Additive ELX and mech interfaces for adapting to COTS plug-and-play variance

• US 9,678,545 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2014
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Woida-O'Brien, Rigel
• Primary Examiner(s): Semenenko, Yuriy
• Application Number:
  US14/464,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20160056555A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• Field of Search: 361788, 361761, 361760, 361792
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/183 Internal mounting support structures, e.g. for printed circuit boards, internal connecting means for buses G06F13/409

Abstract

Product-to-product variation, routing conflicts and undocumented product design changes in commercial off-the-shelf components are accommodated using additive manufacturing to modify interfaces for such components on a pre-fabricated component connection and interface structure. Radio frequency waveguides, printed circuit structures and additive twisted pair technology allow adaptive re-routing or shielding of signal lines on the design of the interface structure. Connectors and signal routing for power, radio frequency signals, and data signals may be adapted to enable interoperability of the off-the-shelf components.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a pre-fabricated component connection and interface structure having;

a substrate,

a first region on the substrate for at least one connector that is configured to connect the structure with a commercial, off-the-shelf component, and

a second region on the substrate for at least one signal line that is configured to carry a signal received at or transmitted from the at least one connector; and

one or more additional structures comprising a material suitable for use in additive manufacturing and formed on at least one of;

a portion of the at least one connector when the portion of the at least one connector is disposed on the first region, and

a portion of the at least one signal line when the portion of the at least one signal line is disposed on the second region;

wherein the one or more additional structures are formed by additive manufacturing to modify the apparatus to include at least one of;

the at least one connector and the at least one signal line.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pre-fabricated component connection and interface structure comprises the portion of the at least one signal line, wherein the one or more additional structures comprise another portion of the at least one signal line, and wherein a structure of the at least one signal line improves reliability of data transfer over the at least one signal line.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein at least part of the at least one signal line is shielded.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one or more additional structures comprise another portion of the at least one signal line, and wherein a structure of the at least one signal line improves reliability of data transfer over the at least one signal line.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pre-fabricated component connection and interface structure comprises the portion of the at least one connector, wherein the one or more additional structures comprise another portion of the at least one connector, and wherein a structure of the at least one connector reduces interference between signals transmitted over the at least one connector.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one or more additional structures comprise another portion of the at least one connector, and wherein a structure of the at least one connector reduces interference between signals transmitted over the at least one connector.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pre-fabricated component connection and interface structure includes the portion of the at least one connector, wherein the one or more additional structures form a remainder of the at least one connector, and wherein the portion of the at least one connector includes a partial connector structure onto which the remainder is formed.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pre-fabricated component connection and interface structure includes the portion of the at least one signal line, wherein the one or more additional structures form a remainder of the at least one signal line, and wherein the portion of the at least one signal line includes a partial signal line structure onto which the remainder is formed.

9. A system comprising:

a commercial, off-the-shelf component; and

an apparatus comprising;

a pre-fabricated component connection and interface structure having;

a substrate,

a first region on the substrate for at least one connector that is configured to connect the structure with the commercial, off-the-shelf component, and

a second region on the substrate for at least one signal line that is configured to carry a signal received at or transmitted from the at least one connector; and

one or more additional structures comprising a material suitable for use in additive manufacturing and formed on at least one of;

a portion of the at least one connector when the portion of the at least one connector is disposed on the first region, and

a portion of the at least one signal line when the portion of the at least one signal line is disposed on the second region;

wherein the one or more additional structures are formed by additive manufacturing to modify the apparatus to include at least one of;

the at least one connector and the at least one signal line.

10. The system according to claim 9, further comprising:

a sandwich frame configured to hold the commercial, off-the-shelf component in stacked relation to the component connection and interface structure with at least one connector on the commercial, off-the-shelf component mated to the at least one connector on the apparatus.

11. A method, comprising:

providing a pre-fabricated component connection and interface structure having;

a substrate,

a first region on the substrate for at least one connector that is configured to connect the structure with a commercial, off-the-shelf component, and

a second region on the substrate for at least one signal line that is configured to carry a signal received at or transmitted from the at least one connector; and

forming, by additive manufacturing, one or more additional structures on at least one of;

a portion of the at least one connector when the portion of the at least one connector is disposed on the first region, and

a portion of the at least one signal line when the portion of the at least one signal line is disposed on the second region,

wherein the one or more additional structures comprise a material suitable for use in additive manufacturing, and

wherein the one or more additional structures are formed by additive manufacturing to modify an apparatus to include at least one of;

the at least one connector and the at least one signal line.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the pre-fabricated component connection and interface structure comprises the portion of the at least one signal line, wherein the one or more additional structures comprise another portion of the at least one signal line, and wherein a structure of the at least one signal line improves reliability of data transfer over the at least one signal line.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein at least part of the at least one signal line is shielded.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the one or more additional structures comprise another portion of the at least one signal line, and wherein a structure of the at least one signal line improves reliability of data transfer over the at least one signal line.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the pre-fabricated component connection and interface structure comprises the portion of the at least one connector, wherein the one or more additional structures comprise another portion of the at least one connector, and wherein a structure of the at least one connector reduces interference between signals transmitted over the at least one connector.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the one or more additional structures comprise another portion of the at least one connector, and wherein a structure of the at least one connector reduces interference between signals transmitted over the at least one connector.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the pre-fabricated component connection and interface structure includes the portion of the at least one connector, wherein the one or more additional structures form a remainder of the at least one connector, and wherein the portion of the at least one connector includes a partial connector structure onto which the remainder is formed.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein the pre-fabricated component connection and interface structure includes the portion of the at least one signal line, wherein the one or more additional structures form a remainder of the at least one signal line, and wherein the portion of the at least one signal line includes a partial signal line structure onto which the remainder is formed.

19. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

connecting the at least one connector to the commercial, off-the-shelf component.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

providing a sandwich frame holding the commercial, off-the-shelf component in stacked relation to the component connection and interface structure with at least one connector on the commercial, off-the-shelf component mated to the at least one connector on the apparatus.