# US 2026/0086971 A1 · PCIe LANE ADAPTER FOR ENABLING FLEXIBLE SWITCHING OF SPEED AND CAPACITY CONFIGURATIONS OF STORAGE DRIVES > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2026/0086971 A1 - Document ID: US20260086971A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/894,152 - Filed: 2024-09-24 - Published: 2026-03-26 - Earliest claimed: 2024-09-24 - Assignees: SanDisk Technologies LLC - Applicants: Sandisk Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: KANNIMOLLI SUPRAMANIAM; VIGNES KUMARAN; VILAASHINI NAGENDERAN - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260086971A1 ## CPC - G06F 13/4221: {being an input/output bus, e.g. ISA bus, EISA bus, PCI bus, SCSI bus} - G06F 13/409: {Mechanical coupling (back panels H05K7/1438)} - G06F 13/4282: {on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus (on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247)} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract An interface is provided to adjust a storage setup based on speed and/or capacity. The interface includes a controller that manages downstream peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) lane configurations. A splitter may split a PCIe lane into multiple configurations based on a configuration of the controller. An adapter includes a set of slots for inserting storage devices to convert the first PCIe lane configuration to the second PCIe lane configuration. The slots on the adapter may split a one storage device to four PCIe lanes (1×4) connector to two separate connectors, each operating at a speed of two storage devices to two PCIe lanes. The slots on the adapter may also split the one storage device to four PCIe lanes (1×4) connector to four separate connectors, each operating at a speed of four storage devices to one PCIe lane. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An interface to adjust a storage setup based on at least one of speed and capacity, the interface comprises: a controller to manage downstream peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) lane configurations; a splitter to split a PCIe lane into multiple configurations based on a configuration of the controller; and an adapter to convert a first PCIe lane configuration to a second PCIe lane configuration to adjust the storage setup based on at least one of speed and capacity. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The interface of claim 1, wherein the first PCIe lane configuration is a configuration of one storage device to four PCIe U.2 lanes (1×4) and the adapter converts the first PCIe lane configuration to the second PCIe lane configuration. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The interface of claim 2, wherein the second PCIe lane configuration includes two separate PCIe lanes, each with a configuration of two storage devices to two PCIe lanes. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The interface of claim 2, wherein the second PCIe lane configuration includes four separate PCIe U.2 lanes, each with a configuration of four storage devices to one PCIe U.2 lane (4×1). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The interface of claim 1, wherein the adapter connects to a PCIe male connector as an upstream connection. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The interface of claim 1, wherein downstream connections on the adapter are PCIe female connectors. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The interface of claim 1, further comprising a memory programmed to configure the PCIe lane according to a desired setup. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The interface of claim 1, further comprising a power delivery controller to deliver power to the controller. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The interface of claim 1, further comprising a type C connector to connect the interface to a host. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The interface of claim 1, wherein the controller manages up to four PCIe lane configurations downstream. ### Claim 11 An adapter to adjust a storage setup based on at least one of speed and capacity, the adapter comprises: a set of slots to insert storage devices and convert a first PCIe lane configuration to a second PCIe lane configuration; an upstream connection to a PCIe male connector; and downstream connections to PCIe female connectors. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The adapter of claim 11, wherein the first PCIe lane configuration is a one storage device to four PCIe U.2 lanes (1×4) configuration and the adapter converts the first PCIe lane configuration to the second PCIe lane configuration including two separate PCIe lanes, each with a configuration of two storage devices to two PCIe lanes. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The adapter of claim 11, wherein the first PCIe lane configuration is a one storage device to four PCIe U.2 lanes (1×4) configuration and the adapter converts the first PCIe lane configuration to the second PCIe lane configuration including four separate PCIe U.2 lanes, each with a configuration of four storage devices to one PCIe U.2 lane (4×1). ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The adapter of claim 11, wherein the adapter connects to a PCIe male connector as an upstream connection. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The adapter of claim 11, wherein downstream connections on the adapter are PCIe female connectors. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The adapter of claim 11, wherein the first PCIe lane configuration is provided by a controller configured to provide a one storage device to four PCIe U.2 lanes (1×4) configuration. ### Claim 17 An adapter to adjust a storage setup based on at least one of speed and capacity, the adapter comprises: a set of slots for inserting storage devices to split a one storage device to four PCIe lanes (1×4) connector to one of two separate connectors, each operating at a speed of two storage devices to two PCIe lanes, and four separate connectors, each operating at a speed of four storage devices to one PCIe lane; an upstream connection to a PCIe male connector; and downstream connections to PCIe female connectors. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The adapter of claim 17, wherein the adapter connects to a PCIe male connector as an upstream connection. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The adapter of claim 17, wherein downstream connections on the adapter are PCIe female connectors. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The adapter of claim 17, wherein a first PCIe lane configuration including a one storage device to four PCIe U.2 lanes (1×4) configuration is provided by a controller and is used for the one storage device to four PCIe lanes (1×4) connector.