Server system with interlocking cells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9380702-B2
Application number	US-201313888724-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2013
Priority date	May 7, 2013
Publication date	Jun 28, 2016
Grant date	Jun 28, 2016

Abstract

A server system includes an array of server cells. Some or all of the server cells include a set of at least three side panels forming an enclosure and a compute component comprising a processor core. At least one side panel of each server cell is removably mechanically coupled and removably electrically coupled to a facing side panel of an adjacent server cell. The enclosure may form a triangular prism enclosure, a cuboid enclosure, a hexagonal prism enclosure, etc. The enclosure can be formed from a rigid flex printed circuit board (PCB) assembly, whereby the side panels are implemented as rigid PCB sections that are interconnected via flexible PCB sections, with the flexible PCB sections forming corners between the rigid PCB sections when the rigid-flex PCB assembly is folded into the enclosure shape. The compute component and other circuit components are disposed at the interior surfaces of the rigid PCB sections.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A server system comprising:
an array of server cells, each server cell of at least a subset of the array comprising:
a single printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a set of at least three rigid PCB sections interconnected via flexible PCB sections, and comprising a set of one or more metal traces extending between at least two of the rigid PCB sections via at least one of the flexible PCB sections, the single PCB folded at the flexible PCB sections to form an enclosure for the server cell;
a first compute component disposed at an interior surface of a first rigid PCB section of the set of rigid PCB sections, the first compute component coupled to at least one metal trace of the set of one or more metal traces and comprising at least one processor core; and
wherein at least one rigid PCB section of each server cell is removably mechanically coupled and removably electrically coupled to a facing rigid PCB section of an adjacent server cell of the array of server cells.

2. The server system of claim 1 , wherein at least one server cell is open at one or both sides orthogonal to the set of rigid PCB sections of the server cell.

3. The server system of claim 1 , wherein an exterior surface of each of at least two of the rigid PCB sections comprises:
a first set of one or more electrical connectors to conduct signaling between the first compute component and corresponding electrical connectors at a facing exterior surface of an adjacent server cell mechanically coupled to the server cell.

4. The server system of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the first set of one or more electrical connectors is a contactless connector.

5. The server system of claim 3 , wherein an exterior surface of each of at least two of the rigid PCB sections comprises:
a second set of one or more electrical connectors to conduct one or more supply voltages.

6. The server system of claim 3 , wherein the exterior surface of each of at least two of the set of rigid PCB sections further comprises a mechanical coupling assembly to mechanically couple the exterior surface to a facing exterior surface of an adjacent server cell.

7. The server system of claim 6 , wherein the mechanical coupling assembly comprises at least one of: a male slide-fit connector; a female slide-fit connector; a press-fit male connector; a press-fit female connector; a hook element; a loop element; a magnetic element; a clamp element; and a bolt element.

8. The server system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a jumper cable electrically coupling two server cells that are separated in the array by at least one other server cell.

9. The server system of claim 1 , wherein the array of server cells is one of: a two-dimensional array of server cells; and a three-dimensional array of server cells.

10. The server system of claim 1 , wherein the array of server cells is self-supporting.

11. The server system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second compute component disposed at an interior surface of a second rigid PCB section of the set of rigid PCB sections; and
wherein the first compute component and the second compute component are interconnected via one or more metal traces of the set of one or more metal traces.

12. A server cell comprising:
a first compute component comprising at least one processor core; and
a single printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a set of three or more rigid PCB sections interconnected via flexible PCB sections, and comprising a set of one or more metal traces extending between at least two of the rigid PCB sections via at least one of the flexible PCB sections, the single PCB folded at the flexible PCB sections to form an enclosure of the server cell, wherein at least one metal trace of the set of one or more metal traces is coupled to the first compute component and wherein an exterior surface of each of at least two rigid PCB sections comprises:
a first set of one or more electrical connectors to conduct signaling; and
a mechanical coupling assembly to mechanically couple the exterior surface to an exterior surface of an adjacent server cell.

13. The server cell of claim 12 , wherein the server cell is open at one or both sides orthogonal to the set of rigid PCB sections.

14. The server cell of claim 12 , wherein the set of rigid PCB sections is selected from a group consisting of: three rigid PCB sections forming a triangular prism enclosure; four rigid PCB sections forming a cuboid enclosure; six rigid PCB sections forming a hexagonal prism enclosure; and eight rigid PCB sections forming an octagonal prism enclosure.

15. The server cell of claim 12 , wherein the exterior surface of each of at least two rigid PCB sections comprises:
a second set of one or more electrical connectors to conduct one or more supply voltages.

16. The server cell of claim 12 , wherein the first set of one or more electrical connectors comprises at least one contactless connector.

17. The server cell of claim 16 , wherein the at least one contactless connector includes at least one induction-coupled contactless connector.

18. The server cell of claim 12 , further comprising:
an interconnect controller coupled to the first set of electrical connectors of each of the at least two rigid PCB sections, the interconnect controller to route signaling between electrical connectors of one rigid PCB section to another rigid PCB section and between electrical connectors of the rigid PCB sections and the first compute component.

19. The server cell of claim 12 , further comprising:
a second compute component; and
wherein the first compute component and the second compute component are interconnected via one or more metal traces of the set of one or more metal traces.

20. A server cell comprising:
a first compute component comprising at least one processor core;
a set of three or more rigid printed circuit board (PCB) sections forming an enclosure of the server cell, wherein an exterior surface of each of at least two rigid PCB sections comprises:
a first set of one or more electrical connectors to conduct signaling; and
a mechanical coupling assembly to mechanically couple the exterior surface to an exterior surface of an adjacent server cell; and

a rear panel orthogonal to the set of rigid PCB sections, an exterior surface of the rear panel comprising:
a set of one or more electrical connectors to conduct signaling; and
a mechanical coupling assembly to mechanically couple the exterior surface of the rear panel to an exterior surface of a facing panel of an adjacent server cell.

21. A method comprising:
providing a server system comprising an interlocked array of server cells, each server cell comprising:
a compute component comprising at least one processor core; and
a single printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a set of at least three rigid PCB sections interconnected via flexible PCB sections, and comprising a set of one or more metal traces extending between at least two of the rigid PCB sections via at least one of the flexible PCB sections, the single PCB folded at the flexible PCB sections to form an enclosure for the server cell;
wherein at least one metal trace of the set of one or more metal traces is coupled to the compute component; and
wherein at least one rigid PCB sections of each server cell is mechanically and electrically coupled to a rigid PCB section of an adjacent server cell of the array of server cells.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:

Assignees

• Advanced Micro Devices Inc

Inventors

• Fricker Jean-Philippe

Classifications

• H05K5/30

  Side-by-side or stacked arrangements · CPC title

• H05K7/1489

  characterized by the mounting of blades therein, e.g. brackets, rails, trays (H05K7/1491 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K7/1487

  Blade assemblies, e.g. blade cases or inner arrangements within a blade · CPC title

• H05K7/1417

  having securing means for mounting boards, plates or wiring boards (H05K7/1461 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K2201/2072

  Anchoring, i.e. one structure gripping into another · CPC title