Structure for removable processor socket

A method, comprising:

• interposing a central processing unit chip above a socket between a top heatsink and a bottom planar upper surface of a circuit board, wherein the central processing unit chip is electrically connected on a bottom side to a plurality of pins projecting outward from a planar top side of the socket, and wherein the socket pins are in circuit communication with a plurality of ball contacts projecting discrete rounded electrically-conductive metal surfaces outward from a generally planar bottom side of the socket in a ball grid array, wherein the socket bottom side is generally parallel to the socket top side;
• disposing threaded retaining screws through the heatsink and through each of a plurality of differently keyed setoff apertures formed through the socket between the top and bottom socket sides in a keyed socket aperture arrangement pattern into corresponding differently keyed threaded standoffs projecting upward from the planar circuit board;
• and
• rotating the threaded retaining screws into the threaded standoffs to tighten the heatsink downward with compressive force against a top surface of the central processor unit chip, which urges the central processor unit chip downward with the compressive force against the socket;
• the socket translating the compressive force from the central processing unit chip to urge the bottom side ball grid array connection surfaces into electrically conductive contact with the aligned circuit board socket pad connections on the planar circuit board upper surface, and to compress a ring of compressible resilient material between a lower surface of the socket bottom planar side that surrounds the plurality of socket ball contacts and a planar upper surface of the planar circuit board that surrounds the planar pad grid array on the planar circuit board;
• the compressed ring projecting resilient material forces against the socket bottom lower surface and the planar circuit board upper surface in resistance to the compressive force translated by the socket, thereby sealing the surrounded electrically conductive contacts between the socket bottom side ball grid array connection surfaces and the aligned circuit board socket pad connections from dust and debris infiltration.

An article of manufacture, comprising:

• a hardware description language (HDL) design structure encoded on a machine-readable data storage medium, said HDL design structure comprising elements that when processed in a computer-aided design system generates a machine-executable representation of a socket, wherein said socket comprises:
• a plurality of pins projecting outward from a planar top side of a socket in a grid array to form electrical connections to a plurality of chip connections on a bottom side of a central processing unit chip;
• a plurality of ball contacts in circuit connection with the top side pins and projecting discrete rounded electrically-conductive metal surfaces outward from a generally planar bottom side of the socket in a ball grid array, the socket bottom side generally parallel to the socket top side, wherein the projecting rounded connection surfaces and the ball grid array are selected to form electrical connections via contact with each of a plurality of socket pad connections arrayed in a planar pad grid array on a planar circuit board;
• a plurality of differently keyed setoff apertures formed through the socket between the top and bottom socket sides in a keyed socket aperture arrangement pattern selected to dispose the plurality of differently keyed setoff apertures about corresponding differently keyed standoffs projecting upward from a planar circuit board comprising the grid array pad connections so that the socket bottom side ball grid array connection surfaces are aligned with corresponding ones of the grid array pad connections;
• and
• a ring of compressible resilient material located on a lower surface of the socket bottom planar side and surrounding the plurality of socket ball contacts;
• wherein when retaining screws passing through a heatsink disposed above a central processing unit chip above the socket top side, and passing one each through the socket setoff apertures, are threaded one each into the planar board standoffs and tightened, the retaining screws bring the heatsink downward with compressive force against a top surface of the central processor unit chip which urges the central processor unit chip downward with the compressive force against the socket top side and results in electrically conductive connections of the chip electrical connections to the socket pins, the compressive force further received by the socket from the central processing unit chip and translated by the socket to urge the bottom side ball grid array connection surfaces into electrically conductive contact with the aligned circuit board socket pad connections and to compress the compressible resilient ring between the socket bottom lower surface and a planar upper surface of the planar circuit board that surrounds the planar pad grid array on the planar circuit board;
• wherein the compressed ring resists the compression with resilient material forces projected against the socket bottom lower surface and the planar circuit board upper surface and thereby seals the surrounded electrically conductive contacts between the socket bottom side ball grid array connection surfaces and the aligned circuit board socket pad connections from dust and debris infiltration;
• and
• wherein the retaining screws thereby mechanically maintain the electrically conductive contacts between the socket bottom side ball grid array connection surfaces and the aligned circuit board socket pad connections in a fixed assembly without requiring permanently affixing said connections together via solder or an adhesive.