Communication apparatus and communication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016294733-A1
Application number	US-201414777542-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 6, 2014
Priority date	Sep 6, 2013
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The communication apparatus includes: a first circuit board unit including, on a front surface of the communication apparatus, a port for transmitting and receiving data to and from the network; a second circuit board unit including a plurality of first connectors connected to at least one of the first circuit board units, a second connector being capable of accommodating at least a bandwidth accommodated by the plurality of first circuit board units, and being connected, via a cable, to the other communication apparatus of a standby system; and a cross bar switch for selectively outputting data to the first connectors or the second connector as a data output destination, and a ventilation control unit for controlling a flow of air flowing between each of the first circuit board unit and the second circuit board unit, and outside of the communication apparatus.

First claim

1 . A communication apparatus of an operational system for providing a redundant configuration to outside with another communication apparatus of a standby system, and for relaying data between information terminals via a network, the communication apparatus comprising:
a first circuit board unit including, on a front surface of the communication apparatus, a port for transmitting and receiving data to and from the network; a second circuit board unit including a plurality of first connectors connected to at least one of the first circuit board units, a second connector being capable of accommodating at least a bandwidth accommodated by the plurality of first circuit board units, and being connected, via a cable, to the other communication apparatus of a standby system, and a cross bar switch for selectively outputting data to the first connectors or the second connector as a data output destination; and a ventilation control unit for controlling a flow of air flowing between each of the first circuit board unit and the second circuit board unit, and outside of the communication apparatus, wherein the cable is arranged at a position where a flow of the air is not hampered.

2 . The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the second circuit board unit includes the second connector arranged on a rear surface of the communication apparatus, the first circuit board unit includes a first ventilation opening for passing air to and from outside, on a same front surface side as the port, the ventilation control unit includes, on a rear surface side of the apparatus, a FAN for controlling a flow of the air, and a second ventilation opening for passing air to and from outside of the communication apparatus, and the communication apparatus is connected, via the cable, with a communication apparatus of a standby system arranged in at least one direction of upper and lower directions of the communication apparatus in such a manner that ventilation by the second ventilation opening is not hampered.

3 . The communication apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the plurality of first circuit board units is vertically arranged on a front surface side of the communication apparatus with a third circuit board unit being interposed therebetween, and a plurality of second circuit board units is horizontally arranged on a rear surface side of the communication apparatus, and the second ventilation opening is arranged next to the second circuit board unit in a horizontal direction.

4 . The communication apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein a third ventilation opening, which is different from the first ventilation opening, and forms a flow path different from a flow path of air formed between the first ventilation opening and the second ventilation opening, with the second ventilation opening, is provided on a front surface of the communication apparatus.

5 . The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a fourth circuit board unit including a control unit for controlling the first circuit board unit and the second circuit board unit, on a front surface side of the communication apparatus; and a relay circuit board unit between the control unit and the second circuit board unit, wherein the control unit includes either or both of a packet routing unit for transferring an input packet according to routing information and a switch fabric unit, a CPU for leaning routing information, and a control system repeater, and the second connector is arranged on a different surface from a surface on which the port is arranged, and the second circuit board unit outputs a packet received by any of the ports, to the first connectors or the second connector according an instruction from the CPU.

6 . The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second connector is connectable to an electrical cable.

7 . The communication apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
the second circuit board unit includes a data rate conversion unit between the second connector and the cross bar switch, and the data rate conversion unit converts a data rate of the packet to be output, into a data rate corresponding to a lane of an electrical cable.

8 . The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the second circuit board unit includes a photoelectric conversion circuit for converting an electrical signal into an optical signal, between the second connector and the cross bar switch, in a case in which a packet is output from the cross bar switch to the second connector, the packet is converted by the photoelectric conversion circuit into an optical signal, and output, via the second connector, to another communication apparatus taking a redundant configuration, and in a case in which a packet is output from the cross bar switch to the first connectors, a packet is output from the port to a destination according to an electrical signal.

9 . The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a cartridge including a guiding unit for connecting to another communication apparatus of a standby system in a part of a cable connected to the second connector, and a space for a connector on a side of the cable connecting to the second connector of the second circuit board unit.

10 . The communication apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the ventilation control unit causes air to flow in from the first ventilation opening on a front surface of the communication apparatus, and the FAN exhausts air inside the apparatus from a rear surface side, and the cartridge includes a cover for preventing a cable from swinging due to air exhausted by the ventilation control unit.

11 . A communication apparatus having a redundant configuration with another communication apparatus, and for relaying a packet, the communication apparatus comprising:
a plurality of first circuit board units including, on a board surface, a port for transmitting and receiving a packet to and from a network, and a packet transfer processing unit; a second circuit board unit including a cross bar switch for controlling transmission of a packet between a plurality of first circuit board units, or transmission and reception of a packet with another communication apparatus taking a redundant configuration, and a plurality of connectors being capable of communicating with the other communication apparatus, being capable of accommodating at least a bandwidth accommodated by the port included in the communication apparatus, and being arranged on a rear surface side of the apparatus; a third circuit board unit arranged vertical to a first circuit board unit on a front surface side of a casing of the communication apparatus and to a second circuit board unit on a rear surface side; and an air exhaust control unit being arranged on a rear surface side of the communication apparatus, next to the third circuit board unit in a horizontal direction, and exhausting air inside the apparatus, wherein the plurality of first circuit board units is provided with a first ventilation opening on a same front surface side as the port, a second ventilation opening is provided on the rear surface side, second ventilation openings are provided on front surfaces of casings of both apparatus in a region different from the first circuit board unit, and the air exhaust control unit further includes, on a rear surface side of the apparatus, a FAN for controlling flows of air between the first ventilation opening and the second ventilation opening, and between a third ventilation opening and a second ventilation opening.

12 . The communication apparatus according to claim 11 , wher

Assignees

• Alaxala Networks Corp

Inventors

• Baba Junji

Classifications

• H05K7/207

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• H05K7/20572 Primary

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• H04L49/40 Primary

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