Field-reconfigurable backplane system
View Patent ↗In a circuit card chassis, a backplane system includes card guides that are slideable on rails to provide any selected spacing between adjacent circuit cards. A backplane connector assembly extends between each pair of slideable top and bottom card guides. Signal cables can be configured to connect any two backplane connector assemblies to each other.
1. A backplane system, comprising:
a chassis defined by a width axis, a depth axis and a height axis;
a plurality of rails oriented parallel to the width axis;
a plurality of card guides oriented parallel to the depth axis, each card guide having a slot configured to receive a printed circuit card, each card guide extending between a front rail of the plurality of rails and a rear rail of the plurality of rails, each card guide having a front portion slideably engaged with the front rail and slideable in a direction of the width axis and having a rear portion slideably engaged with the rear rail and slideable in the direction of the width axis;
a plurality of backplane connector assemblies, each backplane connector assembly attached to the rear portion of a corresponding one of the plurality of card guides and oriented parallel to the height axis, each backplane connector assembly configured to mate with a card connector of the printed circuit card received in the corresponding one of the plurality of card guides; and
a plurality of signal cables, each signal cable connectable between one of the plurality of backplane connector assemblies and another of the plurality of backplane connector assemblies.
2. The backplane system of claim 1 , wherein the chassis comprises a box-shaped housing having at least two metal sidewalls, an open front side, and an open rear side.
3. The backplane system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the rails has a slot, and at least one end portion of a card guide extends into the slot.
4. The backplane system of claim 1 , wherein at least one end portion of a card guide hooks over at least one of the rails.
5. A method for using a backplane system, the backplane system comprising a chassis defined by a width axis, a depth axis and a height axis, a plurality of rails oriented parallel to the width axis, a plurality of card guides oriented parallel to the depth axis, a plurality of backplane connector assemblies, and a plurality of signal cables a the method comprising:
inserting a printed circuit card into a slot of one of the plurality of card guides, wherein each card guide has a slot configured to receive one of a plurality of printed circuit card, wherein each card guide extends between a front rail of the plurality of rails and a rear rail of the plurality of rails, each card guide has a front portion slideably engaged with the front rail and slideable in a direction of the width axis and has a rear portion slideably engaged with the rear rail and slideable in the direction of the width axis;
connecting a signal cable between one of a plurality of backplane connector assemblies and another of the plurality of backplane connector assemblies, wherein each backplane connector assembly is attached to the rear portion of a corresponding one of the plurality of card guides and oriented parallel to the height axis, and each backplane connector assembly is configured to mate with a card connector of the printed circuit card received in the corresponding one of the plurality of card guides.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the chassis comprises a box-shaped housing having at least two metal sidewalls, an open front side, and an open rear side.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the rails has a slot, and at least one end portion of a card guide extends into the slot.
8. The method of claim 5 , wherein at least one end portion of a card guide hooks over at least one of the rails.