US 5,268,592 A · Sequential connector

Abstract

A circuit for facilitating hot plugging by limiting the inrush current when a card is plugged into a board having plural card-receiving slots. A single MOSFET charging circuit for all of the cards is provided on the board for each voltage level supplied to the cards. Each card connector half has a staggered set of pins so that, upon insertion of a card, the following events occur in sequence (1) the card ground is connected to the board ground through a high-resistance path; (2) the card ground is connected to board ground through a low-resistance path and the MOSFET source is coupled to the card components; (3) the MOSFET gate is coupled through a card jumper to a bias supply; (4) the normal connection is made between the voltage supply and the card components; and (5) the connection to the card components from the MOSFET source is broken.

Claims12

Dependent claims

Apparatus for coupling a load to a power supply comprising:

a charging circuit coupled to said power supply;
a first connector half having a first contact coupled to said charging circuit and a second contact coupled directly to said power supply;
a second connector half having a first and second contacts coupled to said load, corresponding contacts of said first and second connector halves forming pairs;
said first and second connector halves capable of being mated to each other;
said first and second contact pairs being of lengths such that upon an initial mating of said connector halves, said load is initially connected to said charging circuit only through said first contact pair;
said lengths of said first and second contact pairs are such that upon a final mating of said connector halves, said first pair of contacts disconnects said load from said charging circuit, and said second contact pair directly connects said load to said power supply.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Sequential connector

Life of this patent

Sequential connector

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12