US 8,345,439 B1Granted

Modular chassis arrangement with redundant logic power delivery system

AssigneeForce10 Networks, Inc.

InventorsJoel R. Goergen, Donald Lewis

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Abstract

A modular packet network device has a chassis in which multiple logic cards mate to the front side of an electrical signaling backplane. Logic power for the logic cards is supplied from a group of power converter cards that convert primary power to the logic voltages required by the logic cards. The power converter cards lie in a separate cooling path behind the backplane. Advantages achieved in at least some of the embodiments include removing primary power planes from the signaling backplane or portion of the backplane, providing redundant, upgradeable power modules whose individual failure does not cause logic card failure, and providing cool air to power converter circuits that would be subject to only heated air if located on the logic cards. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A modular packet network device comprising:

a chassis;
a plurality of logic cards located in the chassis;
a plurality of power converter cards located in the chassis and converting a primary power to a logic power, each power converter card supplying the logic power to at least two of the plurality of logic cards;
an electrical signaling backplane having front side signaling connectors to which the plurality of logic cards connect, the electrical signaling backplane distributing signaling between the plurality of logic cards;
and
a logic power distribution backplane connected to each of the plurality of power converter cards and each of the plurality of logic cards, the logic power distribution backplane having conductive paths to route power from the plurality of power converter cards to the plurality of logic cards such that power is not routed through the electrical signaling backplane, the logic power distribution backplane having, for each of the logic cards, conductive paths leading to that logic card from at least two of the power converter cards;
and
a primary power distribution backplane having primary power connectors, the primary power distribution backplane distributing the primary power to the plurality of power converter cards through the primary power connectors.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.