Cable assembly

• US 9,377,585 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2015
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Enterprise Solutions (Singapore) Pte., Ltd. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Baker, Anthony E.
• Primary Examiner(s): PAK, SUNG H
• Application Number:
  US14/740,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20150277051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 378 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/26 Optical coupling means G02B6/36, G02B6/42 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/06 for computer periphery
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/005 Intermediate parts for distributing signals

Abstract

A cable assembly can include a single C form-factor pluggable (CFP) connector adhering to a CFP multi-source agreement (MSA), and providing a maximum bandwidth of between 100 and 120 gigabits-per-second (Gbps) over ten-to-twelve lanes. The cable assembly can include, for instance, one, two, or three quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP/QSFP+) connectors adhering to a QSFP/QSFP+ MSA, and each providing a maximum bandwidth of forty Gbps over four lanes. The cable assembly can include one or more cables equal in number to the QSFP/QSFP+ connectors and each connecting the single CFP connector to the one of the QSFP/QSFP+ connectors. The four lanes over which each QSFP/QSFP+ connector provides the maximum bandwidth of forty Gbps corresponds to a different four of the ten-to-twelve lanes over which the single CFP connector provides the maximum bandwidth of between 100 and 120 Gbps.

Claims

1. A cable assembly comprising:

a first connector adhering to a first standard and providing a first total maximum bandwidth;

one or more second connectors adhering to a second standard different than the first standard, each second connector providing a second total maximum bandwidth, a number of the second connectors multiplied by the second total maximum bandwidth being no greater than the first total maximum bandwidth; and

one or more cables, each cable connecting the first connector to a different one of the second connectors, a number of the cables equal in number to the second connectors,

wherein one or more of;

the first connector is a C form-factor pluggable (CFP) connector; and

each second connector is a quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP/QSFP+) connector.

2. The cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the number of the second connectors is equal to one.

3. The cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the number of the second connectors is equal to two.

4. The cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the number of the second connectors is equal to three.

5. The cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the first total maximum bandwidth is divided over a plurality of first lanes, each first lane having a first maximum bandwidth, a number of the first lanes multiplied by the first maximum bandwidth being equal to the first total maximum bandwidth,

and wherein the second total maximum bandwidth is divided over a plurality of second lanes, each second lane having a second maximum bandwidth, a number of the second lanes multiplied by the second maximum bandwidth being equal to the second total maximum bandwidth.

6. The cable assembly of claim 5, wherein each of the first maximum bandwidth and the second maximum bandwidth is ten gigabits-per-second (Gbps).

7. The cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the first standard is a CFP multi-source agreement (MSA).

8. The cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the second standard is a QSFP/QSFP+ multi-source agreement (MSA).

9. The cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the cables are passive cables.

10. The cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the cables are active cables.

11. A cable assembly comprising:

a single C form-factor pluggable (CFP) connector providing a maximum bandwidth of between 100 and 120 gigabits-per-second (Gbps) over ten-to-twelve lanes;

a single quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP/QSFP+) connector providing a maximum bandwidth of forty Gbps over four lanes; and

a single cable connecting the single CFP connector to the single QSFP/QSFP+ connector,

wherein the four lanes over which the single QSFP/QSFP+ connector provides the maximum bandwidth of forty Gbps corresponds to four of the ten-to-twelve lanes over which the single CFP connector provides the maximum bandwidth of between 100 and 120 Gbps, such that six-to-eight of the ten-to-twelve lanes have to remain unused within the cable assembly.

12. The cable assembly of claim 11, wherein one of:

the single cable is a passive cable;

the single cable is an active cables.

13. A cable assembly comprising:

a single C form-factor pluggable (CFP) connector providing a maximum bandwidth of between 100 and 120 gigabits-per-second (Gbps) over ten-to-twelve lanes;

a pair of quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP/QSFP+) connectors each QSFP/QSFP+ connector providing a maximum bandwidth of forty Gbps over four lanes; and

a pair of cables, each cable connecting the single CFP connector to one of the pair of QSFP/QSFP+ connectors,

wherein the four lanes over which each QSFP/QSFP+ connector provides the maximum bandwidth of forty Gbps corresponds to a different four of the ten-to-twelve lanes over which the single CFP connector provides the maximum bandwidth of between 100 and 120 Gbps, such that two-to-four of the ten-to-twelve lanes have to remain unused within the cable assembly.

14. The cable assembly of claim 13, wherein one of:

the pair of cables are passive cables;

the pair of cables are active cables.