Flash module

• US 9,603,280 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2014
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Frank, Christopher, Olesiewicz, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): ZARROLI, MICHAEL C
• Application Number:
  US14/530,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20150351277A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/183 Internal mounting support structures, e.g. for printed circuit boards, internal connecting means for buses G06F13/409
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 14/0018 whereby the nonvolatile element is an EEPROM element, e.g. a floating gate or metal-nitride-oxide-silicon [MNOS] transistor
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/04 Supports for storage elements , e.g. memory modules; Mounting or fixing of storage elements on such supports
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/14 Power supply arrangements , e.g. power down, chip selection or deselection, layout of wirings or power grids, or multiple supply levels
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0208 Interlock mechanisms; Means for avoiding unauthorised use or function, e.g. tamperproof
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0221 Locks; Latches
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/023 Handles; Grips
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/03 Covers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1402 for securing or extracting printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1489 characterized by the mounting of blades therein, e.g. brackets, rails, trays H05K7/1491 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1492 having electrical distribution arrangements, e.g. power supply or data communications
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20154 Heat dissipaters coupled to components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20436 Inner thermal coupling elements in heat dissipating housings, e.g. protrusions or depressions integrally formed in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0007 Casings standardised racks H05K9/0062
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0049 being metallic containers

Abstract

A flash module includes a top cover and a bottom cover, a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising memory, solid state storage, a storage controller configured to manage the memory and the solid state storage, and at least one integrated connector, and a capacitor, in which the capacitor is configured to power at least the storage controller when the flash module is disconnected from an external power source.

Claims

1. A flash module, comprising:

a top cover and a bottom cover;

a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising memory, solid state storage, a storage controller configured to manage the memory and the solid state storage, and at least one integrated connector; and

a capacitor, wherein the capacitor is configured to power at least the storage controller when the flash module is disconnected from an external power source;

wherein the solid state storage comprises a plurality of solid state storage chips, wherein a first portion of the plurality of solid state storage chips are mounted on a top surface of the PCB and a second portion of the plurality of solid state storage chips are mounted on a bottom surface of the PCB, and wherein the memory comprises a plurality of memory chips, wherein a first portion of the plurality of memory chips are mounted on the top surface of the PCB and a second portion of the plurality of memory chips are mounted on the bottom surface of the PCB.

2. The flash module of claim 1, further comprising:

a latch assembly, comprising;

a housing having an opening and an inner cavity formed therein;

a pull member having a first end and a second end, wherein the second end of the pull member is disposed within the housing;

a reversing link having a first end and a second end disposed within the housing, wherein the first end of the reversing link is pivotally coupled to the second end of the pull member and a portion of the reversing link is pivotally coupled to the housing; and

a latch member movable between a latched position and an unlatched position, the latch member having a first end and a second end disposed within the housing, wherein the latch member is pivotally coupled to the housing and the second end of the reversing link is configured to engage the first end of the latch member.

3. The flash module of claim 1, wherein the top cover and bottom cover are connected to each other without using any external fasteners.

4. The flash module of claim 1, wherein the at least one integrated connector is a PCIe connector, and wherein at least a portion of the PCIe connector is not covered by the top cover and at least the portion of the PCIe connector is not covered by the bottom cover.

5. The flash module of claim 1, wherein the top cover and the bottom cover act as heat sinks for the flash module and wherein the top cover and the bottom cover provide electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding for the flash module.

6. The flash module of claim 1, further comprising:

a hot-swap module,

wherein the hot-swap module is configured to electrically isolate the flash module when the flash module is disconnected from the external power source such that power discharged from the capacitor is only used to power the flash module.

7. The flash module of claim 1, wherein the capacitor has sufficient charge to enable all data stored in the memory to be stored in the solid state storage after the flash module is disconnected from the external power source.

8. The flash module of claim 1, wherein the memory comprises Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DRAM), and wherein the solid state storage comprises NAND flash.

9. A flash module, comprising:

a top cover and a bottom cover;

a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising memory, solid state storage, a storage controller configured to manage the memory and the solid state storage, and at least one integrated connector;

a capacitor, wherein the capacitor is configured to power at least the storage controller when the flash module is disconnected from an external power source;

a first thermal interface layer interposed between the PCB and the top cover;

a second thermal interface layer interposed between the PCB and the bottom cover; and

a heat spreader,

wherein the storage controller is mounted on a bottom surface of the PCB,

wherein the heat spreader is positioned between the second thermal interface layer and the bottom cover.

10. The flash module of claim 9, further comprising:

a latch assembly, comprising;

a housing having an opening and an inner cavity formed therein;

a pull member having a first end and a second end, wherein the second end of the pull member is disposed within the housing;

a reversing link having a first end and a second end disposed within the housing, wherein the first end of the reversing link is pivotally coupled to the second end of the pull member and a portion of the reversing link is pivotally coupled to the housing; and

a latch member movable between a latched position and an unlatched position, the latch member having a first end and a second end disposed within the housing, wherein the latch member is pivotally coupled to the housing and the second end of the reversing link is configured to engage the first end of the latch member.

11. The flash module of claim 9, wherein the top cover and bottom cover are connected to each other without using any external fasteners.

12. The flash module of claim 9, wherein the at least one integrated connector is a PCIe connector, and wherein at least a portion of the PCIe connector is not covered by the top cover and at least the portion of the PCIe connector is not covered by the bottom cover.

13. The flash module of claim 9, wherein the top cover and the bottom cover act as heat sinks for the flash module and wherein the top cover and the bottom cover provide electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding for the flash module.

14. The flash module of claim 9, further comprising:

a hot-swap module,

wherein the hot-swap module is configured to electrically isolate the flash module when the flash module is disconnected from the external power source such that power discharged from the capacitor is only used to power the flash module.

15. The flash module of claim 9, wherein the capacitor has sufficient charge to enable all data stored in the memory to be stored in the solid state storage after the flash module is disconnected from the external power source.

16. The flash module of claim 9, wherein the memory comprises Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DRAM), and wherein the solid state storage comprises NAND flash.

17. A flash module, comprising:

a top cover and a bottom cover;

a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising memory, solid state storage, a storage controller configured to manage the memory and the solid state storage, and at least one integrated connector;

a capacitor, wherein the capacitor is configured to power at least the storage controller when the flash module is disconnected from an external power source;

a first thermal interface layer interposed between the PCB and the top cover;

a second thermal interface layer interposed between the PCB and the bottom cover; and

a heat spreader,

wherein the storage controller is mounted on a rear portion of a bottom surface of the PCB,

wherein the heat spreader is positioned within a cavity in a rear portion of the bottom cover.

18. The flash module of claim 17, further comprising:

a latch assembly, comprising;

a housing having an opening and an inner cavity formed therein;

a pull member having a first end and a second end, wherein the second end of the pull member is disposed within the housing;

a reversing link having a first end and a second end disposed within the housing, wherein the first end of the reversing link is pivotally coupled to the second end of the pull member and a portion of the reversing link is pivotally coupled to the housing; and

a latch member movable between a latched position and an unlatched position, the latch member having a first end and a second end disposed within the housing, wherein the latch member is pivotally coupled to the housing and the second end of the reversing link is configured to engage the first end of the latch member.

19. The flash module of claim 17, wherein the at least one integrated connector is a PCIe connector, and wherein at least a portion of the PCIe connector is not covered by the top cover and at least the portion of the PCIe connector is not covered by the bottom cover.

20. The flash module of claim 17, further comprising:

a hot-swap module,

wherein the hot-swap module is configured to electrically isolate the flash module when the flash module is disconnected from the external power source such that power discharged from the capacitor is only used to power the flash module.