Rugged shock-resistant backplane for embedded systems

A method for operatively interconnecting circuit cards within a computer to enable data to be transmitted and received therebetween comprising:

• a) forming a common backplane having a plurality of circuit card connectors disposed in spaced apart relation thereon for supporting circuit cards in a generally parallel upright relationship;
• b) providing a plurality of circuit cards each having a transmitter LED diode and a receiver photodiode formed thereon;
• c) mounting each of said circuit cards to one corresponding circuit card connector to establish a plurality of optical pathways between the LED diodes and the photodiodes of the corresponding circuit cards, such that a plurality of independent optical connections between the circuit cards are formed solely through air;
• d) generating and transmitting a light from at least one of the LED diode, the light generated from the LED carrying data to be transmitted from the circuit card on which the at least one LED diode is formed;
• e) receiving the light by the photodiodes formed on any two of the circuit cards, so as to receive the data carried by the light.

A shock-resistant system for operatively interconnecting circuit cards within a computer system to enable data to be transmitted and received therebetween comprising:

• a) a common backplane having a plurality of circuit card connectors disposed in spaced apart relation thereon for supporting circuit cards extending normal to the backplane in a generally upright parallel relationship;
• b) at least first, second, and third circuit cards, pairs of first, second and third LEDs and photodiodes formed thereon, respectively, the first, second and third LED being operative to generate and transmit infrared signals which carry data to be transmitted from the first, second and third circuit cards, respectively, and the first, second and third photodiodes being operative to receive the infrared signal generated by the first, second and third LEDs;
• c) first and second optical pathways formed between the first LED with the second and third photodiodes, third and fourth optical pathways formed between the second LED with the first and third photodiodes, and fifth and sixth optical pathways formed between the third LED and the first and second photodiodes;
• and
• d) wherein the first, second and third circuit cards are maintained in fixed relationship to one another, and the infrared signals are transmitted along the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth optical pathways independently with each other.