International Business Machines Corporation

Barry Lee Shepherd

Patrick Kevin Egan

Glenn Ray Oldenburg

A powerplane for use in a backplane power distribution system. The backplane includes a conductive sheet for distributing power from a power source to a load. The powerplane further includes source locations and load locations for coupling the conductive sheet to a power source and a load. The conductive sheet has resistances with appropriate spacing and dimensions so that the resistance near the source locations is greater than the resistance farther away from the source locations. Thus, current is shared more evenly between all the load locations, and the voltage difference between distant load locations and near load locations is reduced to near zero.

Backplane power distribution system

A connector for effecting a permanent, solderless connection between two printed circuit boards or other devices using plated through via openings is disclosed. The connector body captures pins that project from two surfaces thereof. Each of a plurality of pins presents dual compliant connecting portions, one adjacent each body surface from which the pin projects. The connector body portion may also include bosses adjacent the projecting pins to cause the pin compliant connecting portion to have a predetermined distance of penetration into the cooperating via opening of a connected board or panel and the edge surface of the body can be notched between pin locations to enable an extended length to be partitioned into smaller units. The connector may also be formed with two spaced body portions to effect greater separation between attached boards.

Dual compliant pin interconnect system

An electrical interface arrangement includes a buss bar having a longitudinal edge that is substantially smooth and free of conductive tabs. A conductive member is arranged adjacent to the longitudinal edge of the buss bar, and contacts the buss bar with at least 40 A-spots per inch, along substantially an entire length of the buss bar. A circuit board having a plurality of internal planes is provided, with at least one of the internal planes being an internal power plane, and with at least another one of the internal planes being an internal wiring plane having a plurality of conductive wirings. The circuit board further has an arrangement for electrically connecting the conductive member to the internal power plane without interfering with a placement of the conductive wirings, so that the circuit board and the buss bar are in electrical communication.

Arrangement for supplying power from a buss bar to a circuit board

An electrical interface arrangement includes a buss bar having a longitudinal edge that is substantially smooth and free of conductive tabs. A conductive member, such as an elongated coil spring, is arranged adjacent to the longitudinal edge of the buss bar, and contacts the buss bar with at least 40 A-spots (electrical connection locations) per inch, along an entire length of the buss bar. A circuit board having a plurality of internal planes is provided, with at least one of the internal planes being an internal power plane, and with at least another one of the internal planes being an internal wiring plane having a plurality of conductive wirings. The circuit board further has an arrangement for electrically connecting the conductive member to the internal power plane without interfering with a placement of the conductive wirings, so that the circuit board and the buss bar are in electrical communication.

A powerplane for use in a backplane power distribution system. The backplane includes a conductive sheet for distributing power from a power source to a load. The powerplane further includes source locations and load locations for coupling the conductive sheet to a power source and a load. The conductive sheet is provided with impedance variations for balancing the resistance of the conductive sheet between the source locations and load locations. The impedance variations are spaced apart voids with the separation between the voids decreasing towards the source locations, thereby promoting even distribution of current to all the load locations.

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Rochester, MN, United States of America

Barry Lee Shepherd