Adaptable graphics board with a reconfigurable I/O module board for use in information handling systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10649505-B2
Application number	US-201815950817-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2018
Priority date	Apr 11, 2018
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

A system and method of implementing an adaptable graphics board comprising the adaptable graphics board including a graphics processor, graphics memory, and a reconfigurable I/O module interface are having a plurality of electrical contacts, a dual compression connector having a first array of compressible electrical spring contacts on a first side and a second array of compressible electrical spring contacts on a second side operatively coupled to the first side via a dual compression connector printed circuit board layer, the first side of the dual compression connector operatively coupled to the reconfigurable I/O module interface of the adaptable graphics board, and a reconfigurable I/O module board having external display data ports disposed along an edge, wherein the reconfigurable I/O module board is operatively coupled to the adaptable graphics board via the second side of the dual compression connector. The dual compression connector is oriented between the adaptable graphics board and the reconfigurable I/O module board in a first orientation selected from a plurality of available orientations to provide I/O connectivity between the graphics processor and the external display data ports aligned along a first edge of the adaptable graphics board.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An adaptable graphics board comprising:
the adaptable graphics board including a graphics processor, graphics memory, and a reconfigurable I/O module interface are having a plurality of electrical contacts;
a dual compression connector having a first array of compressible electrical spring contacts on a first side and a second array of compressible electrical spring contacts on a second side operatively coupled to the first side via a dual compression connector printed circuit board layer;
the first side of the dual compression connector operatively coupled to the reconfigurable I/O module interface of the adaptable graphics board;
a reconfigurable I/O module board having external display data ports disposed along an edge, wherein the reconfigurable I/O module board is operatively coupled to the adaptable graphics board via the second side of the dual compression connector;
the dual compression connector oriented between the adaptable graphics board and the reconfigurable I/O module board in a first orientation selected from a plurality of available orientations to provide I/O connectivity between the graphics processor and the external display data ports aligned along a first edge of the adaptable graphics board; and
a flexible compression jumper connector having a first compression jumper pad, a second compression jumper pad, and a flexible jumper trace array cable between the first compression jumper pad and the second compression jumper pad for operatively coupling the adaptable graphics board to a motherboard via compression electrical contacts of the flexible compression jumper connector to provide lanes of data communication for the graphics processor.

2. The adaptable graphics board of claim 1 wherein the reconfigurable I/O module board external display data ports interface with a chassis side for mounting external display data ports along a first edge of the adaptable graphics board according to a first model specification of an information handling system.

3. The adaptable graphics board of claim 1 wherein the dual compression connector printed circuit board layer may operatively couple a first subset of compressible electrical spring contacts on the first side to a second subset of compressible electrical springs on the second side to operatively couple to external display data ports of the reconfigurable I/O module board to the adaptable graphics board in the first orientation.

4. The adaptable graphics board of claim 1 , further comprising:
the dual compression connector oriented between the adaptable graphics board and the reconfigurable I/O module board in a second orientation selected from the plurality of available orientations to provide I/O connectivity between the graphics processor and the external display data ports aligned along a second edge of the adaptable graphics board.

5. The adaptable graphics board of claim 4 wherein the second orientation of the dual compression connector is rotated relative to the first orientation to engage a new subset of compressible electrical spring contacts with the reconfigurable I/O module interface and the reconfigurable I/O module board is rotated to align at least one external display data port along the second edge of the adaptable graphics board and operatively couple the at least one external display data port to the new subset of compressible electrical spring contacts.

6. The adaptable graphics board of claim 4 wherein the reconfigurable I/O module board external display data ports interface with a chassis side for mounting external display data ports according to a second model specification of an information handling system.

7. The adaptable graphics board of claim 1 wherein the adaptable graphics board further comprises a graphics processor pin break out, data routing between the graphics processor and graphics memory, and power planes supplying the graphics processor and graphics memory that may be used with the plurality of orientations of the dual compression connector and reconfigurable I/O module board.

8. The adaptable graphics board of claim 1 , further comprising:
a compression screw disposed through the reconfigurable I/O module board and dual compression connector to a compression screw receiver mounted on, in, or behind the adaptable graphics board to compress the first array of compressible electrical spring contacts on the first side and a second array of compressible electrical spring contacts on second side of the dual compression connector to operatively couple the reconfigurable I/O module board to the adaptable graphics board.

9. An information handling system comprising:
a chassis supporting a motherboard having a processor and an adaptable graphics board including a graphics processor, graphics memory, and a reconfigurable I/O module interface, wherein the motherboard and the adaptable graphics board are adjacently aligned;
a dual compression connector having a first array of compressible electrical spring contacts on a first side and a second array of compressible electrical spring contacts on a second side;
the first side of the dual compression connector operatively coupled to the reconfigurable I/O module interface of the adaptable graphics board;
a reconfigurable I/O module board having external display data ports, the reconfigurable I/O module board operatively coupled to the adaptable graphics board via the second side of the dual compression connector, wherein the external display data ports of the reconfigurable I/O module board are configured to interface with an information handling system chassis of a first model specification in a first orientation selected from a plurality of orientations of the reconfigurable I/O module board; and
a flexible compression jumper connector having a first compression jumper pad, a second compression jumper pad, and a flexible jumper trace array cable between the first compression jumper pad and the second compression jumper pad to operatively couple the adaptable graphics board and the adjacent motherboard via compression electrical contacts of the flexible compression jumper connector to provide lanes of data communication between the processor and the graphics processor.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a first clamping mechanism to compress the reconfigurable I/O module board to the adaptable graphics board via the dual compression connector.

11. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a second clamping mechanism to compress the first compression jumper pad of the flexible compression jumper to the adaptable graphics board; and
a third clamping mechanism to compress the second compression jumper pad of the flexible compression jumper to the motherboard.

12. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
the dual compression connector having a printed circuit board layer to operatively couple a first subset of the first array of compressible electrical spring contacts on the first side to a first subset of the second array of compressible electrical springs on the second side to operatively couple to external display data ports of the reconfigurable I/O module board to the adaptable graphics board in the first orientation.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising:
the printed circuit board layer of the dual compression connector to operatively couple a second subset of the first array of compressible electrical spring contacts on the first side to a second subset of the second array of compressible electrical springs on the second side in a second orientation selected from the plurality of orientations of the reconfigurable I/O module board; and
the reconfigurab

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Schnell Arnold Thomas
• Guerra Ivan
• Habib Ahsan

Classifications

• G06F1/203 Primary

  for portable computers, e.g. for laptops · CPC title

• G06F1/185 Primary

  Mounting of expansion boards · CPC title

• G06F1/1633

  Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626 · CPC title

• G06T1/20

  Processor architectures; Processor configuration, e.g. pipelining · CPC title