Granted Patent B2

US 7,686,619 · App. 12/016,043 · Granted Mar 30, 2010

Abstract

Claims (39)

1. A configurable blade card, the blade card comprising:

a blade connector in physical and electrical communication with a blade enclosure connector;

a base card in physical and electrical communication with the blade connector;

a secondary card in physical and electrical communication with the base card to form the blade card, wherein the base card and the secondary card are co-planar and compatible with a blade card form factor;

a coupler that physically couples the base card and the secondary card; and

a non-functional blank circuit card in physical communication with the secondary card and providing compatibility with a blade enclosure slot.

2. The blade card of claim 1 , wherein the base card and the secondary card collectively comprise at least one processor, at least one storage device, and at least one input/output (I/O) device.

3. The blade card of claim 1 , wherein the base card and the secondary card are configured as a blade server.

4. The blade card of claim 1 , wherein a secondary card is in physical and electrical communication with the blade connector.

5. The blade card of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of secondary cards.

6. The blade card of claim 3 , wherein the coupler is a clamp comprising a handle, a hinge, a hole, a shaft, and a first and second base plate, the first base plate on a first side of the base card and the secondary card and the second base plate on a second side of the base card and the secondary card, the hole comprising a half hole in the base card and a half hole in the secondary card, the shaft passing through the first base plate and the hole and connecting to the second base plate, the handle connecting to the shaft at the hinge and communicating with the first base plate along an arced surface, wherein applying a downward force on the handle applies a force to the first base plate and second base plate holding the base card and secondary card together.

7. The blade card of claim 6 further comprising a wiring module in physical and electrical communication with the base card and the at least one secondary card, wherein the wiring module routes electrical communication between the base card and the at least one secondary card.

8. The blade card of claim 7 , wherein at least one electrical connection is implemented using individual wires.

9. The blade card of claim 1 , wherein the coupler electrically connects the base card and the secondary card.

10. A blade card configuration method, the method comprising:

connecting a base card to a blade connector, the base card in physical and electrical communication with the blade connector and the blade connector in physical and electrical communication with a blade enclosure connector;

connecting a secondary card in physical and electrical communication with the base card to form a blade card, wherein the base card and the secondary card are co-planar and compatible with a blade card form factor;

physically coupling the base card and the secondary card; and

physically coupling a non-functional blank circuit card with the secondary card, the blank circuit card providing compatibility with the blade enclosure slot.

11. A system to configure a blade card, the system comprising:

a blade enclosure configured to receive blade cards compatible with a blade card form factor and comprising a plurality of blade enclosure connectors;

a blade connector in physical and electrical communication with a first blade enclosure connector;

a base card in physical and electrical communication with the blade connector;

a secondary card in physical and electrical communication with the base card to form the blade card, wherein the base card and the secondary card are co-planar and compatible with the blade card form factor;

a coupler that physically couples the base card and the secondary card; and

a non-functional blank circuit card in physical communication with the secondary card and providing compatibility with a blade enclosure slot.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the base card and the secondary card collectively comprise at least one processor, at least one storage device, and at least one I/O device.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the base card and the secondary card are configured as a blade server.

14. An apparatus to configure a blade card, the apparatus comprising:

means for connecting a base card to a blade connector, the base card in physical and electrical communication with the blade connector and the blade connector in physical and electrical communication with a blade enclosure connector;

means for connecting a secondary card in physical and electrical communication with the base card to form the blade card configured as a server, wherein the base card and the secondary card are co-planar and compatible with a blade card form factor;

means for physically coupling the base card and the secondary card; and

means for physically coupling a non-functional blank circuit card with the secondary card, the blank circuit card providing compatibility with a blade enclosure slot.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the base card and the secondary card are configured as a blade server and the base card and the secondary card are physically coupled with a clamp comprising a handle, a hinge, a hole, a shaft, and a first and second base plate, the first base plate on a first side of the base card and the secondary card and the second base plate on a second side of the base card and the secondary card, the hole comprising a half hole in the base card and a half hole in the secondary card, the shaft passing through the first base plate and the hole and connecting to the second base plate, the handle connecting to the shaft at the hinge and communicating with the first base plate along an arced surface, wherein applying a downward force on the handle applies a force to the first base plate and second base plate holding the base card and secondary card together.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the secondary card is connected to the base card though a wiring module in physical and electrical communication with the base card and the secondary card, wherein the wiring module routes electrical communication between the base card and the secondary card.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the coupler is a clamp comprising a handle, a hinge, a hole, a shaft, and a first and second base plate, the first base plate on a first side of the base card and the secondary card and the second base plate on a second side of the base card and the secondary card, the hole comprising a half hole in the base card and a half hole in the secondary card, the shaft passing through the first base plate and the hole and connecting to the second base plate, the handle connecting to the shaft at the hinge and communicating with the first base plate along an arced surface, wherein applying a downward force on the handle applies a force to the first base plate and second base plate holding the base card and secondary card together.

18. The system of claim 17 , further comprising a wiring module in physical and electrical communication with the base card and the at least one secondary card, wherein the wiring module routes electrical communication between the base card and the at least one secondary card.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the base card and the secondary card are configured as a blade server and the means for physically coupling the base card and the secondary card is a clamp comprising a handle, a hinge, a hole, a shaft, and a first and second base plate, the first base plate on a first side of the base card and the secondary card and the second base plate on a second side of the base card and the secondary card, the hole comprising a half hole in the base card and a half hole in the secondary card, the shaft passing through the first base plate and the hole and connecting to the second base plate, the handle connecting to the shaft at the hinge and communicating with the first base plate along an arced surface, wherein applying a downward force on the handle applies a force to the first base plate and second base plate holding the base card and secondary card together.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the means for connecting the secondary card to the base card comprises a wiring module in physical and electrical communication with the base card and the secondary card, wherein the wiring module routes electrical communication between the base card and the secondary card.

Assignments (8)