Socket interposer and computer system using the socket interposer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9338918-B2
Application number	US-201313939046-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2013
Priority date	Jul 10, 2013
Publication date	May 10, 2016
Grant date	May 10, 2016

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments include a socket interposer having a plurality of connectors and at least one of on-board memory and an external communication controller. The plurality of connectors is configured to fit with a form factor of a socket on a server board. The server board includes at least one processor and a circuit board having the socket and at least one processor socket. The processor(s) are coupled with the processor socket(s). The socket has the form factor configured for a module having a first functional set and the form factor. The at least one of the on-board memory and the external communication controller is coupled with at least some of the connectors. The external communication controller also has a second functional set different from the first functional set. The on-board memory is configured to be usable by the processor(s).

First claim

I claim:

1. A socket interposer comprising:
a plurality of connectors configured to fit with a form factor of a socket on a server board, the server board including at least one processor and a circuit board having the socket and at least one processor socket, the at least one processor being coupled with the at least one processor socket, the socket having the form factor configured for a module having a first functional set and a plurality of module connectors in the form factor, the at least one processor being at least one central processing unit (CPU) for the circuit board, the at least one processor socket being at least one CPU socket, the socket being an additional CPU socket, the form factor being a CPU form factor, the first functional set including a plurality of processor functions; and
at least one of on-board memory and an external communication controller, the at least one of the on-board memory and the external communication controller coupled with at least a portion of the plurality of connectors, the on-board memory configured to be usable by the at least one processor, the external communication controller having a second functional set different from the first functional set.

2. The socket interposer of claim 1 wherein the socket interposer includes the external communication controller.

3. The socket interposer of claim 2 wherein the socket is coupled with dedicated memory on the circuit board and wherein the socket interposer further includes:
at least one memory controller coupled with the external communication controller for providing direct access between the external communication controller and the dedicated memory.

4. The socket interposer of claim 3 , wherein the socket interposer further includes:
at least one transceiver coupled with the communication controller for providing direct access from the external communication controller to the at least one processor.

5. The socket interposer of claim 2 wherein the socket interposer further includes:
the on-board memory configured to be usable by the at least one processor.

6. The socket interposer of claim 2 wherein the external communication controller controls communications with at least one device external to the server board.

7. The socket interposer of claim 1 wherein the socket interposer includes the on-board memory.

8. The socket interposer of claim 7 , wherein the socket is coupled with dedicated memory on the server board and wherein the socket further includes:
a memory controller configured to allow the at least one processor access to the dedicated memory and to the on-board memory.

9. The socket interposer of claim 7 , wherein the socket interposer further includes:
at least one transceiver coupled with the communication controller for providing direct access to the at least one processor.

10. The socket interposer of claim 7 wherein the on-board memory is a flash memory.

11. A computer system comprising:
a circuit board including at least one processor socket having a processor form factor and at least one additional socket having a form factor for a module corresponding to a first functional set and having the form factor, the at least one processor socket being a central processing unit (CPU) socket, the processor form factor being a CPU form factor, the at least one additional socket being at least one additional CPU socket, the form factor being the CPU form factor, the first functional set including a plurality of processor functions, the circuit board being a server board;
at least one processor having the processor form factor and coupled with the at least one processor socket, the at least one processor being at least one CPU for the circuit board; and
at least one socket interposer, each of the at least one socket interposer including a plurality of connectors and at least one of on-board memory and an external communication controller, the at least one of the on-board memory and the external communication controller being coupled with at least a portion of the plurality of connectors, the plurality of connectors being configured to fit with the form factor of the at least one additional socket, the on-board memory configured to be usable by the at least one processor, the external communication controller having a second functional set different from the first functional set.

12. The computer system of claim 11 wherein the at least one socket is coupled with dedicated memory on the circuit board, wherein the at least one socket interposer includes the external communication controller, and wherein the at least one socket interposer further includes:
at least one memory controller coupled with the external communication controller, the memory controller providing direct access between the communication controller and the dedicated memory.

13. The computer system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one socket interposer further includes:
at least one transceiver coupled with the communication controller for providing direct access from the communication controller to the at least one processor.

14. The computer system of claim 12 wherein the on-board memory is a flash memory.

15. The computer system of claim 11 wherein the at least one socket interposer includes the on-board memory.

16. The computer system of claim 15 wherein the at least one socket interposer further includes:
a memory controller configured to allow the at least one processor access to the on-board memory.

17. The computer system of claim 15 wherein the at least one socket is coupled with dedicated memory on the circuit board, wherein the at least one additional socket interposer includes the on-board memory, and wherein the at least one additional socket interposer further includes:
at least one memory controller for providing direct access to the communication dedicated memory and the on-board memory.

18. The computer system of claim 17 , wherein the socket interposer further includes:
at least one transceiver coupled with the communication controller for providing direct access to the at least one processor.

19. The computer system of claim 18 , further comprising:
on-board memory coupled with the memory controller and the at least one processor.

20. The computer system of claim 11 wherein the computer system is a server board.

21. The computer system of claim 11 wherein the external communication controller controls communications with at least one device external to the circuit board.

22. A method for providing a computer system comprising:
plugging a socket interposer into a socket of a circuit board of the computer system, the socket interposer including a plurality of connectors and at least one of on-board memory and an external communication controller, the plurality of connectors configured to fit with a form factor of the socket, the computer system board including at least one central processing unit (CPU) and the circuit board having the socket and at least one CPU socket, the at least one CPU being coupled with the at least one CPU socket, the socket having the form factor configured for a module having a first functional set and a plurality of module connectors in the form factor, the socket being an additional CPU socket, the form factor being a CPU form factor, the first functional set including a plurality of processor functions, the at least one of the on-board memory and the external communication controller coupled with the plurality of connectors, the on-bo

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Ltd
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ping Zhan John

Classifications

• H05K7/10 Primary

  Plug-in assemblages of components {, e.g. IC sockets} · CPC title

• Y10T29/49128

  Assembling formed circuit to base · CPC title