Techniques for controlling movement of a circuit board module along a card cage slot

1. A control system for indicating whether a module should be inserted into a module holder, the control system comprising:

a sensor which is configured to attach to one of a module and the module holder, the sensor being further configured to (i) read an identifier of an element attached to the other of the module and the module holder when the module begins insertion into the module holder and (ii) provide a sensor signal in response to reading the identifier, the sensor signal denoting the identifier; and

a controller which couples to the sensor, the controller being configured to receive the sensor signal from the sensor and output a control signal based on the sensor signal, the control signal indicating whether the module is authorized to substantially insert into the module holder.

2. The control system of claim 1 wherein the module holder includes a card cage having a first support member defining a first set of rails and a second support member defining a second set of rails; wherein the first and second sets of rails form a universal card cage slot which is sized to receive differently designed modules configured to perform different functions; and wherein the sensor is configured to fasten to one of the first and second support members at a location which is adjacent the universal card cage slot and proximate to a front opening of the card cage.

3. The control system of claim 2 , further comprising:

a circuit board having a leading edge, a back edge opposite the leading edge, and side edges; and

circuit board connectors disposed along the leading edge of the circuit board, wherein the circuit board connectors are configured to connect with backplane connectors when the side edges of the circuit board engage with the first and second sets of rails forming the universal card cage slot and when the module substantially inserts into the card cage along the universal card cage slot, and wherein the element fastens to a location on the circuit board adjacent both the front edge and one of the side edges.

4. The control system of claim 1 wherein the sensor is configured to provide the sensor signal with a value indicative of the identifier of the element in response to movement of the element in a vicinity of the sensor.

5. The control system of claim 4 wherein the element defines, as the identifier, a pattern; and wherein the sensor includes a pattern reader which is configured to read the pattern defined by the element.

6. The control system of claim 4 wherein the element includes a radio frequency tag which is configured to provide, as the identifier, a radio frequency signature; and wherein the sensor includes a receiver which is configured to receive the radio frequency signature from the radio frequency tag.

7. The control system of claim 4 wherein the element includes a magnetic strip which magnetically stores the identifier, and wherein the sensor includes a head which is configured to read the identifier from the magnetic strip.

8. The control system of claim 1 wherein the module holder includes a card cage, and wherein the control system further comprises:

an output device coupled to the controller, the output device being configured to receive the control signal from the controller and output a warning when the control signal indicates that the module is not authorized to substantially insert into the card cage along a card cage slot.

9. The control system of claim 1 wherein the module holder includes a card cage, and wherein the control system further comprises:

an actuator coupled to the controller and disposed adjacent an opening of the card cage, the actuator being configured to (i) receive the control signal from the controller and (ii) move to one of:

a first position to allow substantial insertion of the module into the card cage along a card cage slot when the control signal indicates that the module is authorized to substantially insert into the card cage along the card cage slot, and

a second position to inhibit substantial insertion of the module into the card cage along the card cage slot when the control signal indicates that the module is not authorized to substantially insert into the card cage along the card cage slot.

10. The control system of claim 1 wherein the controller includes:

an authorization database of entries; and

compare circuitry configured to determine whether the module is authorized to substantially insert into the module holder based on a comparison of the identifier with the entries of the authorization database.

11. The control system of claim 1 wherein the controller includes:

a configuration database; and

display circuitry configured to store configuration data and retrieve configuration data from the configuration database, the configuration data indicating whether module currently is substantially inserted into the module holder.

12. The control system of claim 6 , further comprising:

a control system power source coupled to the sensor and the controller, the control system power source being configured to provide power to the sensor and the controller regardless of whether the module receives power through the module holder.