Interposer device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10483673-B2
Application number	US-201515543193-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2015
Priority date	Jan 28, 2015
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

An interposer for connecting a module to an M.2 socket includes a different form factor connector. The interposer includes an M.2 connector to couple the interposer to the M.2 socket. The M.2 connector is formed to mate with the M.2 socket. The interposer includes a different form factor socket to couple the interposer to the module including the different form factor connector. The different form factor socket is formed to mate with the different form factor connector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An interposer for connecting a module to an M.2 printed circuit board (PCB) socket comprising:
an M.2 connector to couple the interposer to the M.2 PCB socket, the M.2 connector formed to mate with the M.2 PCB socket and associated with a first M.2 keying; and
an interposer socket to couple the interposer to the module, the interposer socket associated with a different keying relative to the M.2 PCB socket, the module comprising a module connector to mate with the interposer socket,
wherein the interposer is dimensioned such that the length of the interposer plus the length of the module is equal to a distance between the M.2 PCB socket and a mounting hole defined in PCB to which the M.2 PCB socket is coupled.

2. The interposer of claim 1 , wherein the interposer socket and module connector comprise a differently-keyed M.2 socket and a differently-keyed M.2 connector relative to the M.2 connector and M.2 PCB socket.

3. The interposer of claim 1 , wherein the interposer is the PCB comprising a number of traces between the M.2 connector and the interposer socket that are arranged such that a number of pins associated with the M.2 connector are reassigned to corresponding pins in the interposer socket.

4. The interposer of claim 1 , wherein the interposer is a flexible cable comprising a number of traces between the M.2 connector and the interposer socket that are arranged such that a number of pins associated with the M.2 connector are reassigned to corresponding pins in the interposer socket.

5. The interposer of claim 1 , further comprising an auxiliary cable coupled between the PCB to which the interposer is coupled and the interposer, the auxiliary cable to support a number of interfaces not supported by the M.2 PCB socket.

6. A system for connecting a computing device to a module comprising:
an M.2 printed circuit board (PCB) socket coupled to a PCB of the computing device;
an interposer comprising:
an M.2 connector comprising a number of notches and pins assigned based on a first M.2 keying layout and formed to mate with the M.2 PCB socket; and
an M.2 interposer socket to couple the interposer to a module connector coupled to the module, the M.2 interposer socket to receive a connector with a number of notches and pins assigned based on a different M.2 keying layout relative to the M.2 PCB socket, the M.2 interposer socket formed to mate with the module connector,
wherein the interposer is dimensioned such that the length of the interposer plus the length of the module is equal to a standardized length; and

a mounting hole to affix the interposer to the PCB of the computing device.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the PCB is any printed circuit board that accommodates an M.2 socket including a motherboard, an add-in card, a mezzanine card, or a riser card.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the second socket and second connector comprise a differently-keyed M.2 socket and a differently-keyed M.2 connector relative to the M.2 connector and M.2 socket.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the interposer is a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a number of traces between the M.2 connector and the M.2 interposer socket that are arranged such that a number of pins associated with the M.2 connector are reassigned to corresponding pins in the M.2 interposer socket to enable the module to send and receive data as required to provide intended functionality to the computer module.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the interposer is a flexible cable comprising a number of traces between the M.2 connector and the M.2 interposer socket that are arranged such that a number of pins associated with the M.2 connector are reassigned to corresponding pins in the M.2 interposer socket to enable the module to send and receive data as required to provide intended functionality to the computer module.

11. The system of claim 6 , further comprising a rigid auxiliary connector coupled between the PCB and the interposer, the rigid auxiliary connector to support a number of interfaces not supported by the M.2 PCB socket but required by the M.2 interposer socket.

12. An interposer for connecting an M.2 socket to a module comprising a differently-keyed M.2 connector comprising:
an M.2 connector to couple the interposer to the M.2 socket, the M.2 connector formed to mate with the M.2 socket;
a differently-keyed M.2 socket differently keyed relative to the M.2 socket to couple the interposer to the module comprising the differently-keyed M.2 connector, the differently-keyed M.2 socket formed to mate with the differently-keyed M.2 connector; and
an auxiliary cable coupled between a printed circuit board (PBC) of the computing device and the interposer, the auxiliary cable supporting a number of interfaces not supported by the M.2 socket but required by the differently-keyed M.2 socket and its associated module.

13. The interposer of claim 12 , wherein the interposer is a flexible cable comprising a number of traces between the M.2 connector and the differently-keyed M.2 socket that are arranged such that a number of pins associated with the M.2 connector are reassigned to corresponding pins in the differently-keyed M.2 socket to enable the module to send and receive data as required to provide intended functionality to the computer module.

14. The interposer of claim 1 , wherein the interposer is dimensioned such that the length of the interposer plus the length of the module is equal to a standardized length.

15. The interposer of claim 1 , wherein the PCB is a printed circuit board that accommodates an M.2 socket including a motherboard, an add-in card, a mezzanine card, or a riser card.

16. The interposer of claim 1 , comprising a rigid auxiliary connector coupled between the PCB and the interposer.

17. The interposer of claim 16 , wherein the rigid auxiliary connector is fabricated into the interposer.

18. The system of claim 6 , wherein the interposer is dimensioned such that the length of the interposer plus the length of the module is equal to a distance between the M.2 PCB socket and a mounting hole defined in the PCB to which the M.2 PCB socket is coupled.

19. The system of claim 6 , comprising a rigid auxiliary connector coupled between the PCB and the interposer.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the rigid auxiliary connector is fabricated into the interposer.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Alcorn Byron A
• Ward Shane
• Seiler Peter Andrew

Classifications

• H05K7/142

  Spacers not being card guides · CPC title

• H05K2201/10325

  Sockets, i.e. female type connectors comprising metallic connector elements integrated in, or bonded to a common dielectric support · CPC title

• H05K2201/2036

  Permanent spacer or stand-off in a printed circuit or printed circuit assembly · CPC title

• H05K2201/042

  Stacked spaced PCBs; Planar parts of folded flexible circuits having mounted components in between or spaced from each other · CPC title

• H01R12/79

  connecting to rigid printed circuits or like structures · CPC title