Ruesch, Rodney, Bowen, Stephen A., Cermak, III, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Thanh Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/620,059
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 361/760, 361/761, 361/764, 361/784, 174/260, 174/261
• US Class Current: 361/760
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/023 using auxiliary mounted passive components or auxiliary substances printed passive components H05K1/16
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/18 Printed circuits structurally associated with non-printed electric components H05K1/0201, H05K1/023, H05K1/0243, and H05K1/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/181 associated with surface mounted components
• 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 2201/10022 Non-printed resistor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10545 Related components mounted on both sides of the PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10689 Leaded Integrated Circuit [IC] package, e.g. dual-in-line [DIL]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10734 Ball grid array [BGA]; Bump grid array
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A printed circuit board apparatus, configurations and methods are presented which provide for close spacing between the HUB and multiple processors as well as a common configuration for two or four processor boards. A printed circuit board is provided with conductive apertures and portions corresponding to an efficient Packaging allowing for the attachment of the processor-chip on one side of the printed circuit board, and the HUB and other supporting electronic components on the other side of the printed circuit board. This configuration allows for the close spacing of the electrical conductors of the HUB and the processors without the limitations imposed by the physical dimensions of the respective hardware. Additionally, a symmetric packaging of the conductive apertures and portions about a centerline of the printed circuit board allows for a simple design modification to allow for a two two-processor board to be manufactured from a similarly configured four-processor board.

Claims

1. A printed circuit board comprising:

a processor board including an upper surface and a lower surface;

a HUB-chip conductive portion on the upper surface of the processor board; and

a first processor-chip conductive portion on the lower surface of the processor board, the first processor-chip conductive portion being electrically coupled to the HUB-chip conductive portion, a second processor-chip conductive portion on the lower surface of the processor board, wherein the second processor-chip conductive portion is at least partially positioned opposite to the HUB-chip conductive portion to minimize the distance between the HUB-chip conductive portion and the second processor-chip conductive portion;

wherein the first processor-chip conductive portion and the second processor-chip conductive portion are symmetrically positioned relative to the HUB-chip conductive portion.

2. The printed circuit board of claim 1 further comprising:

a HUB coupled to the HUB-chip conductive portion; and

a processor coupled to the first processor-chip conductive portion.

3. The printed curcuit board of claim 1 wherein the first processor-chip conductive portion is positioned on the lower surface of the processor board such that the first processor-chip conductive portion is least partially positioned opposite to the HUB-chip conductive portion to minimize the distance between the HUB-chip conductive portion and the first processor-chip conductive portion.

4. The printed circuit board of claim 3 further comprising a resistor conductive portion mounted on the upper surface of the processor board, the resistor conductive portion being electrically coupled to the first processor-chip conductive portion.

5. The printed circuit board of claim 4 further comprising a resistor mounted to the resistor conductive portion.

6. The printed circuit board of claim 4 wherein the resistor conductive portion is positioned on the upper surface of the processor board such that the resistor conductive portion is adjacent to the HUB-chip conductive portion.

7. The printed circuit board of claim 6 wherein the resistor conductive portion is positioned on the upper surface of the processor board such that the resistor conductive portion is least partially positioned opposite to the first processor-chip conductive portion to minimize the distance between the resistor conductive portion and the first processor-chip conductive portion.

8. A printed circuit board comprising:

a processor board including a left side and a right side;

a first HUB-chip conductive portion on the left side of the processor board;

a second HUB-chip conductive portion on the right side of the processor board; and

a first processor-chip conductive portion on the left side of the processor board, the first processor-chip conductive portion being electrically coupled to the first HUB-chip conductive portion;

a second processor-chip conductive portion on the right side of the processor board, the first processor-chip conductive portion being electrically coupled to the second HUB-chip conductive portion, wherein the first and second processor-chip conductive portions are positioned on a lower surface of the processor board, and the first and second HUB-conductive portions are positioned on an upper surface of the processor board.

9. The printed circuit board of claim 8 further comprising:

a first HUB coupled to the first HUB-chip conductive portion; and

a second HUB coupled to the second HUB-chip conductive portion.

10. The printed circuit board of claim 9 further comprising:

a first processor coupled to the first processor-chip conductive portion; and

a second processor coupled to the second processor-chip conductive portion.

11. The printed circuit board of claim 8 wherein the first HUB-conductive is electrically coupled to the second HUB-conductive portion.

12. The printed circuit board of claim 8 wherein the first HUB-chip conductive portion is electrically isolated from the second HUB-conductive portion.

13. The printed circuit board of claim 8 wherein the first HUB-chip conductive portion and the first processor-chip conductive portion are positioned on the left side of the processor board and the second HUB-conductive portion and the second processor-chip conductive portion are positioned on the right side of the processor board such that the left side of the processor board is symmetric with the right side of the processor board.

14. The printed circuit board of claim 8 further comprising:

a first resistor conductive portion mounted on the left side of the processor board, the first resistor conductive portion being electrically coupled to the first processor-chip conductive portion; and

a second resistor conductive portion mounted on the right side of the processor board, the second resistor conductive portion being electrically coupled to the second processor-chip conductive portion.

15. The printed circuit board of claim 14 further comprising:

a first resistor mounted to the first resistor conductive portion; and

a second resistor mounted to the second resistor conductive portion.

16. The printed circuit board of claim 15 wherein the first and second processor-chip conductive portions are positioned on a lower surface of the processor board, and the first and second HUB-conductive portions and first and second resistor conductive portions are positioned on an upper surface of the processor board.

17. A method of fabricating circuit boards comprising:

forming a first HUB-chip conductive portion and a first processor-chip conductive portion on a left side of a processor board;

forming a second HUB-chip conductive portion and a second processor-chip conductive portion on a right side of a processor board; and

separating the left side of the processor board from the right side of the processor board to form a pair of circuit boards, wherein the first HUB-chip conductive portion and the first processor-chip conductive portion are formed on the left side of the processor board and the second HUB-chip conductive portion and the second processor-chip conductive portion are formed on the right side of the processor board such that the left side of the processor board is symmetric to the right side of the processor board thereby forming a pair of identical circuit boards when the left side of the processor board is separated from the right side of the processor board.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

coupling a first HUB the first HUB-chip conductive portion;

coupling a second HUB the second HUB-chip conductive portion;

coupling a first processor the first processor-chip conductive portion; and

coupling a second processor the second processor-chip conductive portion.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the first HUB-chip conductive portion is electrically coupled to the first processor-chip conductive portion as the first HUB-chip conductive portion and the first processor-chip conductive portion are formed on the left side of the processor board.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the second HUB-chip conductive portion is electrically coupled to the second processor-chip conductive portion as the second HUB-chip conductive portion and the second processor-chip conductive portion are formed on the right side of the processor board.