International Business Machines Corporation

Lenovo (singapore) Pte. Ltd.

Derek Robertson

Randhir Singh Malik

James A O'Connor

Justin Potok Bandholz

Joseph Wayne Freeman

Martin Joseph Crippen

James Edward Hughes

Jeffery Michael Franke

Joseph Edward Bolan

David John Jensen

John K Langgood

Jerry Don Ackaret

Wilson Earl Smith

Bay Van Nguyen

Larry G Pymento

John M Sheplock

Brian E Bigelow

Willie Theodore Davis, Jr

Kevin M Cash

Christopher Lee Durham

Vincent M Rogers

David L Cowell

Embodiments of the invention relates to adding test access to a back-drilled vertical access interconnect (VIA) of a printed circuit board (PCB). A VIA is either formed or provided as an opening through layers of the PCB. The VIA is countersunk from one of the two openings to the PCB prior to plating to form a surface that can be used as a test target. The countersunk VIA is subject to plating so that the interior walls and surfaces of the VIA are covered with a conductive material. The plating is removed along the walls of the countersunk section of the VIA, so that the plating remains on the shoulders and the non-countersunk section of the VIA with the shoulder in communication with a trace internal to the PCB. The back-drilled VIA with the plating configuration provides an internal conducting surface for contact while mitigating interference associated with a VIA stub.

Adding test access to a back-drilled VIA

An apparatus includes a top plate and an extension card surrounding a space for a small electronic assembly. The extension card and small electronic assembly are mounted to the top plate. The apparatus includes a plurality of test probes extending through the top plate and moving relative to the top plate. A portion of the test probes are positioned to contact the extension card and a portion are positioned to contact the small electronic assembly when the test probes move with respect to the top plate. The apparatus includes a vacuum box in contact with the top plate and surrounding the extension card and small electronic assembly. The top plate moves relative to the test probes so the test probes contact the extension card and the small electronic assembly in response to a vacuum force evacuating an area under the top plate and within the vacuum box.

Method to improve strain rate control of small lead free printed circuit board assembly during in circuit test process

A method and circuit for implementing an enhanced availability personality card for a chassis computer system, and a design structure on which the subject circuit resides are provided. The personality card includes a first erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM) and a second EPROM, each EPROM storing Vital Product Data (VPD) and a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor sensing temperature. A primary bidirectional bus and a redundant bidirectional bus are respectively connected between the first EPROM and the first temperature sensor and the second EPROM and the second temperature sensor, and a pair of chassis management modules. Each chassis management module includes a switch connected to both the primary bidirectional bus and the redundant bidirectional bus providing redundant paths, enabling continued function with failure of any critical personality card component.

Implementing ultra high availability personality card

A load module determines that a load of an electronic device is operating at a power level below a predetermined power threshold. The electronic device is configured to receive power simultaneously from two or more redundant power supplies. Each redundant power supply configured to receive input power from one or more power sources and configured to provide regulated output power to the load of the electronic device. A disconnection module disconnects at least one of the two or more redundant power supplies from the one or more power sources in response to the load module determining that the load of the electronic device is operating at a power level below the predetermined power threshold.

Apparatus, system, and method for reducing power consumption on devices with multiple power supplies

A data processing system has one or more portions which are present or absent. The variant of the data processing system is automatically determined by means of an infra-red switch whose beam is broken when the one or more portions are absent and not being detected when said one or more portions are present and is not broken when the one or more portions are present. From the output of the infra-red switch, the variant of the data processing system is determined. The variant information is then stored in the data processing system.

Automatic identification of computer systems

Growing community of inventors

Durham, NC, United States of America

Derek Robertson