Electronic equipment that provides multi-function slots

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11596073-B2
Application number	US-202117237202-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2021
Priority date	Apr 22, 2021
Publication date	Feb 28, 2023
Grant date	Feb 28, 2023

Abstract

An electronic equipment assembly has an interconnect including columns of signal conductors, connectors mounted to the columns of signal conductors, and a chassis coupled with the interconnect. The chassis provides slots that guide resource devices into engagement with the connectors mounted to the columns of signal conductors to enable the interconnect to electronically access the resource devices. At least one column of the columns of signal conductors of the interconnect is a multi-function column. Each multi-function column is constructed and arranged to electronically access different types of resource devices through a respective connector mounted to that multi-function column.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Electronic equipment assembly, comprising:
an interconnect including columns of signal conductors;
connectors mounted to the columns of signal conductors;
a chassis coupled with the interconnect, the chassis providing slots that guide resource devices into engagement with the connectors mounted to the columns of signal conductors to enable the interconnect to electronically access the resource devices, at least one column of the columns of signal conductors of the interconnect being a multi-function column, each multi-function column being constructed and arranged to electronically access different types of resource devices through a respective connector mounted to that multi-function column; and
a set of paddle cards, each paddle card having a first edge to connect with a resource device and a second edge to connect with a connector mounted to a multi-function column of the interconnect;
wherein the first edge of each paddle card provides a first connection form factor that complies with the Open Compute Project (OCP) 3.0 Specification; and
wherein the second edge of each paddle card provides a second connection form factor that complies with the Enterprise and Data Center Solid State Device Form Factor (EDSFF) E3 Specification.

2. Electronic equipment assembly as in claim 1 wherein the slots provided by the chassis extend from an interior location to a front opening provided by the chassis;
wherein the interconnect is disposed at the interior location; and
wherein at least some of the resource devices are constructed and arranged to slide within the slots to engage the connectors mounted to the columns of signal conductors of the interconnect.

3. Electronic equipment assembly as in claim 2 wherein the interconnect is a midplane having a front side facing the front opening provided by the chassis and a rear side facing a rear opening provided by the chassis; and
wherein the chassis is constructed and arranged to guide other devices into engagement with other connectors mounted to the front side of the midplane.

4. Electronic equipment assembly as in claim 1 wherein the columns of signal conductors of the interconnect are arranged in a row; and
wherein the columns of signal conductors includes a first multi-function column adjacent a first end of the row, and a second multi-function column adjacent a second end of the row that is opposite the first end of the row.

5. Electronic equipment assembly as in claim 4 wherein the columns of signal conductors further includes single-function columns residing between the first multi-function column and the second multi-function column; and
wherein each multi-function column is constructed and arranged to electronically access a single type of resource devices through a respective connector mounted to that single-function column.

6. Electronic equipment assembly as in claim 1 wherein each multi-function column is constructed and arranged to provide dual-host access to a resource device when that resource device engages a respective connector mounted to the that multi-function column.

7. Electronic equipment assembly as in claim 6 wherein the different types of resource devices includes:
a data storage type of resource device, as a first type of resource device, the data storage type of resource device including a first physical port to provide a first storage controller with access to storage space and a second physical port to provide a second storage controller with access to the storage space, and
a data processing type of resource device, as a second type of resource device, the data processing type of resource device including a first physical port through which to process data for the first storage controller and a second physical port through which to process data for the second storage controller.

8. Electronic equipment assembly as in claim 1 wherein the different types of resource devices includes:
a non-volatile memory type of resource device, as a first type of resource device, the non-volatile memory type of resource device being constructed and arranged to store data in a non-volatile memory space,
a mirroring type of resource device, as a second type of resource device, the mirroring type of resource device being constructed and arranged to coordinate data mirroring operations between storage controllers, and
a compression type of resource device, as a third type of resource device, the compression type of resource device being constructed and arranged to perform data compression operations,
the non-volatile memory type of resource device, the mirroring type of resource device, and the compression type of resource device being different from each other.

9. Electronic equipment assembly as in claim 8 wherein each resource device of the non-volatile memory type has a first length;
wherein each resource device of the mirroring type has a second length that is shorter than the first length;
wherein each resource device of the compression type has the second length that is shorter than the first length; and
wherein at least one each paddle card is constructed and arranged to provide extension that extends a resource device having the second length to the first length.

10. Electronic equipment assembly as in claim 1 wherein each paddle card further includes:
a plurality of conductors extending between the first edge and the second edge to convey a plurality of signals when a resource device connects with the first edge and a connector mounted to a multi-function column of the interconnect connects with the second edge.

11. Electronic equipment assembly as in claim 10 wherein the first edge of each paddle card has a first conductor mapping;
wherein the second edge of each paddle card has a second conductor mapping that is different from the first conductor mapping; and
wherein the plurality of conductors of each paddle card remaps the first conductor mapping to the second conductor mapping.

12. Electronic equipment assembly as in claim 10 wherein each paddle card further includes:
a hot-swap controller interconnected between the first edge and the second edge of that paddle card, the hot-swap controller being constructed and arranged to electronically couple a resource device connected to the first edge to a connector mounted to a multi-function column of the interconnect at the second edge while the interconnect is live.

13. Electronic equipment assembly as in claim 10 wherein the first edge of each paddle card has a first conductor mapping;
wherein the second edge of each paddle card has a second conductor mapping that is different from the first conductor mapping;
wherein the plurality of conductors of each paddle card remaps the first conductor mapping to the second conductor mapping;
wherein each paddle card further includes:
a hot-swap controller interconnected between the first edge and the second edge of that paddle card, the hot-swap controller being constructed and arranged to electronically couple a resource device connected to the first edge to a connector mounted to a multi-function column of the interconnect at the second edge while the interconnect is live.

14. Electronic equipment assembly as in claim 1 wherein the interconnect is a midplane having a front side facing the front opening provided by the chassis and a rear side facing a rear opening provided by the chassis;
wherein the connectors mount on the front side of the midplane; and
wherein a set of storage controllers connect with the rear side of the midplane.

15. Data storage system, comprising:
a set of storage contr

Assignees

• Emc Ip Holding Co Llc

Inventors

• Zhang Kunzheng
• Hu Sandburg
• Hadav Aric
• Yu Xiang
• Chen Yuxin

Classifications

• H05K5/0069 Primary

  having connector relating features for connecting the connector pins with the PCB or for mounting the connector body with the housing · CPC title

• H05K5/026

  having standardized interfaces (flash memory cards G06K19/077) · CPC title

• G06F1/181

  Enclosures (for portable computers G06F1/1613) · CPC title

• G06F1/187 Primary

  Mounting of fixed or removable disk drives · CPC title

• G11B33/12

  Disposition of constructional parts in the apparatus, e.g. of power supply, of modules · CPC title