Self-healing optical backplane for coupling components

Details Self-healing optical backplane for coupling components Self-healing optical backplane for coupling components

2000-01-04

2001-09-18

Lee, John D. (Department: 2874)

Optical waveguides

With disengagable mechanical connector

C385S088000, C385S089000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06290400

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
This invention relates in general to optical connectors, and in particular to a backplane for distributing operational signals to an array of independent disk drives through optical, self-healing interface connections.
2. Description of Related Art
In one type of a redundant array of independent hard disk drives (RAID), the individual disk drives receive operational signals from the host computer through a fiber optic backplane. A single fiber optic cable extends along the backplane and is distributed to a series of fiber optic junctions. The fiber optic junctions must be readily equipped to detach from one disk drive and reattached to another since some of the drives will inevitably fail, and some applications require the drives to be frequently replaced. When a drive is removed from a junction, the junction must relay the optical transmission downstream with minimal losses. Unfortunately, each prior art, fiber optic junction typically causes about 6 dB in losses in the transmission of the signal. Thus, although prior art designs are workable, a more efficient optical junction for disk drive fiber optic cable backplanes is needed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An array of independent disk drive assemblies are interconnected to a fiber optic cable in a backplane. Each drive assembly has an optics interface for engaging one of a series of connectors on the backplane. Data is accessed and stored on the disk drives by a host computer via operational signals sent through the cable. The drives are hot-pluggable into the cable connectors through their interfaces. The connectors have pivot members that are movable between open and closed positions. The cable is joined to each pivot member such that a single optical joint is formed at each connector. The interfaces on the drives plug into the pivot members to access the data on the cable. When a drive is removed from a connector, the pivot members close and allow the optical transmission to continue downstream on the cable with minimal signal losses.


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