Electrical connectors – With circuit conductors and safety grounding provision – Grounding to connector container or housing
Patent
1992-12-24
1994-03-08
Lee, Thomas C.
Electrical connectors
With circuit conductors and safety grounding provision
Grounding to connector container or housing
439 43, 439 49, 439 93, 439133, 307140, 361140, 3649294, 3649484, 364DIG2, G06F 126, G06F 1508
Patent
active
052936368
ABSTRACT:
A computer system with a number of subsystems or modules on separate circuit boards employs electronic keying to ensure proper configuration of these boards. A power key arrangement associated with a plug-in connector enables a separate power supply for each set of boards. A power supply turn-on signal is routed through a uniquely-configured connector path for each board, so the power supply turn-on is inhibited for improper configurations. The uniquely-configured connector path may use either a series or a parallel implementation. The series implementation employs a set of diodes connected for conduction in either of two directions, with the mating connector having its conductor paths connected to match the diode configuration; in this manner, the power supply enable signal can only flow through the series path if the proper board is plugged into a properly-coded slot, in which case the power supply to activate this board is activated through the series path including the diodes. The parallel implementation employs a given number of connector pins to establish the coding for each board, and each pin is either open-circuited or connected to ground; if this coding of the subsystem board is not the same as that of the slot into which it is plugged then the power supply activation signal will be shorted to ground by one or the other of the coded pins.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4164776 (1979-08-01), Nagayama
patent: 4468612 (1984-08-01), Starr
patent: 4675769 (1987-06-01), Marshall et al.
patent: 4775930 (1988-10-01), Clawson et al.
patent: 4800462 (1989-01-01), Zacher et al.
Brown John M.
Bunton William P.
Whiteside Patricia L.
Harrity Paul
Lee Thomas C.
Tandem Computers Incorporated
LandOfFree
Module for insertion into a multi-module system having electroni does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Module for insertion into a multi-module system having electroni, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Module for insertion into a multi-module system having electroni will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-162901