Storage devices connectors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024427723-A1
Application number	US-202118703027-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 15, 2021
Priority date	Nov 15, 2021
Publication date	Dec 26, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

In some examples, an electronic device includes a connector, a first switch to control, responsive to a signal, providing of a first voltage signal to the connector, a second switch to control, responsive to the signal, providing of a second voltage signal to the connector, and a controller. The controller is to determine, responsive to the signal, a type of a storage device couple to the connector, and enable, responsive to the type of the storage device, a set of signals to the connector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device, comprising:
a connector; a first switch to control, responsive to a signal, providing of a first voltage signal to the connector; a second switch to control, responsive to the signal, providing of a second voltage signal to the connector; and a controller to:
determine, responsive to the signal, a type of a storage device coupled to the connector; and
enable, responsive to the type of the storage device, a set of signals to the connector.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the signal is a voltage signal having a first voltage in response to the storage device having a first type and having a second voltage in response to the storage device having a second type.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is to:
enable, responsive to the type of the storage device indicating a first type of storage device, a first set of signals to the connector; and enable, responsive to the type of the storage device indicating a second type of storage device, a second set of signals to the connector.

4 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the first set of signals traverse a first communications bus and the second set of signals traverse a second communications bus.

5 . The electronic device of claim 1 , comprising:
a first buffer to control, responsive to the signal, transmission of the set of signals from the controller to the storage device; and a second buffer to control, responsive to the signal, the transmission of the set of signals from the storage device to the controller.

6 . An electronic device, comprising:
a connector having multiple terminals, the connector to couple to a storage device; a transistor having a gate to receive a signal from a first terminal of the connector, a source coupled to a voltage supply circuit, and a drain coupled to a second terminal of the connector, the transistor to enable a voltage signal of the voltage supply circuit to propagate to the second terminal of the connector responsive to the signal having a value below a specified threshold; and a buffer having a control input to receive the signal from the first terminal of the connector, a data input coupled to a controller, and an output coupled to a third terminal of the connector, the buffer to enable a set of signals to propagate from the controller to the third terminal of the connector responsive to the signal having the value below the specified threshold.

7 . The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein responsive to the signal having a second value that is equivalent to or exceeds the specified threshold, the transistor is to disable the voltage signal of the voltage supply circuit from propagating to the second terminal of the connector and the buffer is to disable the set of signals from propagating from the controller to the third terminal of the connector.

8 . The electronic device of claim 6 , comprising:
a second transistor having a second gate to receive the signal from the first terminal of the connector, a second source coupled to the voltage supply circuit, and a second drain coupled to a fourth terminal of the connector; wherein the second transistor is to enable a second voltage signal of the voltage supply circuit to propagate to the fourth terminal of the connector responsive to the signal having the value below the specified threshold; and wherein the second transistor is to disable the second voltage signal of the voltage supply circuit from propagating to the fourth terminal of the connector responsive to the signal having a second value that is equivalent to or exceeds the specified threshold.

9 . The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the controller is coupled to the voltage supply circuit, the controller to cause, responsive to the signal having the value below the specified threshold, the voltage supply circuit to supply the voltage signal and the second voltage signal to the source and the second source, respectively, of the transistor and the second transistor, respectively.

10 . The electronic device of claim 6 , comprising:
a second buffer having a second control input to receive the signal from the first terminal of the connector, a second data input coupled to the controller, and a second output coupled to a fourth terminal of the connector; wherein responsive to the signal having a second value that is equivalent to or exceeds the specified threshold, the second buffer is to enable a second set of signals to propagate from the fourth terminal of the connector to the controller; and wherein responsive to the signal having the value that is below the specified threshold, the second buffer is to disable the second set of signals from propagating from the fourth terminal of the connector to the controller.

11 . An electronic device, comprising:
a connector to couple to a storage device, the coupling to provide a signal, the signal having a first value responsive to the storage device having a first type and a second value responsive to the storage device having a second type; a first transistor to control, responsive to reception of the signal at a first gate, providing of a first voltage signal to the connector; a second transistor to control, responsive to reception of the signal at a second gate, providing of a second voltage signal to the connector; and a buffer to control, responsive to reception of the signal at a control input, propagation of a set of signals between a controller and the connector.

12 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the connector is an M.2 connector.

13 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the first and the second transistors are p-channel field effect transistors (FETs).

14 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the controller is to:
enable, responsive to the signal having the first value, a first set of signals to traverse a first communications bus; enable, responsive to the signal having the second value, a second set of signals to traverse a second communications bus; and wherein the first communications bus and the second communications bus have an overlapping signal path.

15 . The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the first type indicates an Embedded MultiMedia Card (eMMC) storage device and the second type indicates a Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) storage device.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Stancil Charles J
• Shaver Charles N

Classifications

• G06F13/4059

  where the synchronisation uses buffers, e.g. for speed matching between buses · CPC title

• G06F13/4022

  using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network (G06F13/4009 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F13/4081 Primary

  Live connection to bus, e.g. hot-plugging (current or voltage limitation during live insertion H02H9/004) · CPC title

• G06F3/0683

  Plurality of storage devices · CPC title

• G06F3/0673

  Single storage device · CPC title