Mass storage device for a computer system and method therefor
View Patent ↗A method and mass storage device that combine multiple solid state drives (SSDs) to a single volume. The device includes a carrier board and at least two solid state drives having power and data connections to the carrier board. The carrier board includes a circuit board functionally connected to a control logic and at least two secondary connectors that are disposed at different edges of the circuit board and functionally connected to the control logic. The solid state drives are connected to the carrier board through the secondary connectors, and each solid state drive has a power and data connector directly connected to one of the secondary connectors of the carrier board. The solid state drives are oriented substantially parallel to the carrier board and to each other.
1. A mass storage device for a computer system, the device comprising:
a carrier board comprising a circuit board functionally connected to a control logic and at least two secondary connectors disposed at different edges of the circuit board and functionally connected to the control logic through the circuit board; and
at least two solid state drives having power and data connections to the carrier board through the secondary connectors of the carrier board, each of the solid state drives having a power and data connector that faces an interior surface region of the solid state drive and is directly connected to one of the secondary connectors of the carrier board, the solid state drives being oriented substantially parallel to the carrier board and to each other.
2. The mass storage device according to claim 1 , wherein the secondary connectors of the carrier board are male connectors that face outward from the carrier board, and the power and data connector of each of the solid state drives is a female connector.
3. The mass storage device according to claim 1 , wherein the edges at which the secondary connectors are disposed are opposite edges of the circuit board.
4. The mass storage device according to claim 1 , wherein the solid state drives overlap each other with the carrier board therebetween.
5. The mass storage device according to claim 1 , wherein the solid state drives are in the same plane on one side of the carrier board.
6. The mass storage device according to claim 1 , wherein the control logic is mounted on the circuit board of the carrier board and is connected to a primary connector means comprising an edge connector disposed on an edge of the circuit board.
7. The mass storage device according to claim 1 , wherein the control logic is mounted on an interface/control board connected to the carrier board and is connected to a primary connector means comprising an edge connector disposed on an edge of the interface/control board.
8. The mass storage device according to claim 7 , wherein the carrier board and the interface/control board are connected to each other via complementary high-speed board-to-board connectors on the carrier board and the interface/control board.
9. The mass storage device according to claim 1 , wherein the solid state drives are SATA drives.
10. The mass storage device according to claim 1 , further comprising an enclosure containing the carrier board and the solid state drives.
11. The mass storage device according to claim 10 , wherein the enclosure conforms to an industry-standard hard disk drive form factor.
12. The mass storage device according to claim 11 , wherein the industry-standard hard disk drive form factor is a 3.5 inch form factor.
13. A mass storage device for a computer system, the device comprising:
a carrier board comprising a circuit board functionally connected to a control logic and at least two male connectors that are disposed at different edges of the circuit board, face outward from the carrier board, and are functionally connected to the control logic through the circuit board;
at least two solid state drives having power and data connections to the carrier board through the male connectors of the carrier board, each of the solid state drives having a power and data connector that faces an interior surface region of the solid state drive and is directly connected to one of the male connectors of the carrier board, the solid state drives being oriented substantially parallel to the carrier board and to each other; and
an enclosure containing the carrier board and the solid state drives.