JPS60173618A - Constitution of composite computer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the reliability of the entire device and to attain miniaturization by providing a light emitting device and a photodetector to an adjacent face of each adjacent computer module so as to allow an optical means to transmit and receive a data thereby excluding a mechanical connecting device. CONSTITUTION:The light emitting element 6 and the photodetector 7 are provided to each opposite face of the computer modules 13A, 13B, 14A and 14B and the computer modules are connected electrically by an optical signal. Thus, no mechanical connecting means is required and no reliability is lost. Since a cable connecting the computer modules is not required as shown in Fig. clearly, the device is miniaturized.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention relates to the structure of a compound computer and its connection method.

Conventionally, various connection methods have been devised for compound computers, including the parallel bus method, which sends and receives data in parallel, and the serial bus method, which sends and receives data serially.

There are tightly coupled systems, such as a combination of the two, and loosely coupled systems, which use serial transmission, and it has become possible to send data at high speed by using optical fibers as transmission paths.

However, in each of the above systems, it is assumed that processing devices exist individually and are connected by electric wires or optical fibers, etc., and no consideration is given to the spatial arrangement of each other, and there is no connection between them. I needed a connector to connect it.

The present invention has a three-dimensional structure for computer modules constituting a processing device, that is, a compound computer, arranges computer modules with the same three-dimensional structure adjacent to each other, and provides a light emitter and a light receiver on each adjacent surface. By simply arranging them at relative positions, it is possible to optically transmit data between them. This eliminates the need for a mechanical connection mechanism and improves the reliability of the device.

In addition, with the recent progress in VLSI technology, the miniaturization of devices is progressing rapidly, but elements such as LSI are still installed on printed wiring boards, and there are problems with heat dissipation of highly integrated elements, and wiring materials. The limitation of the space factor due to the diversity of

In the present invention, in order to solve these problems, L
SI element chips are arranged on a wafer that serves as a heat sink and a wiring board to form a module unit*.These module units are stacked in multiple stages, each unit is connected with pins and sockets, and multiple stacked units are combined into one. One computer module is configured as a unit. Using the computer module configured in this manner, data transmission is performed by the optical means described above, thereby configuring a compound computer.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained by examples.

FIG. 1 is a connection diagram showing the logical configuration of the module unit in the present invention, l is an arithmetic processing unit, 2 is a memory, 3 is a bus line connecting them, 4a to 4d are serial interface circuits, and 5a to 5d is a drive circuit, 6
a to 6d are light emitters, 7a to 7d are light receivers, 8a to 8d are signal amplifiers from the light receivers, 9 is an input/output interface circuit for connecting to external equipment, and lo is a module configured in this way. It is a unit.

In this way, the module units are connected by optical signals via the light emitters and light receivers, and data can be transmitted by the serial interface circuits 4a to 4d. In this case, the interface does not necessarily have to be serial, but a serial interface is effective because the optical transmission speed is high and the number of signal lines is small.

FIG. 2 shows a state in which such module units are connected to each other by optical signals, and each solid arrow indicates the transmission direction of the optical signal. In the figure, optical information sent from one module unit, for example, IOa, is sequentially relayed to adjacent module units by an optical interface. In this case, as shown by the dashed arrow, the relayed module unit not only relays the optical information in the same direction but also in other directions, and the module unit 10
The lob relayed from a is relayed not only to lOc but also to lOe, so that there are multiple paths through which information flows. By doing so, even if a module unit to be relayed fails, information is transmitted in a detour, and a highly reliable system can be constructed.

In Fig. 2, the module units are square-shaped and are arranged opposite to each other in a grid pattern, but as shown in Fig. 3, the module units are hexagonal-shaped and arranged adjacent to each other. , optical signals can be exchanged between module units in six adjacent directions.

Next, Figure 4 shows a module unit with a regular hexagonal shape,
and shows the structure of an embodiment of a computer module configured by stacking these, (a) is a front view, (b) is a cutting line I
-I' is a sectional view, (c) is a plan view of the module unit, and (d) is a bottom view. In the same figure,
Chips 12 such as ICs and LSIs constituting each circuit are provided on a wafer, that is, a substrate 11 that also serves as a heat sink to form one module unit) 13.
3 are sequentially stacked as shown by arrows to form one computer module 14.

Here, the substrate 11 is provided with the above-mentioned chips (for example, four chips) 12 on the front surface, as well as an annular protrusion 16 provided with a receiving fitting 15, as shown in FIG. A pin 17 and an annular protrusion 18 are provided as shown in FIG. 2(d). These protrusions 16, 18 are fitted tightly into the protrusions 18 on the back side of the second module unit and the protrusions 16 on the front side of the lower module unit, respectively. By doing so, the module units can be stacked without fear of misalignment.

In addition, the connection between the stacked module units is as shown in FIG.
By constructing connectors and sockets and simply stacking module units, connections between modules are automatically established. In addition, the pin 17 and the bracket 15
and I.C.

The connections between chips 12 such as LSIs are made by printed wiring provided on the substrate 11J-. Furthermore, the light emitter 6 and the light receiver 7 are embedded in the side surface of the substrate 11, facing the light receiver 9 and the light emitter of the corresponding module unit of the adjacent computer module, and brought close to each other as shown in FIG. , it is possible to improve the degree of coupling of the coupling portion by light beams and to prevent light leakage.

In this case, the substrate 11 acts as an effective heat dissipation plate. For example, if a suitable means is provided to circulate air, the air will flow between each substrate 11 along the outer periphery of the protrusion 18, resulting in effective heat dissipation. action is taken. In addition, in FIG. 4, the common base plate 19 is also provided with an annular protrusion 16 equipped with a receiving bracket 15 at a predetermined position, and the module units 13 are stacked one after another on this protrusion, so that the computer module 14 can be positioned. This shows the case where 1i connection with the outside is performed.

Note that the topmost module unit (not shown) has a protrusion 16 on the surface and a receiver! There is no need to provide the i:l 5, and only a cover or the like to protect the chip 12 may be provided.

FIG. 6 shows a computer module 14A configured as described in 1. 1-14B, and in this case, each computer module 14A, 14
Cable 20A from the top of the top module units 13A and 13B of B.

20B is connected to the outside. In the figure, for simplicity, the arrows indicating the optical signals are shown at the top (B cy).
Only the module unit 13Al is described. In addition, in FIG. 6, for the sake of explanation, the computer module 14
Although A and 14B are shown separated, in reality they are placed close together as shown in Figure 3 above, and the optical signal is applied to the corresponding receiver without leaking from each emitter to the other, allowing stable optical communication. Let it be done.

Further, the & plate 11 does not need to have the same size for all module units, and may have at least a similar polygonal shape. Namely.

The module units that make up the 2i calculator module are:
For example, in a certain computer module, one module unit may have similar polygonal boards that are made smaller in order, and in the adjacent computer module, the upper module units may be made larger in order. can. In short, the board of the module unit should be at least a similar polygonal board, the leakage of optical signals between opposing module units of adjacent computer modules should be minimized, and multiple computer modules should be arranged on a small area of plywood. is necessary.

Although the above description has been made regarding the case of configuring a compound computer, the present invention can be similarly applied to the case of configuring a general compound processing device.

As described above, in the present invention, necessary circuits are provided as chips on a substrate using ICs, LSIs, etc. to form a module unit, and these are sequentially stacked to form a three-dimensional computer module.

Next, the main idea is to configure a compound computer by arranging such computer modules adjacent to each other and transmitting and receiving information by optical signals between opposing module units of adjacent aI computer modules. It is. With such a configuration, stable and reliable operation and miniaturization can be achieved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a connection diagram showing the configuration of the module unit, Figure 2 is a connection diagram showing the configuration of the module unit.
The figure is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which module units arranged in a square pattern are connected by optical signals, and Figure 3 shows a state in which hexagonal module units are closely arranged to perform optical communication in six directions. FIG. 4(a) is a front view of the module unit O and the computer module, FIG. 4(b) is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the
is a sectional view, (C) is a plan view of the module unit, (d
) is also a bottom view, Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing how stacked module units are connected by pins and holders, and Figure 6 is a diagram showing how optical communication is performed between opposing module units of adjacent computer modules. FIG. 6, 6 a to 6 d”・Light emitter, 7, 7 a to 7
d-Photoreceiver, 10,1Oa-1Of-module unit, ll...Substrate, 12...Chip, 14,14
A, 14B... Computer module, 15... Bracket. ) A'1IiJ , 1'2 fig. 3 fig. j fig. 2 fig. o da for ((L) (&) (C) (dL)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A chip formed by converting a circuit into an IC and an LSI,
(It is installed on a board to constitute a module unit, and multiple units are installed.)
The above module units are stacked to form a computer module, and a plurality of the above computer modules are arranged on a plywood board. A configuration of a compound computer characterized by comprising optical information transmission means between modules and opposing module units. 2. The structure of the compound dissection machine according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is made of regular polygonal plates that are at least similar to each other. 3. The module unit is provided with a fitting means on the substrate so that it can be stacked without fear of positional deviation between the module unit and the module unit below it. Configuration of the compound computer described. 4. The structure of the compound computer according to claim 3, wherein the fitting means comprises annular protrusions provided on the front and back surfaces of the substrate and having the same center. 5. The structure of a compound A1 calculator as set forth in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that a light emitter and a light receiver are provided on a side surface of the substrate.