Flexible module interconnect system

A module interconnect system comprising:

• a backplane having a plurality of module-receiving slots and means for interconnecting said module-receiving slots;
• and
• two or more modules mounted in selected ones of said module-receiving slots, at least one of said modules comprising:
• a module circuit having a first group of module circuit lines and a second group of module circuit lines;
• a first group of module I/O lines for connecting said module to a first adjacent module through said backplane;
• a second group of module I/O lines for connecting said module to a second adjacent module through said backplane;
• and
• a switching mechanism responsive to a control signal and selectably connecting said first group of module I/O lines to said first group of module circuit lines, to said second group of module I/O lines, to neither or to both, and for selectably connecting said second group of module I/O lines to said second group of module circuit lines, to said first group of module I/O lines, to neither or to both, and a control mechanism generating and transmitting to the switching mechanism the control signal that represents a desired interconnection between said first and second groups of module I/O lines and said first and second groups of module circuit lines.

A method for interconnecting a module to first and second adjacent modules through a backplane in which the circuit modules are mounted, said module including a module circuit having a first group of module circuit lines and a second group of module circuit lines, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a first group of module I/O lines for connecting said module to said first adjacent module through said backplane and a second group of module I/O lines for connecting said module to said second adjacent module through said backplane;
• electronically interconnecting said first group of module I/O lines to said first group of module circuit lines and said second group of module I/O lines to said second group of module circuit lines when a control signal is representative of a series connection of said module to said first and second adjacent modules;
• and
• electronically interconnecting said first group of module circuit lines to said second group of module circuit lines when said control signal is representative of a loopback connection of said module.

A module interconnect system comprising:

• a backplane having a plurality of module-receiving slots and means for interconnecting said module-receiving slots;
• and
• two or more modules mounted in selected ones of said module-receiving slots, at least one of said modules including a module circuit having a first group of module circuit lines and a second group of module circuit lines;
• a first group of module I/O lines for connecting said module to a first adjacent module through said backplane;
• a second group of module I/O lines for connecting said module to a second adjacent module through said backplane;
• a switching mechanism responsive to a control signal for selectably connecting said first group of module circuit lines to neither, one or both of said groups of module I/O lines and for selectably connecting said second group of module circuit lines to neither, one or both of said groups of module I/O lines, in order to achieve a desired interconnection between said module and said first and second adjacent modules;
• and
• a control mechanism generating and transmitting to the switch, the control signal representative of the desired interconnection between said module and said first and second adjacent modules.