Modular chassis arrangement with redundant logic power delivery system
View Patent ↗A modular packet network device has a chassis in which multiple logic cards mate to the front side of an electrical signaling backplane. Logic power for the logic cards is supplied from a group of power converter cards that convert primary power to the logic voltages required by the logic cards. The power converter cards lie in a separate cooling path behind the backplane. Advantages achieved in at least some of the embodiments include removing primary power planes from the signaling backplane or portion of the backplane, providing redundant, upgradeable power modules whose individual failure does not cause logic card failure, and providing cool air to power converter circuits that would be subject to only heated air if located on the logic cards. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
1. A modular packet network device comprising:
a chassis;
a plurality of logic cards located in the chassis;
a plurality of power converter cards located in the chassis and converting a primary power to a logic power, each power converter card supplying the logic power to at least two of the plurality of logic cards;
an electrical signaling backplane having front side signaling connectors to which the plurality of logic cards connect, the electrical signaling backplane distributing signaling between the plurality of logic cards; and
a logic power distribution backplane connected to each of the plurality of power converter cards and each of the plurality of logic cards, the logic power distribution backplane having conductive paths to route power from the plurality of power converter cards to the plurality of logic cards such that power is not routed through the electrical signaling backplane, the logic power distribution backplane having, for each of the logic cards, conductive paths leading to that logic card from at least two of the power converter cards; and
a primary power distribution backplane having primary power connectors, the primary power distribution backplane distributing the primary power to the plurality of power converter cards through the primary power connectors.
2. The modular packet network device of claim 1 , further comprising at least two redundant primary power supplies, the primary power distribution backplane independently distributing power from at least two of the redundant primary power supplies to each of the power converter cards through the primary power connectors, each power converter card capable of generating logic power distributed from either one or both of the redundant primary power supplies.
3. The modular packet network device of claim 1 , wherein the primary power distribution backplane comprises a first end section of the electrical signaling backplane, with primary power distributed within the first end section of the electrical signaling backplane on at least a subset of conductive backplane layers that are used within the signaling portion of the electrical signaling backplane to distribute signaling to the logic cards.
4. The modular packet network device of claim 3 , wherein the logic power distribution backplane comprises a second end section of the electrical signaling backplane, the second end section located across the electrical signaling backplane from the first end section, with logic power distributed within the second end section on at least a subset of the conductive backplane layers that are used within the signaling portion of the electrical signaling backplane to distribute signaling to the logic cards.
5. The modular packet network device of claim 4 , the logic cards connected to one side of the electrical signaling backplane and the power converter cards connected to the opposite side of the electrical signaling backplane.
6. The modular packet network device of claim 1 , wherein the logic power distribution backplane comprises an end section of the electrical signaling backplane, with logic power distributed within the end section on at least a subset of conductive backplane layers that are used within the signaling portion of the electrical signaling backplane to distribute signaling to the logic cards.
7. The modular packet network device of claim 1 , wherein the primary power is supplied to the power converter cards through at least one bus bar assembly.
8. The modular packet network device of claim 7 , wherein the at least one bus bar assembly comprises primary power connectors that mate with the power converter cards to deliver primary power to the power converter cards.
9. The modular packet network device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive paths on the logic power distribution backplane are arranged such that none of the power converter cards supply power to two of the logic cards that are physically adjacent in the chassis.
10. The modular packet network device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive paths on the logic power distribution backplane are arranged such that no two of the power converter cards supply power to the same two logic cards.
11. The modular packet network device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of logic cards comprises at least three and the plurality of power converter cards comprises at least three, and wherein, for at least one group of at least three of the power converter cards and the same number of logic cards, the conductive paths on the logic power distribution backplane are arranged such that the group of power converter cards share the supply of logic power to the group of logic cards, no two of the power converter cards in the group supplying power to the same two logic cards in the group.
12. The modular packet network device of claim 11 , wherein no power converter card in the group supplies power to two logic cards in the group that are physically adjacent in the chassis.
13. The modular packet network device of 11 , wherein the group of power converter cards comprises all power converter cards supplying power to logic cards, and the group of logic cards comprises all logic cards having power supplied from power converter cards.
14. The modular packet network device of claim 13 , further comprising a designated population mapping for populating the chassis with less than all logic cards and less than all power converter cards, the designated population mapping providing redundant logic power to all logic cards with a minimum number of power converter cards, as compared to other possible population mappings.
15. The modular packet network device of claim 1 , wherein N power converter cards provide redundant logic power to N logic cards.