Board, board apparatus and method for interconnection of boards

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9619000-B2
Application number	US-201414891408-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2014
Priority date	May 17, 2013
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed is a board including a semiconductor device including a first terminal to receive a signal that sets a functionality of the device, a second terminal to supply a first value and a third terminal to supply a second value, a first connection member connected to the first to third terminals of the semiconductor device, and a second connection member adapted to be connected to the first connection member provided on a counterpart board, with at least two terminals of the second connection member connected together via a first connection circuit, wherein the first connection member of the board is connected to the second connection member of another counterpart board.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A board comprising:
a semiconductor device including:
at least a first terminal to receive a signal that sets a functionality of the semiconductor device;
a second terminal configured to supply a signal of a first value; and
a third terminal configured to supply a signal of a second value, the semiconductor device adapted to be connected in series;
a first connection member including three terminals connected respectively to the first to third terminals of the semiconductor device;
a second connection member adapted to be connected to the first connection member provided on a counterpart board; and
a first connection circuit to connect at least two terminals of the second connection member together,
the first connection member of the board adapted to be connected to the second connection member provided on another counterpart board.

2. The board according to claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor device further includes
a fourth terminal to receive a signal that sets a functionality of the semiconductor device, wherein
the first connection member of the board includes three terminals connected respectively to the first to third terminals of the semiconductor device,
the first connection member further including
at least another two terminals adapted to be connected respectively to at least two terminals of the second connection member of the counterpart board, wherein the board further includes
a second connection circuit to connect the at least another two terminals of the first connection member together, and wherein
the second connection member of the board includes terminals connected respectively to the second, third and fourth terminals of the semiconductor device of the board, the terminals of the board being other than the at least two terminals connected together.

3. The board apparatus comprising:
at least first and second boards, each being the board according to claim 1 , wherein
two terminals that are the first terminal and one of the second and third terminals of the semiconductor device on the first board, are connected together via the first connection member of the first board, the second connection member of the second board and the first connection circuit of the second board, the semiconductor device on the first board being set to a function corresponding to the first or second value supplied to the first terminal from the second or third terminal of the semiconductor device to which the first terminal is connected.

4. The board apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the semiconductor devices on the first and second boards are connected in series, wherein the board apparatus further includes
a control board including:
a control device to control the semiconductor devices on the first and second boards;
a second connection member adapted to be connected to the first connection member of one of the first and second boards that is neighboring to the control board; and
a third connection circuit to connect at least two terminals of the second connection member together.

5. The board apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the semiconductor devices on the first and second boards are connected in series, wherein the board apparatus further includes
a third connection member adapted to be connected to the first connection member of the board arranged at an end out of the first and second boards,
the third connection member including
a fourth connection circuit configured to connect two terminals together, the two terminals being the first terminal and one of the second and third terminals of the semiconductor device of the board arranged at the end.

6. The board apparatus comprising
first to third boards, each being the board according to claim 2 , wherein
two terminals that are the first terminal and one of the second and third terminals of the semiconductor device on the first board, are connected together via the first connection member of the second board, the second connection member of the second board and the first connection circuit of the second board, and
two terminals that are the fourth terminal and one of the second and third terminals of the semiconductor device on the first board, are connected together via the second connection member of the third board, the first connection member of the third board and the second connection circuit of the third board, wherein
a functionality of the semiconductor device on the first board is set in correspondence with combination of the first or second value supplied to the first terminal from the second or third terminal of the semiconductor device to which the first terminal is connected, and the first or second value supplied to the fourth terminal from the second or third terminal of the semiconductor device to which the fourth terminal is connected.

7. The board apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the semiconductor devices on the first and second boards are connected in series, wherein
the board apparatus further includes
a control board including a control device to control the semiconductor devices on the first and second board,
the control board including
the second connection member connected to the first connection member of one of the first and second boards that is neighboring to the control board,
the second connection member of the control board being connected to the first connection member of the board neighboring to the control board,
the second connection member of the control board including at least two terminals connected together by a fifth connection circuit provide on the control board.

8. The board apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the semiconductor devices on the first to third boards are connected in series, wherein
the board apparatus further includes
a third connection member connected to the second connection member of the board arranged at an end out of the first to third boards,
the third connection member including
a sixth connection circuit adapted to connect two terminals that are the fourth terminal and one of the second and third terminals of the semiconductor device of the board arranged at the end.

9. The board apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the first and second connection members of each of the boards are arranged on two opposite sides of the board.

10. A board connection method for an apparatus comprising
first to third boards, each board including
a semiconductor device adapted for series connection, each semiconductor device including at least a first terminal to receive a signal that sets a function of the semiconductor device, a second terminal configured to supply a first value, and a third terminal configured to supply a second value;
a first connection member including three terminals connected respectively to the first to third terminals of the semiconductor device; and
a second connection member adapted to be connected to the first connection member of a counterpart board, at least two terminals of the second connection member on each of the first to third boards being connected by a connection circuit provided on each of the first to third boards, the method comprising:
connecting the first connection member of the first board to the second connection member of the second board; and
connecting the second connection member of the first board to the first connection member of the third board.

Assignees

• Nec Corp

Inventors

• Itabashi Noriyuki
• Takahashi Shingo

Classifications

• H10W70/641

  Adaptable interconnections, e.g. fuses or antifuses · CPC title

• H10W70/611

  for connecting multiple chips together · CPC title

• H05K2201/10212

  Programmable component · CPC title

• H01L2924/0002

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L23/5382

  Electricity · mapped topic