GB2258770A - Automatic link arrangement for a circuit board connector. - Google Patents
Automatic link arrangement for a circuit board connector. Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2258770A GB2258770A GB9217205A GB9217205A GB2258770A GB 2258770 A GB2258770 A GB 2258770A GB 9217205 A GB9217205 A GB 9217205A GB 9217205 A GB9217205 A GB 9217205A GB 2258770 A GB2258770 A GB 2258770A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- backplane
- connector
- elongate
- electrical connecting
- edge connector
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H05K7/00—Constructional details common to different types of electric apparatus
- H05K7/14—Mounting supporting structure in casing or on frame or rack
- H05K7/1417—Mounting supporting structure in casing or on frame or rack having securing means for mounting boards, plates or wiring boards
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
- H01R13/66—Structural association with built-in electrical component
- H01R13/70—Structural association with built-in electrical component with built-in switch
- H01R13/703—Structural association with built-in electrical component with built-in switch operated by engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. dual-continuity coupling part
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H05K1/00—Printed circuits
- H05K1/02—Details
- H05K1/14—Structural association of two or more printed circuits
- H05K1/141—One or more single auxiliary printed circuits mounted on a main printed circuit, e.g. modules, adapters
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
- Details Of Connecting Devices For Male And Female Coupling (AREA)
Abstract
An arrangement for connecting/disconnecting links of a daisy chain signal line in response to the removal/insertion of an edge connector. The device comprises an elongate body (1) of insulating material, means (10, 11) for effecting electrical connection between the links and control means (14) which prevents the links being connected when an edge connector is coupled to the elongate connector. The device mounts on the back of a mother board (8) and can sense the insertion of an edge connector, of the daughter board, into the front of the mother board connector. Connection means (10, 11) may be in the form of a printed circuit and electronic switches. The control means (14) may be an optical switch arrangement. The device may also include spring loaded contacts and a visible signal to indicate the state of the connection. <IMAGE>
Description
CIRCUIT BOARD CONNECTOR
In a complex electronic apparatus incorporating a plurality of circuit boards arranged with their major faces lying in substantially parallel planes, it is the general practice to interconnect circuits of such boards by means of multi-circuits and associated connectors carried on a board, frequently referred to as a mother board or backplane, to which edge connectors of said plurality of circuit boards, frequently referred to as daughter boards, are permanently or detachably connected.
One kind of mother board or backplane which has hitherto been proposed and used comprises a substantially rigid board of electrically insulating material having extending through the board a multiplicity of holes whose boundary walls are coated with a layer of electrically conductive metal or metal alloy (such metal coated holes generally and hereinafter being referred to as plated through holes) and which are arranged in a plurality of discrete groups of plated through holes mutually spaced transversely of the board, the plated through holes of each group being arranged in a pattern of columns and rows of mutually spaced holes.
Each of a major proportion of the plated through holes of each group is electrically connected in series to the correspondingly positioned plated through hole in each of the other groups by an elongate track of electrically conductive metal or metal alloy encapsulated in the electrically insulating material of the rigid board to form a signal line, the tracks electrically connected to the plated through holes of corresponding columns of the groups lying in common planes which are substantially parallel to and mutually spaced from one another and being electrically insulated from one another by the electrically insulating material of the board.Each of the remaining minor proportion of the plated through holes of each group is electrically connected to a substantially continuous layer of electrically conductive metal or metal alloy which is encapsulated in the electrically insulating material of the board and which constitutes a ground plane, to form a ground line.
Elongate connectors, each comprising a multiplicity of mutually spaced contact pins, are mounted substantially parallel to one another on one major face of the board, hereinafter referred to as the front face, with the contact pins of each connector effecting electrical connection in plated through holes of one of said discrete groups of plated through holes. A mother board or backplane of the aforesaid kind will hereinafter, for convenience, be referred to as "a backplane of the kind described".
It is the general practice in respect of each of a small number of the signal lines of a backplane of the kind described for this signal line to comprise a plurality of separately formed links of electrically conductive metal or metal alloy each extending from a plated through hole of one discrete group of plated through holes to a plated through hole of an adjacent discrete group of plated through holes and for the edge connectors carried on the daughter boards to incorporate means for electrically interconnecting adjacent separately formed links of these signal lines. A signal line of this kind is generally known and will hereinafter, for convenience, be referred to as "a daisy chain signal line".Two backplanes of the kind described which are currently widely used and which are manufactured to standard specifications known as
Versatile Module Eurobus (VME) and VXI bus include five daisy chain signal lines, four of which serve as bus grant lines and one of which serves as an interrupt acknowledge line.
When a daughter board is temporarily or permanently disconnected from a backplane of the kind described, electrical continuity of each of the daisy chain signal lines will be interrupted and it is necessary to effect an electrical connection between the adjacent links of each daisy chain signal line where interruption of the electrical continuity has occurred. It is common practice to employ for this purpose separately formed jumpers which are electrically interconnected between inlet and outlet pins of the disconnected links, which pins are mounted on the board between adjacent discrete groups of plated through holes.While such jumpers provide satisfactory electrical continuity, because the backplane carrying the inlet and outlet pins to which the jumpers are to be electrically connected is disposed at the rear of the electronic apparatus of which the backplane is a part, access to the pins for application of the jumpers is restricted so that the jumpers cannot always readily be connected to the pins.Moreover, such jumpers are small and can easily be lost or mislaid with the result that there may be no readily available means of maintaining electrical continuity of a daisy chain signal line or daisy chain signal lines when a daughter board is disconnected from a backplane of the kind described. Furthermore, the small jumpers are relatively expensive and a substantial financial outlay is necessary in order to ensure that an ample number of jumpers is available when required.
It has also been proposed to provide, for effecting electrical connection between links of daisy chain signal lines that have been interrupted by removal of a daughter board, a dummy module which can be connected into an elongate connector of a backplane of the kind described from which the edge connector of a daughter board has been decoupled and which incorporates means for effecting electrical connection between the disconnected links. Here again, whilst such dummy modules provide satisfactory electrical continuity between disconnected links when a daughter board is removed, if a dummy module is not available when a daughter board is removed then electrical connection between the disconnected links of the daisy chain signal lines cannot be readily effected.
With a view to avoiding use of separately formed jumpers or dummy modules to effect electrical connection between links of daisy chain signal lines disconnected by removal of a daughter board, it has been proposed to incorporate in each elongate connector of a backplane of the kind described to which an edge connector of a daughter board is coupled, devices which will automatically effect electrical connection between the links of daisy chain signal lines which would otherwise be disconnected when the edge connector of a daughter board is removed. Elongate connectors incorporating such devices have two major disadvantages. First, the cost of each such modified elongate connector is several times that of a conventional elongate connector with a consequential substantial increase in overall cost of a backplane of the kind described having a plurality of such modified elongate connectors. Secondly, such devices usually rely on a contact of resilient metal or metal alloy to effect the required automatic electrical connection between links of a daisy chain signal line and, where a long period of time has elapsed before a daughter board is removed and such devices are required to operate, there is a serious risk that such devices will fail to operate or will not operate satisfactorily due to loss of resilience of the metal contacts and/or dirt which, in the course of time, has found its way into the elongate connector.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved device for automatically effecting electrical connection between links of a daisy chain signal line of a backplane of the kind described, which links have been electrically disconnected by decoupling of the edge connector of a daughter board from an elongate connector of the backplane.
According to the invention, the improved automatically operated electrical connecting device comprises a preformed elongate body of electrically insulating material adapted to be mounted on the rear face of a backplane of the kind described; means carried by said elongate body for effecting electrical connection between links of daisy chain signal lines of the backplane, which links will normally be electrically interconnected by the edge connector of a daughter board when the edge connector is coupled to an elongate connector mounted on the front face of the backplane; and, adapted to be directly or indirectly activated by an edge connector when coupled to said elongate connector, control means for preventing said electrical connecting means from effecting electrical connection between said links.
In use, the improved automatically operated electrical connecting device is mounted on the rear face of a backplane of the kind described and an edge connector carried by a daughter board and coupled to an elongate connector mounted on the front face of the backplane activates said control means which prevents said electrical connecting means from effecting electrical connection between links of daisy chain signal lines electrically interconnected by said edge connector. When the edge connector is decoupled from the elongate connector and thereby ceases to activate said control means, the electrically connecting means of the improved device automatically effects electrical connection between the links of said daisy chain signal lines.
The preformed elongate body of the improved automatically operated electrical connecting device may be adapted to be mounted on the rear face of a backplane of the kind described at a position immediately behind an elongate connector mounted on the front face of the backplane or at a position between two elongate connectors mounted adjacent one another on the front face of the backplane.
The improved automatically operated electrical connecting device may be wholly mechanically operated and comprise contacts of electrically conductive metal or metal alloy which are urged, by spring means separately formed with respect to or integral with the contacts, towards a position in which they will effect electrical connection between the links of daisy chain signal lines electrically connected by an edge connector when coupled to the elongate connector but which are prevented from reaching said position and effecting such electrical connection by control means adapted to be directly or indirectly mechanically activated by said edge connector, but although an improved automatically operated electrically connecting device wholly mechanically operated will in most circumstances operate satisfactorily, where a long period of time has elapsed before an edge connector is to be decoupled from an elongate connector and the improved automatically operated electrically connecting device is required to operate, there is always the risk that the resilience of the spring means separately formed with respect to or integral with the contacts will have so weakened that the device will fail to operate or will not operate satisfactorily.
Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the electrical connecting means carried by the preformed elongate body comprises a printed circuit electrically connected to an electronic switch which is controlled by a switch operable by decoupling of an edge connector from the elongate connector of the backplane and constituting said control means. As the electronic switch of the preferred embodiment of the invention, we prefer to employ an electronic current amplifier, such as a uni-directional transceiver, which can simultaneously electrically interconnect links of some or all of the daisy chain signal lines.
Where the preformed elongate body of the improved automatically operated electrical connecting device is adapted to be mounted on the rear face of a backplane of the kind described at a position immediately behind an elongate connector mounted on the front face of the backplane, preferably the electronic switch is adapted to electrically connect pins of the elongate connector electrically connected to links of the daisy chain signal lines and protruding from the rear face of the backplane by contacts carried by the preformed elongate body. These contacts are preferably spring-loaded and, to reduce risk of electrical interconnection between adjacent contacts, each contact may be accommodated in a separate hole or pocket in the preformed elongate body.
Where the preformed elongate body of the improved automatically operated electrical connecting device is adapted to be mounted on the rear face of a backplane of the kind described at a position between two elongate connectors mounted adjacent one another on the front face of the backplane, preferably the electronic switch is adapted to electrically connect pins of one of said two elongate connectors electrically connected to links of the daisy chain signal lines by contacts carried by the preformed elongate body and adapted to effect direct or indirect electrical connection with plated through holes in the backplane which are disposed between said two elongate connectors and which are electrically connected to said pins of said one elongate connector by electrically conductive tracks within or on a surface of the backplane.These plated through holes may be so disposed in the backplane that they can be electrically connected by conventional jumper pins. Where the contacts carried by the preformed elongate body are to effect direct electrical connection with said plated through holes in the backplane, the contacts preferably comprise electrically conductive pins which protrude from the front face of the preformed elongate body.
Where the contacts carried by the preformed elongate body are to effect indirect electrical connection with said plated through holes in the backplane, the contacts preferably comprise plated through holes or other electrically conductive sockets in the preformed elongate body which are adapted to interconnect with electrically conductive pins engaged in said plated through holes in and protruding from the rear face of the backplane; these electrically conductive pins may be carried by and protrude from opposite faces of a supplementary elongate connector for mounting on the rear face of the backplane between said two elongate connectors.
The switch constituting said control means and operable by decoupling of an edge connector from the elongate connector of the backplane may take any convenient form and, where the preformed elongate body is adapted to be mounted on the rear face of a backplane immediately behind an elongate conductor, may be mechanically operated by a spring-loaded plunger which is adapted to be slidably engaged in aligned holes in the elongate connector, backplane and preformed elongate body, which will hold the switch in the de-activated position when the plunger is pushed through the aligned holes by an edge connector coupled to the elongate connector and which, when the edge connector is decoupled from the elongate connector, will move under the action of its associated spring to permit the switch to activate.In this case, the switch constituting said control means is preferably an optical switch comprising a lamp, e.g. an infra-red LED, and an electronic photodetector, e.g. a photo-diode or photo-transistor preferably sensitive only to infra-red light, the lamp and electronic photo-detector being mounted on the preformed elongate body on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the preformed elongate body, and a spring-loaded plunger which is adapted to be slidably engaged in aligned holes in the elongate body, backplane and elongate connector and which carries at or near its end that will be remote from the elongate connector means for interrupting the light path between the lamp and electronic photo-detector.The arrangement is such that, when an edge connector of a daughter board is coupled to the elongate connector of the backplane, the plunger is pushed by the edge connector through the aligned holes in the elongate connector, backplane and preformed elongate body so that said means interrupts the light path between the lamp and electronic photodetector so that the optical switch is de-activated.
When the edge connector is decoupled from the elongate connector, the plunger is urged under the action of its associated spring in such a direction that said means no longer interrupts the light path between the lamp and electronic photo-detector and the optical switch is activated to cause the electronic switch to effect electrical connection between the links of the daisy chain signal lines. In some circumstances, a Schmidt trigger circuit may be interconnected between the output of the electronic photo-detector and the input of the electronic switch in order to ensure controlled switching of the electronic switch.
Preferably, the printed circuit of the preferred embodiment of the invention is electrically connected to a visual signal which is so disposed on the preformed elongate body that it is visible when an edge connector of a daughter board has been decoupled from the elongate connector and which is lighted when the switch operable by decoupling of the edge connector is activated.
Where the preformed elongate body is adapted to be mounted on the rear face of a backplane immediately behind an elongate connector the visual signal, e.g. an
LED, may be adapted to be visible through aligned holes in the elongate connector, backplane and preformed elongate body. The or each hole in the elongate connector which is in axial alignment with a hole in the backplane and a hole in the preformed elongate body and which houses a plunger or enables an LED or other visual signal to be visible when the edge connector of a daughter board is decoupled from the elongate connector may be a hole e.g. a DIN connector hole, normally provided at an end of the elongate connector for the purpose of mounting the connector on a backplane.The preformed elongate body may be secured by means of hollow rivets pressed into aligned holes in the preformed elongate body and backplane, which aligned holes are in axial alignment with unemployed DIN holes of the elongate connector.
The invention also includes an improved backplane of the kind described having mounted on its rear face, an improved device for automatically effecting electrical connection between links of a daisy chain signal line which have been electrically disconnected by decoupling of the edge connector of a daughter board from said elongate connector substantially as hereinbefore described.
The invention is further illustrated by a description, by way of example, of a preferred device for automatically effecting electrical connection between links of daisy chain signal lines of a backplane of the kind described which have been electrically disconnected by decoupling of the edge connector of a daughter board from an elongate connector of the backplane, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a sectional side view of the preferred automatically operated electrical connecting device mounted on the rear face of a backplane of the kind described at a position immediately behind an elongate connector mounted on the front face of the backplane;
Figure 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of the preferred device shown in Figure 1, and
Figure 3 is a plan view of the electrical connecting means of the preferred device shown in Figure 1.
Referring to the drawings, the preferred automatically operated electrical connecting device comprises a preformed elongate body 1 of electrically insulating material comprising a base 2 and a cover 3 separately formed with respect to the base and detachably secured to the base by fixing screws 4 which engage in tapped holes 9 in the base. In Figure 1, the base 2 of the preformed elongate body 1 is shown permanently secured to the rear face of a backplane B of the kind described, immediately behind an elongate connector C which is mounted on the front face of and electrically connected to plated through holes in the backplane, by hollow rivets R extending through holes 5, 6 at the ends of the base and through aligned holes in the backplane and in the elongate connector.Contact pins P of the elongate connector C protrude through the plated through holes in the backplane into holes 7 in the base 2 of the body 1 where they are electrically connected to coil springs 8 housed in the holes. The elongate connector C constitutes a "slot" for reception of the edge connector of a daughter board.
As will be seen more clearly on referring to
Figures 2 and 3, the inner face of the cover 3 of the preformed elongate body 1 carries a printed circuit 10 electrically connected to an electronic switch 11 which together constitute means for effecting electrical connection between links of daisy chain signal lines of the backplane B, which links will normally be electrically interconnected by the edge connector of a daughter board when the edge connector is coupled to the elongate connector C. The printed circuit 10 includes pads 12 of copper to which the pins P of the elongate connector C are electrically connected via the coil springs 8.
When the edge connector of a daughter board is coupled to the elongate connector C, the printed circuit 10 and electronic switch 11 constituting said means for effecting electrical connection between links of daisy chain signal lines of the backplane B are prevented from effecting such electrical connection by control means constituted by an optical switch 14 which is carried by the preformed elongate body 1 and which is operable when the edge connector of a daughter board is decoupled from the elongate connector.The optical switch 14 comprises an infra-red LED 15 and a photo-transistor 16 sensitive only to infra-red light which are mounted on the inner face of the cover 3 on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the cover, and a plunger 17 which is slidably mounted in the hole 5 at one end of the base 2 and which extends into and protrudes from the aligned holes in the backplane B and elongate connector C. The plunger 17 has a laterally extending arm which, at its free end, carries a flag 18 and the plunger is so spring-loaded by means of a coil spring 19 disposed on the plunger between the arm and the inner face of the cover 3 that the plunger is urged in a direction away from the inner face of the cover so that the flag is not disposed between the LED 15 and the photo-transistor 16.
The printed circuit 10 and electronic switch 11 are electrically connected to a lamp 20 which is disposed in the hole 6 at the other end of the preformed elongate body 1 and which is visible through the aligned holes in the backplane B and elongate connector C when no edge connector of a daughter board is coupled to the elongate connector.
When the edge connector of a daughter board is coupled to the elongate connector C, the plunger 17 is pushed by the edge connector through the aligned holes in the elongate connector and backplane and through the hole 5 in the preformed elongate body 1 against the action of the coil spring 19 so that the flag 18 at the free end of the lateral arm interrupts the light path between the opposed LED 15 and photo-transistor 16 and that the control means constituted by the optical switch 14 is de-activated and the printed circuit 10 and electronic switch 11 are prevented from effecting electrical connection between links of daisy chain signal lines of the backplane B.When the edge connector of the daughter board is decoupled from the elongate connector C, the plunger 17 is urged by the coil spring 19 in a direction away from the inner face of the cover 3 so that the flag 18 at the free end of the lateral arm no longer interrupts the light path between the LED 15 and the photo-transistor 16 and the optical switch 14 is activated to cause the printed circuit 10 and electronic switch 11 to effect electrical connection between the links of the daisy chain signal lines. Lighting of the lamp 20 disposed in the hole 6 in the preformed elongate body 1 and visible through the aligned holes in the elongate connector C and backplane
B provides a visible signal that electrical connection of the links of the daisy chain signal lines has been automatically effected.
The improved device for automatically effecting electrical connection between links of a daisy chain signal line of a backplane of the kind described which have been electrically disconnected by de-coupling of the edge connector of a daughter board from an elongate connector of the backplane has the important advantages that it is suitable for use with substantially any backplane of the kind described and that a backplane of the kind described does not have to be modified in any way for the improved device to be used.
Claims (19)
1. A device for automatically effecting electrical connection between links of a daisy chain signal line of a backplane of the kind described, which links have been electrically disconnected by decoupling of the edge connector of a daughter board from an elongate connector of the backplane, which device comprises a preformed elongate body of electrically insulating material adapted to be mounted on the rear face of a backplane of the kind described; means carried by said elongate body for effecting electrical connection between links of daisy chain signal lines of the backplane, which links will normally be electrically interconnected by the edge connector of a daughter board when the edge connector is coupled to an elongate connector mounted on the front face of the backplane; and, adapted to be directly or indirectly activated by an edge connector when coupled to said elongate connector, control means for preventing said electrical connecting means from effecting electrical connection between said links.
2. An automatically operated electrical connecting device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the electrical connecting means carried by the preformed elongate body comprises a printed circuit electrically connected to an electronic switch which is controlled by a switch operable by decoupling of an edge connector from the elongate connector of the backplane and constituting said control means.
3. An automatically operated electrical connecting device as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the electronic switch is an electronic current amplifier which can simultaneously electrically interconnect links of some or all of the daisy chain signal lines.
4. An automatically operated electrical connecting device as claimed in Claim 2 or 3, wherein the printed circuit is electrically connected to a visible signal which is so disposed on the preformed elongate body that it is visible when an edge connector of a daughter board has been decoupled from the elongate connector and which is lighted when the switch operable by decoupling of the edge connector is activated.
5. An automatically operated electrical connecting device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the preformed elongate body is adapted to be mounted on the rear face of a backplane of the kind described at a position immediately behind an elongate connector mounted on the front face of the backplane.
6. An automatically operated electrical connecting device as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the electrical connecting means carried by the preformed elongate body comprises a printed circuit electrically connected to an electronic switch which is controlled by a switch operable by decoupling of an edge connector from the elongate connector of the backplane and constituting said control means and which is adapted to electrically connect pins of the elongate connector electrically connected to links of the daisy chain signal lines and protruding from the rear face of the backplane by contacts carried by the preformed elongate body.
7. An automatically operated electrical connecting device as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the contacts are spring-loaded.
8. An automatically operated electrical connecting device as claimed in Claim 7, wherein each spring-loaded contact is accommodated in a separate hole or pocket in the preformed elongate body.
9. An automatically operated electrical connecting device as claimed in any one of Claims 6 to 8, wherein the switch operable by decoupling of an edge connector from the elongate connector of the backplane is mechanically operated by a spring-loaded plunger which is adapted to be slidably engaged in aligned holes in the elongate connector, backplane and preformed elongate body, which will hold the switch in the de-activated position when the plunger is pushed through the aligned holes by an edge connector coupled to the elongate connector and which, when the edge connector is decoupled from the elongate connector, will move under the action of its associated spring to permit the switch to activate.
10. An automatically operated electrical connecting device as claimed in any one of Claims 6 to 8, wherein the switch operable by decoupling of an edge connector from the elongate connector of the backplane is an optical switch comprising a lamp and an electronic photo-detector mounted on the preformed elongate body on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the preformed elongate body, and a spring-loaded plunger which is adapted to be slidably engaged in aligned holes in the elongate body, backplane and elongate connector and which carries at or near its end that will be remote from the elongate connector means for interrupting the light path between the lamp and electronic photodetector, the arrangement being such that, when an edge connector of a daughter board is coupled to the elongate connector of the backplane, the plunger is pushed by the edge connector through the aligned holes in the elongate connector, backplane and preformed elongate body so that said means interrupts the light path between the lamp and electronic photo-detector so that the optical switch is de-activated and being such that, when the edge connector is decoupled from the elongate connector, the plunger is urged under the action of its associated spring in such a direction that said means no longer interrupts the light path between the lamp and electronic photo-detector and the optical switch is activated to cause the electronic switch to effect electrical connection between the links of the daisy chain signal lines.
11. An automatically operated electrical connecting device as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the lamp is an infra-red LED and the electronic photo-detector is a photo-diode or photo-transistor sensitive only to infrared light.
12. An automatically operated electrical connecting device as claimed in Claim 10 or 11, wherein a trigger circuit is interconnected between the output of the electronic photo-detector and the input of the electronic switch in order to ensure controlled switching of the electronic switch.
13. An automatically operated electrical connecting device as claimed in any one of Claims 6 to 12, wherein the printed circuit is electrically connected to a visible signal which is adapted to be visible through aligned holes in the elongate connector, backplane and preformed elongate body when an edge connector of a daughter board has been decoupled from the elongate connector and which is lighted when the switch operable by decoupling of the edge connector is activated.
14. An automatically operated electrical connecting device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the preformed elongate body is adapted to be mounted on the rear face of a backplane of the kind described at a position between two elongate connectors mounted adjacent one another on the front face of the backplane
23.
15. An automatically operated electrical connecting device as claimed in Claim 14, wherein the electrical connecting means carried by the preformed elongate body comprises a printed circuit electrically connected to an electronic switch which is controlled by a switch operable by decoupling of an edge connector from one of said two elongate connectors of the backplane and constituting said control means and which is adapted to electrically connect pins of said elongate connector electrically connected to links of the daisy chain signal lines by contacts carried by the preformed elongate body and adapted to effect direct or indirect electrical connection with plated through holes in the backplane which are disposed between said two elongate connectors and which are electrically connected to said pins of said one elongate connector by electrically conductive tracks within or on a surface of the backplane.
16. An automatically operated electrical connecting device as claimed in any one of Claims 1, 5 and 14, wherein the device is wholly mechanically operated and comprises contacts of electrically conductive metal or metal alloy which are urged, by spring means separately formed with respect to or integral with the contacts, towards a position in which they will effect electrical connection between the links of daisy chain signal lires electrically connected by an edge connector when coupled to the elongate connector but which are prevented from reaching said position and effecting such electrical connection by control means adapted to be mechanically activated by said edge connector.
17. A device for automatically effecting electrical connection between links of a daisy chain signal line of a backplane of the kind described which have been electrically disconnected by decoupling of the edge connector of a daughter board from an elongate connector of the backplane, which device is substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.
18. A backplane of the kind described which has mounted on its rear face and effecting electrical connection between links of daisy chain signal lines of the backplane at least one automatically operated electrical connecting device as claimed in any one of the preceding
Claims.
19. A backplane as claimed in Claim 18, wherein the preformed elongate body of the automatically operated electrical connecting device is rigidly secured to the rear face of the backplane at a position immediately behind an elongate connector of the backplane by means of hollow rivets pressed into aligned holes in the preformed elongate body and backplane, which aligned holes are in axial alignment with unemployed DIN holes of the elongate connector.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB919117745A GB9117745D0 (en) | 1991-08-15 | 1991-08-15 | Circuit board connector |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB9217205D0 GB9217205D0 (en) | 1992-09-23 |
| GB2258770A true GB2258770A (en) | 1993-02-17 |
Family
ID=10700102
Family Applications (2)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB919117745A Pending GB9117745D0 (en) | 1991-08-15 | 1991-08-15 | Circuit board connector |
| GB9217205A Withdrawn GB2258770A (en) | 1991-08-15 | 1992-08-13 | Automatic link arrangement for a circuit board connector. |
Family Applications Before (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB919117745A Pending GB9117745D0 (en) | 1991-08-15 | 1991-08-15 | Circuit board connector |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (2) | GB9117745D0 (en) |
Cited By (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2003083638A2 (en) * | 2002-03-28 | 2003-10-09 | Emc Corporation | Data storage system |
| US6877061B2 (en) | 2000-03-31 | 2005-04-05 | Emc Corporation | Data storage system having dummy printed circuit boards |
| US6907483B1 (en) | 2002-03-28 | 2005-06-14 | Emc Corporation | Data storage system having dummy printed circuit boards with jumpers |
| US11637392B2 (en) * | 2020-01-07 | 2023-04-25 | Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation | Electrical mating systems |
Citations (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4952758A (en) * | 1989-03-23 | 1990-08-28 | Reliance Comm/Tec Corporation | Apparatus for hitless by-pass switching |
-
1991
- 1991-08-15 GB GB919117745A patent/GB9117745D0/en active Pending
-
1992
- 1992-08-13 GB GB9217205A patent/GB2258770A/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4952758A (en) * | 1989-03-23 | 1990-08-28 | Reliance Comm/Tec Corporation | Apparatus for hitless by-pass switching |
Cited By (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US6877061B2 (en) | 2000-03-31 | 2005-04-05 | Emc Corporation | Data storage system having dummy printed circuit boards |
| WO2003083638A2 (en) * | 2002-03-28 | 2003-10-09 | Emc Corporation | Data storage system |
| WO2003083638A3 (en) * | 2002-03-28 | 2004-06-17 | Emc Corp | Data storage system |
| US6907483B1 (en) | 2002-03-28 | 2005-06-14 | Emc Corporation | Data storage system having dummy printed circuit boards with jumpers |
| US11637392B2 (en) * | 2020-01-07 | 2023-04-25 | Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation | Electrical mating systems |
| US20230344160A1 (en) * | 2020-01-07 | 2023-10-26 | Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation | Electrical mating systems |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB9217205D0 (en) | 1992-09-23 |
| GB9117745D0 (en) | 1991-10-02 |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| EP0748527B1 (en) | Card edge connector providing non-simultaneous electrical connections | |
| US4846727A (en) | Reference conductor for improving signal integrity in electrical connectors | |
| CA1274887A (en) | Daughter board/backplane assembly | |
| US5757998A (en) | Multigigabit adaptable transceiver module | |
| US7402048B2 (en) | Technique for blind-mating daughtercard to mainboard | |
| RU2013897C1 (en) | Electronic system | |
| EP1382094B1 (en) | Electrical connector assembly for orthogonally mating circuit boards | |
| US8328571B2 (en) | Connector assemblies having moveable mating arrays and power connectors | |
| EP0554077A1 (en) | Packaging system | |
| US5479320A (en) | Board-to-board connector including an insulative spacer having a conducting surface and U-shaped contacts | |
| MY131437A (en) | Flexible circuit connector | |
| JPH0794249A (en) | Intermediate connector for printed-circuit card and electronic-circuit board | |
| SG91485G (en) | Bridge connector for electrically connecting parallel pins | |
| EP2768083B1 (en) | Connector | |
| GB2316816A (en) | An electrical connector having a visual indicator | |
| EP2302739A2 (en) | Electrical connector having a sequential mating interface | |
| KR20000064402A (en) | Universal Interface Test Adapter | |
| JPS5778782A (en) | Connector | |
| IE914459A1 (en) | Orthogonal interconnection | |
| GB2258770A (en) | Automatic link arrangement for a circuit board connector. | |
| US4832619A (en) | Pin mounted support system for printed circuit cards and connectors | |
| EP0643448B1 (en) | Coaxial connector for connection to a printed circuit board | |
| US5366385A (en) | Electronic circuit module and equipment rack for the module | |
| RU99108720A (en) | ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR | |
| US4685031A (en) | Edgeboard connector |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |