Backplane

A single backplane for a repeater housing comprising:

• a plurality of sockets disposed on a first side of the backplane, each of the plurality of sockets having a slot adapted to receive a repeater;
• first and second input connectors disposed on a second side of the backplane, the first and second input connectors electrically connected to each of the plurality of sockets by conductive traces disposed within the backplane, wherein the first and second input connectors are adapted to respectively plug into first and second input mating connectors for connecting each of the plurality of sockets to a transmission line for delivering signals to each of the sockets;
• and
• first and second output connectors disposed on the second side of the backplane, the first and second output connectors electrically connected to each of the plurality of sockets by the conductive traces disposed within the backplane, wherein the first and second output connectors are adapted to respectively plug into first and second output mating connectors for connecting each of the plurality of sockets to a transmission line for receiving signals from each of the sockets.

A single backplane for an 819-type repeater housing comprising:

• a plurality of sockets disposed on a first side of the backplane, each of the plurality of sockets having a slot adapted to receive a repeater;
• first and second input connectors disposed on a second side of the backplane, the first and second input connectors electrically connected to each of the plurality of sockets by conductive traces disposed within the backplane, wherein the first and second input connectors are adapted to plug into first and second input mating connectors for connecting each of the plurality of sockets to a transmission line for delivering signals to each of the sockets;
• and
• first and second output connectors disposed on the second side of the backplane, the first and second output connectors electrically connected to each of the plurality of sockets by the conductive traces disposed within the backplane, wherein the first and second output connectors are adapted to plug into first and second output mating connectors for connecting each of the plurality of sockets to a transmission line for receiving signals from each of the sockets.

A housing for containing a plurality of repeaters comprising:

• a plurality of slots, each of the plurality of slots adapted to respectively receive each of the plurality of repeaters therein;
• a single backplane having a plurality of sockets disposed on a first side thereof, each of the plurality of sockets respectively aligned with each of the plurality of slots for respectively receiving each of the plurality of repeaters therein;
• the single backplane having a connector disposed on a second side thereof, wherein the connector is electrically connected to each of the plurality of sockets by conductive traces disposed within the single backplane;
• and
• wherein the connector is adapted to plug into a mating connector for connecting each of the sockets to input and output transmission lines.

A housing for containing a plurality of circuit cards comprising:

• a case having a plurality of slots, each of the plurality of slots adapted to respectively receive each of the plurality of circuit cards therein;
• a single backplane having a plurality of sockets disposed on a first side thereof, each of the plurality of sockets respectively aligned with each of the slots of the case for respectively receiving each of the plurality of circuit cards therein;
• first and second input connectors disposed on a second side of the single backplane, the first and second input connectors electrically connected to each of the plurality of sockets by conductive traces disposed within the single backplane, wherein the first and second input connectors are adapted to plug into first and second input mating connectors for connecting each of the plurality of sockets to a transmission line for delivering signals to each of the sockets;
• and
• first and second output connectors disposed on the second side of the single backplane, the first and second output connectors electrically connected to each of the plurality of sockets by the conductive traces disposed within the single backplane, wherein the first and second output connectors are adapted to plugin to first and second output mating connectors for connecting each of the plurality of sockets to a transmission line for receiving signals from each of the sockets.

A housing for containing a plurality of circuit cards comprising:

• at least two first compartments;
• at least two cases respectively disposed within the at least two first compartments, each of the at least two cases comprising a plurality of slots, each of the plurality of slots adapted to respectively receive each of the plurality of circuit cards therein;
• a second compartment;
• a single backplane disposed within the second compartment, the single backplane comprising a plurality of sockets disposed thereon, each of the plurality of sockets respectively aligned with each of the slots of the at least two cases for respectively receiving each of the plurality of circuit cards therein;
• first and second input connectors disposed on a second side of the single backplane, the first and second input connectors electrically connected to each of the plurality of sockets by conductive traces disposed within the single backplane, wherein the first and second input connectors are adapted to plug into first and second input mating connectors for connecting each of the plurality of sockets to a transmission line for delivering signals to each of the sockets;
• and
• first and second output connectors disposed on the second side of the single backplane, the first and second output connectors electrically connected to each of the plurality of sockets by the conductive traces disposed within the single backplane, wherein the first and second output connectors are adapted to plug into first and second output mating connectors for connecting each of the plurality of sockets to a transmission line for receiving signals from each of the sockets.

A method for manufacturing a single backplane for an 819-type repeater housing, the method comprising:

• disposing a plurality of sockets on a first side of the single backplane;
• disposing a connector on a second side of the single backplane, wherein the connector is adapted to plug into a mating connector for connecting each of the sockets to input and output transmission lines;
• and
• electrically connecting the connector to each of the plurality of sockets using conductive traces disposed in the single backplane.

A method for manufacturing a single backplane for an 819-type repeater housing, the method comprising:

• disposing a plurality of sockets on a first side of the single backplane;
• disposing first and second input connectors on a second side of the single backplane;
• electrically connecting the first and second input connectors to each of the plurality of sockets using conductive traces disposed in the single backplane, wherein the first and second input connectors are adapted to plug into first and second input mating connectors for connecting each of the plurality of sockets to a transmission line for delivering signals to each of the sockets;
• disposing first and second output connectors on the second side of the single backplane, wherein the first and second output connectors are adapted to plug into first and second output mating connectors for connecting each of the plurality of sockets to a transmission line for receiving signals from each of the sockets;
• and
• electrically connecting the first and second output connectors to each of the plurality of sockets using the conductive traces disposed in the single backplane.

A method for connecting a plurality of repeaters to a transmission line, the method comprising:

• respectively inserting each of a plurality of repeaters into each of a plurality of sockets disposed on a first side of a single backplane located in an 819-type repeater housing;
• respectively plugging first and second input mating connectors into first and second input connectors disposed on the second side of the single backplane to connect each of the plurality of repeaters to an input line of the transmission line, wherein the first and second input connectors are electrically connected to each of the plurality of sockets by conductive traces disposed within the single backplane;
• and
• respectively plugging first and second output mating connectors into first and second output connectors disposed on a second side of the single backplane to connect each of the plurality of repeaters to an output line of the transmission line, wherein the first and second output connectors are electrically connected to each of the plurality of sockets by the conductive traces disposed within the single backplane.

A method for processing a plurality of signals comprising:

• receiving the plurality signals at a connector, wherein the connector is disposed on a first side of a single backplane disposed within an 819-type repeater housing;
• respectively conveying each of the plurality of signals to each of a plurality of sockets using conductive traces disposed within the single backplane, wherein each of the plurality of sockets is disposed on a second side of the single backplane;
• respectively conveying each of the plurality of signals from each of the plurality of sockets to each of a plurality of repeaters respectively coupled to each of the plurality of sockets;
• and
• respectively processing each of the plurality of signals at each of the plurality of repeaters.

A method for processing a plurality of first and second signals comprising:

• receiving the plurality of first signals at a first connector, wherein the first connector is disposed on a first side of a single backplane disposed within an 819-type repeater housing;
• receiving the plurality of second signals at a second connector, wherein the second connector is disposed on the first side of the single backplane;
• respectively conveying each of the plurality of first signals to each of a plurality of sockets using conductive traces disposed within the single backplane, wherein the plurality of sockets is disposed on a second side of the single backplane;
• respectively conveying each of the plurality of second signals to each of the plurality of sockets using the conductive traces disposed within the single backplane;
• respectively conveying each of the plurality of first and second signals from each of the plurality of sockets to each of a plurality of repeaters respectively coupled to each of the plurality of sockets;
• respectively processing each of the plurality of first and second signals at each of the plurality of repeaters;
• respectively conveying each of a plurality of processed first and second signals from each of the plurality of repeaters to each of the plurality of sockets;
• and
• respectively conveying each of the plurality of processed first and second signals from each of the plurality of sockets to third and fourth connectors via the conductive traces, wherein the third and fourth connectors are disposed on the second side of the single backplane.

A single backplane for an optical network unit comprising:

• a plurality of sockets disposed on a first side of the backplane, each of the plurality of sockets having a slot adapted to receive a circuit card having an optical-to-electrical signal converter;
• first and second input connectors disposed on a second side of the backplane, the first and second input connectors electrically connected to each of the plurality of sockets by conductive traces disposed within the backplane, wherein the first and second input connectors are adapted to respectively plug into first and second input mating connectors for connecting each of the plurality of sockets to a transmission line for delivering signals to each of the sockets;
• and
• first and second output connectors disposed on the second side of the backplane, the first and second output connectors electrically connected to each of the plurality of sockets by the conductive traces disposed within the backplane, wherein the first and second output connectors are adapted to respectively plug into first and second output mating connectors for connecting each of the plurality of sockets to a transmission line for receiving signals from each of the sockets.