Cable assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9377585-B2
Application number	US-201514740772-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2015
Priority date	Jan 20, 2013
Publication date	Jun 28, 2016
Grant date	Jun 28, 2016

Abstract

A cable assembly can include a single C form-factor pluggable (CFP) connector adhering to a CFP multi-source agreement (MSA), and providing a maximum bandwidth of between 100 and 120 gigabits-per-second (Gbps) over ten-to-twelve lanes. The cable assembly can include, for instance, one, two, or three quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP/QSFP+) connectors adhering to a QSFP/QSFP+ MSA, and each providing a maximum bandwidth of forty Gbps over four lanes. The cable assembly can include one or more cables equal in number to the QSFP/QSFP+ connectors and each connecting the single CFP connector to the one of the QSFP/QSFP+ connectors. The four lanes over which each QSFP/QSFP+ connector provides the maximum bandwidth of forty Gbps corresponds to a different four of the ten-to-twelve lanes over which the single CFP connector provides the maximum bandwidth of between 100 and 120 Gbps.

First claim

I claim:

1. A cable assembly comprising:
a first connector adhering to a first standard and providing a first total maximum bandwidth;
one or more second connectors adhering to a second standard different than the first standard, each second connector providing a second total maximum bandwidth, a number of the second connectors multiplied by the second total maximum bandwidth being no greater than the first total maximum bandwidth; and
one or more cables, each cable connecting the first connector to a different one of the second connectors, a number of the cables equal in number to the second connectors,
wherein one or more of:
the first connector is a C form-factor pluggable (CFP) connector; and
each second connector is a quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP/QSFP+) connector.

2. The cable assembly of claim 1 , wherein the number of the second connectors is equal to one.

3. The cable assembly of claim 1 , wherein the number of the second connectors is equal to two.

4. The cable assembly of claim 1 , wherein the number of the second connectors is equal to three.

5. The cable assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first total maximum bandwidth is divided over a plurality of first lanes, each first lane having a first maximum bandwidth, a number of the first lanes multiplied by the first maximum bandwidth being equal to the first total maximum bandwidth,
and wherein the second total maximum bandwidth is divided over a plurality of second lanes, each second lane having a second maximum bandwidth, a number of the second lanes multiplied by the second maximum bandwidth being equal to the second total maximum bandwidth.

6. The cable assembly of claim 5 , wherein each of the first maximum bandwidth and the second maximum bandwidth is ten gigabits-per-second (Gbps).

7. The cable assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first standard is a CFP multi-source agreement (MSA).

8. The cable assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second standard is a QSFP/QSFP+ multi-source agreement (MSA).

9. The cable assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cables are passive cables.

10. The cable assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cables are active cables.

11. A cable assembly comprising:
a single C form-factor pluggable (CFP) connector providing a maximum bandwidth of between 100 and 120 gigabits-per-second (Gbps) over ten-to-twelve lanes;
a single quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP/QSFP+) connector providing a maximum bandwidth of forty Gbps over four lanes; and
a single cable connecting the single CFP connector to the single QSFP/QSFP+ connector,
wherein the four lanes over which the single QSFP/QSFP+ connector provides the maximum bandwidth of forty Gbps corresponds to four of the ten-to-twelve lanes over which the single CFP connector provides the maximum bandwidth of between 100 and 120 Gbps, such that six-to-eight of the ten-to-twelve lanes have to remain unused within the cable assembly.

12. The cable assembly of claim 11 , wherein one of:
the single cable is a passive cable;
the single cable is an active cables.

13. A cable assembly comprising:
a single C form-factor pluggable (CFP) connector providing a maximum bandwidth of between 100 and 120 gigabits-per-second (Gbps) over ten-to-twelve lanes;
a pair of quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP/QSFP+) connectors each QSFP/QSFP+ connector providing a maximum bandwidth of forty Gbps over four lanes; and
a pair of cables, each cable connecting the single CFP connector to one of the pair of QSFP/QSFP+ connectors,
wherein the four lanes over which each QSFP/QSFP+ connector provides the maximum bandwidth of forty Gbps corresponds to a different four of the ten-to-twelve lanes over which the single CFP connector provides the maximum bandwidth of between 100 and 120 Gbps, such that two-to-four of the ten-to-twelve lanes have to remain unused within the cable assembly.

14. The cable assembly of claim 13 , wherein one of:
the pair of cables are passive cables;
the pair of cables are active cables.

Assignees

• Lenovo Entpr Solutions Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Baker Anthony E

Classifications

• H01R2201/06

  for computer periphery · CPC title

• H01R31/005 Primary

  Intermediate parts for distributing signals · CPC title

• G02B6/26 Primary

  Optical coupling means (G02B6/36, G02B6/42 take precedence) · CPC title