JP2017091315A - Communication apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce dead space in a communication apparatus.SOLUTION: A communication apparatus for relaying data includes a housing 10 where a plurality of units to be used in relay are inserted, and a backplane 600 for electrically connecting the units in the housing. The backplane includes: a connection member which is arranged in a position at a distance by a length L1 in an insertion direction of a unit from an insertion surface of the housing where one or more of the units are inserted into the housing, to electrically connect to a first unit; a connection member which is arranged in a position at a distance by a length L2 longer than the first length and equal to a length of an insertion direction of a second unit 500 from the first insertion surface where one or more second units of the above units different from the first units are inserted, to electrically connect to the second unit; and a third connection member arranged between the above connection members, to electrically connect the fist units and the second units to each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication device that relays data in a network.

  Generally, a communication device that relays data in a network includes various circuit board units, a fan unit, a power supply unit, and a backplane. Examples of the circuit board unit include a circuit board unit having a control function for controlling data transfer, a circuit board unit having an interface function, and a circuit board unit having a data transfer function and a path search function. The fan unit cools various circuit board units. The power supply unit supplies power to the circuit board unit, the fan unit, and the backplane. The backplane is a circuit board for relay that transmits / receives signals and supplies power between the units.

  Note that these various units often adopt a detachable (pluggable) configuration. In addition, the communication device can be equipped with as many circuit board units as necessary to satisfy the required packet processing capability. Further, when it is required to construct a highly reliable network system, the communication device is configured redundantly by mounting a plurality of similar units.

  The packet processing capacity and power consumption required for the communication device depend on the number of various units mounted and the redundant configuration of the same type of units. For example, when it is desired to increase the power consumption, the power supply system of the communication apparatus is configured by expanding the power capacity per power supply unit or increasing the number of parallel operations of the power supply units. When it is desired to reduce the power consumption, the power supply system of the communication apparatus is configured by reducing the power capacity per power supply unit or reducing the number of parallel operation of the power supply units. In other words, it is desirable that the communication device has a housing structure that can flexibly mount a power supply unit having a power capacity suitable for packet processing capability and a redundant configuration.

  The communication device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a guide formed on the upper and lower surfaces from the front to the rear, a power supply unit inserted into the guide, a circuit board attached to at least one of the upper and lower surfaces, and the circuit board. It has a connector mounted on the front surface of the circuit board and a connector attached to the front surface of the power supply unit, and the connector of the power supply unit and the connector of the circuit board are plugged as the power supply unit is inserted into the guide. Connected in.

JP-A-6-350274

  However, in the communication device of Patent Document 1 described above, the depth dimensions of the transmission power amplifying device inserted into the communication device rack are the same. Therefore, a communication device in which a plurality of transmission power amplification devices having different depth dimensions are inserted forms a dead space inside the transmission power amplification device having a shorter depth dimension. This increases the size of the communication device. In addition, there is no dead space, in other words, the performance is reduced as compared with a communication device of the same size in which various substrates are arranged in such a dead space.

  It is an object of the present invention to reduce dead space inside a communication device.

  A communication device according to one aspect of the invention disclosed in the present application is a communication device that relays data, a housing into which a plurality of units used for relay are inserted, and a housing provided in the housing. And a backplane that electrically connects the plurality of units, wherein the backplane includes at least one first unit of the plurality of units inserted into the housing. A first connecting member disposed at a position separated from the first insertion surface by a first length in the insertion direction of the first unit, and electrically connected to the first unit; One or more second units different from the first unit in the unit are the length in the insertion direction of the second unit from the first insertion surface, and more than the first length Placed in a position separated by a long second length A second connecting member that is electrically connected to the second unit; and provided between the first connecting member and the second connecting member, the first unit and the second unit. And a third connecting member that electrically connects the two.

  A communication device according to another aspect of the invention disclosed in the present application is a communication device that relays data, and is provided in a housing into which a plurality of units used for the relay are inserted, and the housing. A backplane that electrically connects the plurality of units within the housing, wherein the backplane has one or more first units of the plurality of units inserted into the housing. The first unit is disposed at a position separated from the first insertion surface of the housing by a first length in the first insertion direction of the first unit and electrically connected to the first unit. A second unit different from the first unit of the plurality of units from the connection member and a second insertion surface opposite to the first insertion surface is connected to the second unit second of the second unit. In the insertion direction and the first length A second connecting member that is disposed at a position separated by a longer second length and electrically connected to the second unit, and between the first connecting member and the second connecting member. And a third connecting member that electrically connects the first unit and the second unit.

  According to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the dead space inside the communication device. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the description of the following examples.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration example of a communication apparatus. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a housing structure inside the communication apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the backplane according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a front view of the communication apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a rear view of the communication apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of the communication apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a housing structure inside the communication apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the backplane according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a front view of the communication apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a rear view of the communication apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a side sectional view of the communication apparatus according to the second embodiment.

  In this embodiment, a case structure that conforms to NEBS (Network Equipment Building System), which is a specification for communication equipment for communication carriers, will be described as an example of a case structure for cooling a communication apparatus. In the present embodiment, the case structure of the communication device of the front / rear intake / exhaust type will be described as an example. .

  Communication devices that employ a front / rear intake / exhaust housing structure generally have a structure in which various circuit board units are mounted from the front of the housing, and a cooling fan unit is mounted on the rear of the housing. In a communication device that employs a front / rear intake / exhaust cooling structure, transmission / reception of signals between various units is performed via a backplane in the communication device. The power supply unit is connected to the backplane and supplies power to these various units via the backplane. On the premise of this device structure, the packet processing capacity per communication device volume is an index for determining the superiority or inferiority of the communication device. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to reduce a useless space (dead space) that cannot be used in the communication apparatus.

  When the dead space is reduced, the communication device is downsized. Further, when the unit is mounted in the dead space, the processing capability for the board unit is improved. Further, when the power supply unit is mounted in the dead space, it is possible to increase the power consumption of other substrate units.

  Hereinafter, for example, a housing structure of a communication apparatus represented by a LAN (Local Area Network) switch or a router will be described. This housing structure realizes space saving of the communication device.

<Configuration example of communication device>
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration example of a communication apparatus. In FIG. 1, functions and connection relationships of circuit board units constituting the communication device 1 will be described. The communication device 1 includes one or more control units 100, one or more network interface units 200, one or more packet routing units 300, one or more fan units 400, one or more power supply units 500, and a backplane 700. And having. In FIG. 1, there are two control units 100, four network interface units 200, two packet routing units 300, four fan units 400, and four power supply units 500.

  The control unit 100, the network interface unit 200, the packet routing unit 300, the fan unit 400, and the power supply unit 500 may be simply referred to as “units”. The combination of the packet routing unit 300 and the network interface unit 200 connected to the unit 300 may be referred to as a “communication unit”. The units 100, 200, and 300 correspond to the “circuit board unit” described above.

  The control unit 100 is a unit that manages routing information and device configuration information of the communication device 1. The control unit 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 110, a memory 115, and a control system repeater 120.

  The CPU 110 is connected to the memory 115 and the control system repeater 120. The CPU 110 reads necessary information from the routing information and device configuration information in the memory 115. The CPU 110 transmits information read from the memory 115 and information for controlling the other units 200, 300, 400, 500 to the other units 200, 300, 400, 500 via the control repeater 120. The memory 115 holds routing information and device configuration information. The routing information is a routing table in which the network IP address is associated with the IP address of the transfer destination communication device (opposite device). The counter device is a device that is directly connected to the communication device 1 and is, for example, another communication device or a terminal that is a transmission source or destination of a packet. The device configuration information is information indicating the configuration in the communication device 1 such as the type and number of units 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 mounted on the communication device 1.

  The control system repeater 120 is connected to the network interface unit 200, the packet routing unit 300, the fan unit 400, and the power supply unit 500 through the backplane 700 through the control signal line 610. When there are a plurality of control units 100, the control system repeater 120 is also connected to another control system repeater 120 in another control unit 100 by a control signal line 610. In response to an instruction from the CPU 110, the control repeater 120 duplicates information from the CPU 110 and transmits it to each unit 200, 300, 400, 500, or returns a response from the unit 200, 300, 400, 500 to the CPU 110. .

  The network interface unit 200 is a unit that transmits and receives packets to and from the opposite device. Within the communication device 1, the network interface unit 200 is directly connected to the transfer engine 310 of the packet routing unit 300. On the other hand, the network interface unit 200 is indirectly connected to the other network interface unit 200 via the packet routing unit 300 and the other packet routing unit 300 that are directly connected.

  The network interface unit 200 has one or more external ports 210. The network interface unit 200 transmits a packet from the external port 210 to the corresponding device. The network interface unit 200 receives a packet from the opposite device at the external port 210 and sends it to the packet routing unit 300.

  The packet routing unit 300 is a unit that performs packet transfer processing and routing processing. The packet routing unit 300 includes a transfer engine 310, a search engine 320, a switch LSI (Large Scale Integration) 330, and a control system LSI 340.

  When a packet is received from the network interface unit 200, the transfer engine 310 receives the packet transmitted from the network interface unit 200, extracts header information in the received packet, and transmits the header information to the search engine 320. In this case, the transfer engine 310 transmits an acquisition request for packet transfer control information including the extracted header information to the search engine 320. The packet transfer control information is, for example, route information or filter / QoS (Quality of Service) information. The transfer engine 310 receives the packet transfer control information returned from the search engine 320 as a result of transmitting the header information to the search engine 320. The transfer engine 310 specifies the external port 210 to which the received packet from the network interface unit 200 should be transferred based on the information, and transfers the received packet to the switch LSI 330.

  When a received packet is received from the switch LSI 330 of the own unit 300 or another packet routing unit 300, the transfer engine 310 transmits an acquisition request for a MAC (Media Access Control) address including header information of the received packet to the search engine 320. To do. As a result, the transfer engine 310 receives the MAC address of the opposite device as a response. The transfer engine 310 transfers the received packet to the received MAC address via the specified external port 210.

  When an acquisition request for packet transfer control information is received, the search engine 320 refers to various tables using header information included in the acquisition request, and acquires packet transfer control information from the table. The search engine 320 returns packet transfer control information to the transfer engine 310.

  When the MAC address acquisition request is received, the search engine 320 uses the header information included in the acquisition request to associate the destination IP address of the received packet with the MAC address, so-called address resolution, and obtain the MAC address. get. The search engine 320 returns the acquired MAC address to the transfer engine 310.

  The switch LSI 330 is connected to the transfer engine 310 and the control system LSI 340. The switch LSI 330 is also connected to the switch LSI 330 of another packet routing unit 300. The switch LSI 330 transfers the received packet to the corresponding packet routing unit 300. The “corresponding packet routing unit 300” is a packet routing unit 300 connected to the network interface unit 200 having the external port 210 designated by the transfer engine 310.

  When the “corresponding packet routing unit 300” is a directly connected packet routing unit 300, the switch LSI 330 sends the received packet to the transfer engine 310 of the own unit 300. When the “corresponding packet routing unit 300” is the other packet routing unit 300, the switch LSI 330 passes through the other switch LSI 330 in the other packet routing unit 300 to another transfer engine in the other packet routing unit 300. The received packet is sent to 310.

  The fan unit 400 is a unit that cools the other units 100, 200, and 300 connected to the first backplane 600. The fan unit 400 generates cooling air that cools components mounted in the other units 100, 200, and 300. Note that the number of fan units 400 mounted depends on the heat generation amount and redundant configuration of the other units 100, 200, 300.

  The power supply unit 500 is a unit that supplies power to the other units 100, 200, 300, and 400. The power supply unit 500 supplies power to the other units 100, 200, 300, and 400 through the power supply line 620 through the backplane 700. Specifically, the power supply unit 500 converts, for example, an alternating current supplied from a commercial power source into a direct current and supplies power to the other units 100, 200, 300, and 400. The power supply unit 500 may be a rechargeable battery. Further, a storage battery may be provided in a part of the power supply unit 500. Note that the number of power supply units 500 mounted depends on the number of other units 100, 200, 300, 400 mounted and the redundant configuration.

  The backplane 700 is a connection plate that electrically connects the units 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500. The backplane 700 connects the units 100, 200, 300, and 400 so that they can communicate with each other, and connects the power supply unit 500 to the other units 100, 200, 300, and 400 so that power can be supplied. Details of the backplane 700 will be described later.

  The first embodiment shows an example of the housing structure of the communication device 1 in which the power supply unit 500 is mounted from the front of the communication device 1.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a housing structure inside the communication device 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the backplane 700 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a front view of the communication device 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a rear view of the communication device 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of the communication device 1 according to the first embodiment.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the communication device 1 as viewed from the front surface 1A of the housing 10 (that is, the front surface of the communication device 1). In FIG. 2, the housing 10 is indicated by a one-dot chain line. The control unit 100, the network interface unit 200, and the packet routing unit 300 at the back of the control unit 100 are inserted from the front surface 1A of the housing 10 and connected to the first backplane 600 in the housing 10. The first backplane 600 constitutes a part of the backplane 700. A front surface 1A of the housing 10 serves as a first insertion surface. The fan unit 400 is inserted from the back surface 1 </ b> B of the housing 10 (that is, the back surface of the communication device 1) and connected to the first backplane 600 in the housing 10. The back surface 1B of the housing 10 serves as a second insertion surface.

  Each of the control unit 100 and the network interface unit 200 has ventilation ports 101 and 201 through which cooling air W1 for cooling the mounted components passes. The first back plane 600 has a ventilation opening 601.

  The fan unit 400 sucks the cooling air W1 from the back surface 1B of the housing 10 and exhausts the cooling air W1 from the front surface 1A of the housing 10. Specifically, the cooling air W1 sucked from the fan unit 400 is taken into the control unit 100, the network interface unit 200, and the packet routing unit 300 through the ventilation port 601 of the first backplane 600, and these Cool down. Then, the cooling air W <b> 1 is exhausted from the front surface 1 </ b> A of the housing 10 through the inside of the control unit 100 and the network interface unit 200 and the ventilation ports 101 and 201.

  Thereby, the fan unit 400 can cool the control unit 100, the network interface unit 200, and the packet routing unit 300.

  The power supply unit 500 is connected from the front surface 1 </ b> A of the housing 10 to the second backplane 520 in the housing 10. The second backplane 520 is also a part of the backplane 700, like the first backplane 600. As shown in FIG. 5, the power supply unit 500 has a fan 510 on the front surface thereof (see FIG. 4). The fan 510 sucks cooling air W2 for cooling components mounted on the power supply unit 500 from the back surface 1B of the housing 10 into the power supply unit 500 and exhausts it from the front surface 1A of the housing 10.

  The backplane 700 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. The backplane 700 includes a first backplane 600, a second backplane 520, and a relay board 530.

  The first backplane 600 is a first connection plate that connects the control unit 100, the communication unit (specifically, the packet routing unit 300), and the fan unit 400 so that they can communicate with each other. The first back plane 600 has a ventilation opening 601. Further, the first backplane 600 has a connector 611 connected to the control unit 100 and the packet routing unit 300 on the surface thereof.

  Further, the first backplane 600 has a connector 612 connected to the fan unit 400 on the back surface thereof. The control signal line 610 is routed around the surface of the first backplane 600 and connected to the connectors 611 and 612. Since the fan unit 400 is provided on the back surface of the first backplane 600, the control signal line 610 connected to the fan unit 400 is connected to the first backplane 600 through a through hole (not shown). It is drawn from the front to the back.

  The first backplane 600 has a first power supply connector 631 on the back surface. The power supply line 620 is routed between the first power supply connector 631 and the connectors 611 and 612. Since the connector 611 is on the surface of the first backplane 600, the power supply line 620 connected to each connector 611 is routed from the back surface of the first backplane 600 to the surface via a through hole (not shown). Has been.

  The second backplane 520 is a second connection plate that connects the power supply unit 500 to the other units 100, 200, 300, and 400 so that power can be supplied. The second backplane 520 includes a second power supply connector 521, a third power supply connector 522, and a power supply line 640. The second power supply connector 521 is connected to the fourth power supply connector 531 of the relay board 530. The third power supply connector 522 is connected to the power supply connector 502 (see FIG. 6) of the power supply unit.

  The second backplane 520 has a vent hole 523 at a position where the power supply unit 500 is connected to the third power supply connector 522. The second back plane 520 is disposed in the vicinity of the back surface 1B of the housing 10. Note that the power supply unit 500 sucks the cooling air W <b> 2 into the inside from the air vent 523. The power supply line 640 electrically connects the second power supply connector 521 and the third power supply connector 522.

  The relay substrate 530 is a connection plate that electrically connects the first backplane 600 and the second backplane 520. The relay substrate 530 includes a fourth power supply connector 531, a fifth power supply connector 532, and a power supply line 630. The feeder line 630 is routed to the front surface (or back surface) of the relay substrate 530. The power supply line 630 connects the fourth power supply connector 531 and the fifth power supply connector 532.

  The current converted into DC by the power supply unit 500 is supplied to the power supply connector 502, the second power supply connector 521, the power supply line 640, the third power supply connector 522, the fourth power supply connector 531, the power supply line 630, and the fifth power supply connector. 532, and supplied to the other units 100, 200, 300, and 400 via the first power supply connector 631.

  In the first embodiment, the first back plane 600 and the second back plane 520 are connected not by a cable but by a relay board 530. Since the relay board 530 is not shaken by cooling air like a cable, contact failure due to cooling air does not occur. In addition, the relay substrate 530 does not have a malfunction due to poor contact or an increase in electrical resistance, such as an electrically connected cable. Further, the relay substrate 530 is not affected by an increase in loss due to an optical axis shift or a connection angle shift unlike a cable that is optically connected. Further, since the relay board 530 is not bent like an optical cable, the cable is not damaged or the characteristics in the cable are not deteriorated.

  In FIG. 4, the housing 10 has a front plate 11 on the front surface 1 </ b> A of the housing 10. The front plate 11 has a first opening 12 and a second opening 13. The first opening 12 is an opening into which the units 100, 200, and 300 can be inserted when viewed from the front surface 1 </ b> A of the housing 10. The second opening 13 is an opening into which the power supply unit 500 can be inserted. The second opening 13 exhausts the cooling air W <b> 2 from the fan 510 out of the communication device 1. In addition, when it is set as the structure which supports the unit 100,200,300,500 with the side plate 20 of the housing | casing 10, the front plate 11 does not need to be provided.

  In FIG. 5, the housing 10 has a back plate 14 on the back surface 1 </ b> B of the housing 10. The back plate 14 has a third opening 15 and a fourth opening 16. The third opening 15 is an opening into which the fan unit 400 can be inserted when viewed from the back surface 1B of the housing 10. The fourth opening 16 is an opening that takes in the cooling air W <b> 2 from the fan 510 of the power supply unit 500 through the air outlet 501. In addition, when it is set as the structure which supports the unit 100,200,300,500 with the side plate 20 of the housing | casing 10, the back plate 14 does not need to be provided.

  6A is a side sectional view of the communication apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 6B is a communication apparatus 1 in which the backplane 700 is not mounted, that is, only the first backplane 600. The communication device 1 connects the various units 100, 200, 300, 400, 500.

  In (A) and (B), the communication device 1 has a structure in which two network interface units 200 are connected to one packet routing unit 300 using, for example, a mezzanine connector 301.

  The structure in which the units 100, 300, and 400 are interconnected via the first backplane 600 is common to (A) and (B). In (A), the power supply unit 500 is connected to the second backplane 520. The first back plane 600 and the second back plane 520 are connected via a relay substrate 530.

  The control unit 100 has a connector 102 and is connected to a connector 611 on the surface side of the first backplane 600. The packet routing unit 300 has a connector 202 and is connected to a connector 611 on the surface side of the first backplane 600. The fan unit 400 has a connector (not shown) and is connected to a connector 612 on the back side of the first backplane 600.

  In (A), the backplane 700 is configured in a step shape when viewed from the side surface of the housing 10. Specifically, the first back plane 600 is arranged on the front 1A side by the thickness of the fan unit 400. In other words, the first backplane 600 is disposed at a position separated from the front surface 1A (front plate 11) in which the control unit 100 is inserted into the housing 10 by a length L1 in the insertion direction of the control unit 100. At this position, the first backplane 600 is communicably connected to the control unit 100. The same applies to the communication unit.

  The second back plane 520 is disposed close to the back plate 14 of the housing 10. That is, since the length L2 of the power supply unit 500 in the insertion direction of the housing 10 is longer than the length L1 of the control unit 100 in the insertion direction, the end of the power supply unit 500 on the depth side is below the fan unit 400. Inserted. Then, the power supply connector 502 of the power supply unit 500 is connected to the third power supply connector 522 of the second backplane 520. The mounting structure (A) can be applied to mounting of the power supply unit 500 having various outer dimensions.

  On the other hand, in (B), a dead space DS1 is generated between the front plate 11, the control unit 100, and the interface unit 200. In addition, since the first backplane 600 connects the units 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500, a dead space DS <b> 2 is generated below the fan unit 400. If the power supply unit 500 is the same as or shorter than the control unit 100 in order to eliminate the dead space DS1, the power supply unit 500 becomes smaller, so the power capacity per power supply unit 500 is reduced and the power consumption is reduced. Even in this case, the dead space DS2 remains. The same applies to the connected lengths of the network interface unit 200 and the packet routing unit 300.

  When the lengths of the units 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 are different, dead spaces DS1 and DS2 are generated, and thus the volume of the communication device 1 is increased. Further, when compared with the communication device 1 having the same packet processing capability, the units 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 corresponding to the dead spaces DS1, DS2 are not mounted. Therefore, the packet processing capacity per volume of the communication device 1 is deteriorated.

  In other words, the communication device 1 of (A) can eliminate the dead spaces DS1 and DS2 without changing the size of the power supply unit 500 compared to (B). Therefore, the power capacity can be expanded as compared with (B), and the power consumption of the units 100, 200, 300, and 400 can be increased. Thereby, the packet processing capability in the communication apparatus 1 can be improved.

  The cooling of the units 100, 200, and 300 is performed by the fan unit 400, while the cooling of the power supply unit 500 is performed by the fan 510 included in the power supply unit 500. Thus, the cooling of the units 100, 200, and 300 and the cooling of the power supply unit 500 are performed separately. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain the air volume balance necessary for each cooling.

  The cooling air W <b> 1 is sucked from the air vents 101 and 201 on the upper stage of the communication device 1, passes through the air vent 601 arranged in the first back plane 600, and is exhausted from the back surface 1 </ b> B of the housing 10 from the fan unit 400. . In addition, the cooling air W <b> 2 is sucked from the ventilation opening 501 and exhausted from the back surface 1 </ b> B of the housing 10 by the fan 510. By adopting the structure of the first embodiment, the relay substrate 530 separates the intake / exhaust flow path of the cooling air W1 from the intake / exhaust air flow path of the cooling air W2 and shields the flow paths. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress the deviation in the air volume balance between the cooling airs W1 and W2 and the mutual interference between the cooling airs W1 and W2.

  In the first embodiment, the first backplane 600, the second backplane 520, and the relay board 530 are connected by connectors to form a stepped backplane 700 that is mounted inside the communication device 1. However, the backplane 700 may be integrated. In addition, the first back plane 600 and the relay board 530 may be partially integrated, and the second back plane 520 and the relay board 530 may be partially integrated.

  In the first embodiment, the power supply unit 500 is configured to be longer in the insertion direction than the control unit 100 and the communication unit. In the first embodiment, the configuration is not limited to this, and the unit connected to the second backplane 520 may be changed from the power supply unit 500 to either the control unit 100 or the communication unit and lengthened in the insertion direction.

  Various units 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 are mounted so that the direction in which the cooling air W1 flows and the direction in which the cooling air W2 flows are the same direction. As a result, the cooling air W1 (W2), which is the exhaust heat from the units 100, 200, 300 (500) that exhausts one cooling air W1 (W2), circulates, and the other cooling air W2 (W1) is discarded. It is possible to suppress the supply of air to the unit 500 (100, 200, 300).

  In the first embodiment, the cooling air W1 and W2 are sucked from the back surface 1B of the housing 10 and are exhausted from the front surface 1A of the housing 10. However, the cooling air W1 and W2 are discharged from the front surface 1A of the housing 10. It is good also as a structure which inhales and exhausts from the back surface 1B of the housing | casing 10. FIG.

  The number of units 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 mounted is not limited to the number of units shown in FIGS. Further, the second back plane 520, the relay board 530, and other connectors are arranged in a path for connecting the power supply unit 500 to the first back plane 600, and have a sufficient current capacity for suppressing a voltage drop. Have Note that since the relay board 530 has a circuit board structure, it is possible to prevent the biting (disconnection) when the power supply unit 500 is inserted / removed as compared with a cable with a connector.

  As described above, the backplane 700 of the communication device 1 according to the first embodiment includes the first backplane 600, the second backplane 520, and the relay board 530. The first backplane 600 is disposed at a position separated from the front surface 1A where the first unit (for example, the control unit 100 or the communication unit) is inserted into the housing 10 by a length L1 in the insertion direction of the first unit. And electrically connected to the first unit. The second backplane 520 is arranged at a position where one or more second units (for example, the power supply unit 500) different from the first unit are separated from the front surface 1A by a length L2 longer than the length L1. , Electrically connected to the second unit. The relay substrate 530 is provided between the first backplane 600 and the second backplane 520, and electrically connects the first unit and the second unit.

  Thereby, since the edge part by the side of the front 1A of the 1st unit and 2nd unit from which the length of an insertion direction differs is arrange | positioned in the front 1A, dead space DS1 is lose | eliminated. Moreover, since the edge part of the insertion direction of a 2nd unit protrudes in the back surface 1B side, dead space DS2 is lose | eliminated. Therefore, the dead space in the communication device 1 is reduced.

  Further, by disposing the third unit on the back side of the first backplane 600, there is no dead space in the region where the third unit is disposed. Therefore, the dead space in the communication device 1 is reduced. Further, by using the third unit as the fan unit 400, the dead space can be effectively used to cool the units 100, 200, and 300.

  The second embodiment shows an example of the housing structure of the communication device 1 in which the power supply unit is mounted from the back surface of the communication device 1. The second embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same structure as Example 1, and the description may be abbreviate | omitted.

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a housing structure inside the communication device 1 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the backplane 700 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a front view of the communication device 1 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a rear view of the communication device 1 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a side sectional view of the communication device 1 according to the second embodiment.

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the communication device 1 as viewed from the front 1A of the housing 10 (that is, the front of the communication device 1). In FIG. 2, the housing 10 is indicated by a one-dot chain line. The control unit 100, the network interface unit 200, and the packet routing unit 300 at the back of the control unit 100 are inserted from the front surface 1A of the housing 10 and connected to the first backplane 600 in the housing 10. A front surface 1A of the housing 10 serves as a first insertion surface. The fan unit 400 is inserted from the back surface 1 </ b> B of the housing 10 (that is, the back surface of the communication device 1) and connected to the first backplane 600 in the housing 10. The back surface 1B of the housing 10 serves as a second insertion surface.

  Each of the control unit 100 and the network interface unit 200 has ventilation ports 101 and 201 through which cooling air W1 for cooling the mounted components passes. The first back plane 600 has a ventilation opening 601.

  The fan unit 400 sucks the cooling air W1 from the front surface 1A of the housing 10 and exhausts the cooling air W1 from the back surface 1B of the housing 10. Specifically, the cooling air W <b> 1 sucked from the fan unit 400 cools them through the control unit 100, the network interface unit 200, and the packet routing unit 300. Then, the cooling air W <b> 1 is sucked into the fan unit 400 through the ventilation port 601 of the first backplane 600 and exhausted from the back surface 1 </ b> B of the housing 10.

  Thereby, the fan unit 400 can cool the control unit 100, the network interface unit 200, and the packet routing unit 300.

  The power supply unit 500 is connected to the second backplane 520 in the housing 10 from the back surface 1 </ b> B of the housing 10. As shown in FIG. 5, the power supply unit 500 has a fan 510 on the back surface thereof (see FIG. 10). The fan 510 sucks cooling air W2 for cooling the mounted components from the front surface 1A of the housing 10 into the power supply unit 500 and exhausts it from the rear surface 1B of the housing 10.

  The backplane 700 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. The backplane 700 includes a first backplane 600, a second backplane 520, and a relay board 530.

  The first backplane 600 is a first connection plate that connects the control unit 100, the communication unit (specifically, the packet routing unit 300), and the fan unit 400 so that they can communicate with each other. The first back plane 600 has a ventilation opening 601. Further, the first backplane 600 has a connector 611 connected to the control unit 100 and the packet routing unit 300 on the surface thereof.

  Further, the first backplane 600 has a connector 612 connected to the fan unit 400 on the back surface thereof. The control signal line 610 is routed around the surface of the first backplane 600 and connected to the connectors 611 and 612. Since the fan unit 400 is provided on the back surface of the first backplane 600, the control signal line 610 connected to the fan unit 400 is connected to the first backplane 600 through a through hole (not shown). It is drawn from the front to the back.

  The first backplane 600 has a first power supply connector 631 on the back surface. The power supply line 620 is routed between the first power supply connector 631 and the connectors 611 and 612. Since the connector 612 is on the back surface of the first back plane 600, the power supply line 620 connected to each connector 612 is routed from the back surface of the first back plane 600 to the front surface through a through hole (not shown). Has been.

  The second backplane 520 is a second connection plate that connects the power supply unit 500 to the other units 100, 200, 300, and 400 so that power can be supplied. The second backplane 520 includes a second power supply connector 521, a third power supply connector 522, and a power supply line 640. The second power supply connector 521 is connected to the fourth power supply connector 531 of the relay board 530. The third power supply connector 522 is connected to the power supply connector 502 (see FIG. 11) of the power supply unit.

  The second backplane 520 has a vent hole 523 at a position where the power supply unit 500 is connected to the third power supply connector 522. The second back plane 520 is disposed in the vicinity of the front surface 1 </ b> A of the housing 10. Note that the power supply unit 500 sucks the cooling air W <b> 2 into the inside from the air vent 523. The power supply line 640 electrically connects the second power supply connector 521 and the third power supply connector 522.

  The relay substrate 530 is a connection plate that electrically connects the first backplane 600 and the second backplane 520. The relay substrate 530 includes a fourth power supply connector 531, a fifth power supply connector 532, and a power supply line 630. The feeder line 630 is routed to the front surface (or back surface) of the relay substrate 530. The power supply line 630 connects the fourth power supply connector 531 and the fifth power supply connector 532.

  The current converted into DC by the power supply unit 500 is supplied to the power supply connector 502, the second power supply connector 521, the power supply line 640, the third power supply connector 522, the fourth power supply connector 531, the power supply line 630, and the fifth power supply connector. 532, and supplied to the other units 100, 200, 300, and 400 via the first power supply connector 631.

  Also in the second embodiment, the first back plane 600 and the second back plane 520 are connected not by a cable but by a relay board 530. Since the relay board 530 is not shaken by cooling air like a cable, contact failure due to cooling air does not occur. In addition, the relay substrate 530 does not have a malfunction due to poor contact or an increase in electrical resistance, such as an electrically connected cable. Further, the relay substrate 530 is not affected by an increase in loss due to an optical axis shift or a connection angle shift unlike a cable that is optically connected. Further, since the relay board 530 is not bent like an optical cable, the cable is not damaged or the characteristics in the cable are not deteriorated.

  In FIG. 9, the housing 10 has a front plate 11 on the front surface 1 </ b> A of the housing 10. The front plate 11 has a first opening 12 and a fifth opening 17. The first opening 12 is an opening into which the units 100, 200, 300 can be inserted when viewed from the front surface 1 </ b> A of the housing 10. The fifth opening 17 is an opening into which the power supply unit 500 can be inserted. The fifth opening 17 takes in the cooling air W <b> 2 from outside the communication device 1 into the power supply unit 500. In addition, when it is set as the structure which supports the unit 100,200,300,500 with the side plate 20 of the housing | casing 10, the front plate 11 does not need to be provided.

  In FIG. 10, the housing 10 has a back plate 14 on the back surface 1 </ b> B of the housing 10. The back plate 14 has a third opening 15 and a sixth opening 18. The third opening 15 is an opening into which the fan unit 400 can be inserted when viewed from the back surface 1B of the housing 10. The sixth opening 18 is an opening for exhausting the cooling air W <b> 2 from the fan 510 of the power supply unit 500 through the air outlet 501. In addition, when it is set as the structure which supports the unit 100,200,300,500 with the side plate 20 of the housing | casing 10, the back plate 14 does not need to be provided.

  11A is a side sectional view of the communication apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 11B is a communication apparatus 1 in which the backplane 700 is not mounted, that is, only the first backplane 600. The communication device 1 connects the various units 100, 200, 300, 400, 500.

  In (A) and (B), the communication device 1 has a structure in which two network interface units 200 are connected to one packet routing unit 300 using, for example, a mezzanine connector 301.

  The structure in which the units 100, 300, and 400 are interconnected via the first backplane 600 is common to (A) and (B). In (A), the power supply unit 500 is connected to the second backplane 520. The first back plane 600 and the second back plane 520 are connected via a relay substrate 530.

  The control unit 100 has a connector 102 and is connected to a connector 611 on the surface side of the first backplane 600. The packet routing unit 300 has a connector 202 and is connected to a connector 611 on the surface side of the first backplane 600. The fan unit 400 has a connector (not shown) and is connected to a connector 612 on the back side of the first backplane 600.

  In (A), the backplane 700 is configured in a step shape when viewed from the side surface of the housing 10. Specifically, the first back plane 600 is arranged on the front 1A side by the thickness of the fan unit 400. In other words, the first backplane 600 is disposed at a position separated from the front surface 1A (front plate 11) in which the control unit 100 is inserted into the housing 10 by a length L1 in the insertion direction of the control unit 100. At this position, the first backplane 600 is communicably connected to the control unit 100. The same applies to the communication unit.

  The second back plane 520 is disposed close to the front plate 11 of the housing 10. That is, since the length L2 in the insertion direction of the power supply unit 500 into the housing 10 is longer than the length L1 in the insertion direction of the control unit 100, the depth front side of the power supply unit 500 (the back surface 1B side of the housing 10). Is inserted below the fan unit 400. Then, the power supply connector 502 of the power supply unit 500 is connected to the third power supply connector 522 of the second backplane 520. The mounting structure (A) can be applied to mounting of the power supply unit 500 having various outer dimensions.

  On the other hand, in (B), a dead space DS3 is generated below the units 100, 200, and 300. In addition, since the first backplane 600 connects the various units 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500, a dead space DS 4 is generated behind the fan unit 400. When the power supply unit 500 is shortened in order to eliminate the dead space DS4, the power supply unit 500 is reduced, so that the power capacity per power supply unit 500 is reduced and the power consumption is reduced. Even in this case, the dead space DS3 remains.

  When the lengths of the units 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 are different, dead spaces DS3 and DS4 are generated, and thus the volume of the communication device 1 is increased. Further, when compared with the communication device 1 having the same packet processing capability, the units 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 corresponding to the dead spaces DS3, DS4 are not mounted. Therefore, the packet processing capacity per volume of the communication device 1 is deteriorated.

  In other words, the communication device 1 of (A) can eliminate the dead spaces DS3 and DS4 without changing the size of the power supply unit 500 compared to (B). Therefore, the communication device 1 of (A) can expand the power capacity compared to (B), and can increase the power consumption of the units 100, 200, 300, and 400. Thereby, the packet processing capability in the communication apparatus 1 can be improved.

  The cooling of the units 100, 200, and 300 is performed by the fan unit 400, while the cooling of the power supply unit 500 is performed by the fan 510 included in the power supply unit 500. Thus, the cooling of the units 100, 200, and 300 and the cooling of the power supply unit 500 are performed separately. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain the air volume balance necessary for each cooling.

  The cooling air W <b> 1 is sucked from the vents 101 and 201 on the upper stage of the communication device 1, passes through the vent 601 disposed in the first backplane 600, and is exhausted from the fan unit 400 to the back surface of the communication device 1. In addition, the cooling air W <b> 2 is sucked from the air vent 501 and exhausted to the back surface of the communication device 1 by the fan 510. By adopting the structure of the second embodiment, the relay substrate 530 separates the intake / exhaust flow path of the cooling air W1 from the intake / exhaust air flow path of the cooling air W2 and shields the flow paths. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress the deviation in the air volume balance between the cooling airs W1 and W2 and the mutual interference between the cooling airs W1 and W2.

  In the second embodiment, the first backplane 600, the second backplane 520, and the relay board 530 are connected to each other by a connector to form the stepped backplane 700 and mounted inside the communication device 1. The backplane 700 may be integrated. In addition, the first back plane 600 and the relay board 530 may be partially integrated, and the second back plane 520 and the relay board 530 may be partially integrated.

  In the second embodiment, the power supply unit 500 is configured to be longer in the insertion direction of the housing 10 than the control unit 100 and the communication unit. In the second embodiment, not limited to this, the unit connected to the second backplane 520 is changed from the power supply unit 500 to either the control unit 100 or the connected network interface unit 200 and the packet routing unit 300. It is good also as a structure lengthened in the insertion direction of the housing | casing 10. FIG.

  Various units 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 are mounted so that the direction in which the cooling air W1 flows and the direction in which the cooling air W2 flows are the same direction. As a result, the cooling air W1 (W2), which is the exhaust heat from the units 100, 200, 300 (500) that exhaust the one cooling air W1 (W2), wraps around and discards the other cooling air W2 (W1). Supplying air to the unit 500 (100, 200, 300) can be suppressed.

  In the second embodiment, the cooling air W1 and W2 are sucked from the front surface 1A of the housing 10 and are exhausted from the back surface 1B of the housing 10. However, the cooling air W1 and W2 are discharged from the back surface 1B of the housing 10. It is good also as a structure which inhales and exhausts from the front 1A of the housing | casing 10. FIG.

  Note that the number of units 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 mounted is not limited to the number illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 7 to 11 as long as the number is 1 or more. Further, the second back plane 520, the relay board 530, and other connectors are arranged in a path for connecting the power supply unit 500 to the first back plane 600, and have a sufficient current capacity for suppressing a voltage drop. Have Note that since the relay board 530 has a circuit board structure, it is possible to prevent the biting (disconnection) when the power supply unit 500 is inserted / removed as compared with a cable with a connector.

  As described above, the backplane 700 of the communication device 1 according to the second embodiment includes the first backplane 600, the second backplane 520, and the relay board 530. The first backplane 600 is disposed at a position separated from the front surface 1A where the first unit (for example, the control unit 100 or the communication unit) is inserted into the housing 10 by a length L1 in the insertion direction of the first unit. And electrically connected to the first unit. The second backplane 520 is located at a position where the second unit (for example, the power supply unit 500) is separated from the back surface 1B opposite to the front surface 1A by a length L2 longer than the length L1 of the second unit. Disposed and electrically connected to the second unit. The relay substrate 530 is provided between the first backplane 600 and the second backplane 520, and electrically connects the first unit and the second unit.

  As a result, the end portion on the front surface 1A side of the first unit having a different length in the insertion direction and the second back plane 520 to which the second unit is connected are arranged on the front surface 1A, and thus the dead space DS3. Disappears. Further, since the second unit protrudes toward the front 1A side, most of the dead space DS4 is eliminated. Therefore, the dead space in the communication device 1 is reduced.

  Further, by disposing the third unit on the back side of the first backplane 600, the dead space DS2 is eliminated. Therefore, the dead space in the communication device 1 is reduced.

  In addition, by using the third unit as the fan unit 400, the dead space DS2 can be effectively used to cool the units 100, 200, and 300.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the dead space inside the communication device 1 can be reduced. Thereby, size reduction of the communication apparatus 1 is realizable. Moreover, since the mounting volume of the unit is larger than other communication devices of the same size, the communication processing performance can be improved accordingly. For example, an increase in the volume of the control unit 100 or the communication unit means that the control unit 100 or the communication unit is made redundant. Therefore, communication performance can be improved. Further, the increase in the volume of the power supply unit 500 means that it is possible to cope with an increase in power consumption for other units. Therefore, in this case as well, communication performance can be improved.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modifications and equivalent configurations within the scope of the appended claims. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. A part of the configuration of one embodiment may be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment. Moreover, you may add the structure of another Example to the structure of a certain Example. Moreover, you may add, delete, or replace another structure about a part of structure of each Example.

  In addition, each of the above-described configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be realized in hardware by designing a part or all of them, for example, with an integrated circuit, and the processor realizes each function. It may be realized by software by interpreting and executing the program to be executed.

  Information such as programs, tables, and files that realize each function can be stored in a storage device such as a memory, a hard disk, and an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a recording medium such as an IC card, an SD card, and a DVD.

  Further, the control lines and the information lines are those that are considered necessary for the explanation, and not all the control lines and the information lines that are necessary for the mounting are shown. In practice, it can be considered that almost all the components are connected to each other.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Communication apparatus 10 Case 100 Control unit 200 Network interface unit 300 Packet routing unit 400 Fan unit 500 Power supply unit 520 2nd backplane 530 Relay board 600 1st backplane 700 Backplane DS1-DS4 Dead space W1, W2 Cooling Wind

Claims (7)

A communication device that relays data,
A housing into which a plurality of units used for relay are inserted;
A backplane provided in the housing and electrically connecting the plurality of units in the housing;
The backplane is
A position separated by a first length in the insertion direction of the first unit from a first insertion surface of the housing where one or more first units of the plurality of units are inserted into the housing. And a first connecting member electrically connected to the first unit;
One or more second units different from the first unit in the plurality of units have a length in the insertion direction of the second unit from the first insertion surface, and the first unit A second connecting member disposed at a position separated by a second length longer than the length of the second connecting member and electrically connected to the second unit;
A third connection member provided between the first connection member and the second connection member and electrically connecting the first unit and the second unit;
A communication apparatus comprising: A communication device that relays data,
A housing into which a plurality of units used for relay are inserted;
A backplane provided in the housing and electrically connecting the plurality of units in the housing;
The backplane is
A first length in the first insertion direction of the first unit from a first insertion surface of the housing in which one or more first units of the plurality of units are inserted into the housing. A first connecting member disposed at a distant position and electrically connected to the first unit;
A second unit different from the first unit in the plurality of units is arranged in a second insertion direction of the second unit from a second insertion surface opposite to the first insertion surface. A second connecting member that is disposed at a position separated by a second length longer than the first length and electrically connected to the second unit;
A third connection member provided between the first connection member and the second connection member and electrically connecting the first unit and the second unit;
A communication apparatus comprising: The communication device according to claim 1 or 2,
The communication device, wherein the first connection member electrically connects a third unit inserted into the housing from a second insertion surface opposite to the first insertion surface. The communication device according to claim 3,
The first connecting member has a vent hole;
The third unit sucks the first cooling air from one of the first insertion surface and the second insertion surface, and from the other insertion surface through the ventilation port. A communication device that is a fan unit that exhausts the first cooling air. The communication device according to claim 4,
The second unit sucks the second cooling air from either one of the insertion surfaces, and exhausts the second cooling air from the other insertion surface through the inside of the second unit. A communication device comprising a fan. The communication device according to claim 5,
The communication device, wherein the third connecting member shields the flow path of the first cooling air and the flow path of the second cooling air. The communication device according to claim 1 or 2,
The first unit includes a control unit that controls the communication device, and a communication unit that relays the data under the control of the control unit. The control unit and the communication unit include the first connection member. Via a communicable connection,
The second unit is a power supply unit that supplies power to the first unit, and is connected to the first connection member from the second connection member via the third connection member. The communication device is connected to the unit so as to be able to supply power.