# US 10,483,673 B2 · Interposer device

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- Number: US 10,483,673 B2
- Document ID: US10483673B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/543,193
- Filed: 2015-01-28
- Published: 2018-01-04
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2015-01-28
- Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Applicants: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Inventors: Byron A Alcorn; Shane Ward; Peter Andrew Seiler
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10483673B2

## CPC

- H01R 12/778: {Coupling parts carrying sockets, clips or analogous counter-contacts (H01R12/78, H01R12/79 take precedence)}
- G06F 1/185: Mounting of expansion boards
- G06F 13/409: {Mechanical coupling (back panels H05K7/1438)}
- H01R 12/7047: {with a fastener through a screw hole in the coupling device}
- H01R 12/79: connecting to rigid printed circuits or like structures
- H01R 13/35: for non-simultaneous co-operation with different types of contact member, e.g. socket co-operating with either round or flat pin
- H05K 1/141: {One or more single auxiliary printed circuits mounted on a main printed circuit, e.g. modules, adapters (H05K1/142 and H05K1/147 take precedence)}
- H05K 1/144: {Stacked arrangements of planar printed circuit boards}
- H05K 3/368: {parallel to each other (H05K3/361 takes precedence)}
- H05K 7/142: {Spacers not being card guides}
- H05K 1/117: {Pads along the edge of rigid circuit boards, e.g. for pluggable connectors}
- H05K 2201/042: Stacked spaced PCBs; Planar parts of folded flexible circuits having mounted components in between or spaced from each other
- H05K 2201/10189: Non-printed connector
- H05K 2201/10287: Metal wires as connectors or conductors
- H05K 2201/10325: Sockets, i.e. female type connectors comprising metallic connector elements integrated in, or bonded to a common dielectric support
- H05K 2201/10378: Interposers
- H05K 2201/2036: Permanent spacer or stand-off in a printed circuit or printed circuit assembly
- H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS

## Abstract

An interposer for connecting a module to an M.2 socket includes a different form factor connector. The interposer includes an M.2 connector to couple the interposer to the M.2 socket. The M.2 connector is formed to mate with the M.2 socket. The interposer includes a different form factor socket to couple the interposer to the module including the different form factor connector. The different form factor socket is formed to mate with the different form factor connector.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An interposer for connecting a module to an M.2 printed circuit board (PCB) socket comprising:
an M.2 connector to couple the interposer to the M.2 PCB socket, the M.2 connector formed to mate with the M.2 PCB socket and associated with a first M.2 keying; and
an interposer socket to couple the interposer to the module, the interposer socket associated with a different keying relative to the M.2 PCB socket, the module comprising a module connector to mate with the interposer socket,
wherein the interposer is dimensioned such that the length of the interposer plus the length of the module is equal to a distance between the M.2 PCB socket and a mounting hole defined in PCB to which the M.2 PCB socket is coupled.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The interposer of claim 1, wherein the interposer socket and module connector comprise a differently-keyed M.2 socket and a differently-keyed M.2 connector relative to the M.2 connector and M.2 PCB socket.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The interposer of claim 1, wherein the interposer is the PCB comprising a number of traces between the M.2 connector and the interposer socket that are arranged such that a number of pins associated with the M.2 connector are reassigned to corresponding pins in the interposer socket.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The interposer of claim 1, wherein the interposer is a flexible cable comprising a number of traces between the M.2 connector and the interposer socket that are arranged such that a number of pins associated with the M.2 connector are reassigned to corresponding pins in the interposer socket.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The interposer of claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary cable coupled between the PCB to which the interposer is coupled and the interposer, the auxiliary cable to support a number of interfaces not supported by the M.2 PCB socket.

### Claim 6

A system for connecting a computing device to a module comprising:
an M.2 printed circuit board (PCB) socket coupled to a PCB of the computing device;
an interposer comprising:
an M.2 connector comprising a number of notches and pins assigned based on a first M.2 keying layout and formed to mate with the M.2 PCB socket; and
an M.2 interposer socket to couple the interposer to a module connector coupled to the module, the M.2 interposer socket to receive a connector with a number of notches and pins assigned based on a different M.2 keying layout relative to the M.2 PCB socket, the M.2 interposer socket formed to mate with the module connector,
wherein the interposer is dimensioned such that the length of the interposer plus the length of the module is equal to a standardized length; and
a mounting hole to affix the interposer to the PCB of the computing device.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the PCB is any printed circuit board that accommodates an M.2 socket including a motherboard, an add-in card, a mezzanine card, or a riser card.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the second socket and second connector comprise a differently-keyed M.2 socket and a differently-keyed M.2 connector relative to the M.2 connector and M.2 socket.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the interposer is a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a number of traces between the M.2 connector and the M.2 interposer socket that are arranged such that a number of pins associated with the M.2 connector are reassigned to corresponding pins in the M.2 interposer socket to enable the module to send and receive data as required to provide intended functionality to the computer module.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the interposer is a flexible cable comprising a number of traces between the M.2 connector and the M.2 interposer socket that are arranged such that a number of pins associated with the M.2 connector are reassigned to corresponding pins in the M.2 interposer socket to enable the module to send and receive data as required to provide intended functionality to the computer module.

### Claim 11 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, further comprising a rigid auxiliary connector coupled between the PCB and the interposer, the rigid auxiliary connector to support a number of interfaces not supported by the M.2 PCB socket but required by the M.2 interposer socket.

### Claim 12

An interposer for connecting an M.2 socket to a module comprising a differently-keyed M.2 connector comprising:
an M.2 connector to couple the interposer to the M.2 socket, the M.2 connector formed to mate with the M.2 socket;
a differently-keyed M.2 socket differently keyed relative to the M.2 socket to couple the interposer to the module comprising the differently-keyed M.2 connector, the differently-keyed M.2 socket formed to mate with the differently-keyed M.2 connector; and
an auxiliary cable coupled between a printed circuit board (PBC) of the computing device and the interposer, the auxiliary cable supporting a number of interfaces not supported by the M.2 socket but required by the differently-keyed M.2 socket and its associated module.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The interposer of claim 12, wherein the interposer is a flexible cable comprising a number of traces between the M.2 connector and the differently-keyed M.2 socket that are arranged such that a number of pins associated with the M.2 connector are reassigned to corresponding pins in the differently-keyed M.2 socket to enable the module to send and receive data as required to provide intended functionality to the computer module.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The interposer of claim 1, wherein the interposer is dimensioned such that the length of the interposer plus the length of the module is equal to a standardized length.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The interposer of claim 1, wherein the PCB is a printed circuit board that accommodates an M.2 socket including a motherboard, an add-in card, a mezzanine card, or a riser card.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The interposer of claim 1, comprising a rigid auxiliary connector coupled between the PCB and the interposer.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The interposer of claim 16, wherein the rigid auxiliary connector is fabricated into the interposer.

### Claim 18 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the interposer is dimensioned such that the length of the interposer plus the length of the module is equal to a distance between the M.2 PCB socket and a mounting hole defined in the PCB to which the M.2 PCB socket is coupled.

### Claim 19 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, comprising a rigid auxiliary connector coupled between the PCB and the interposer.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein the rigid auxiliary connector is fabricated into the interposer.