International Business Machines Corporation

Gerhard H Ruehle

Michael F McAllister

Stephan R Richter

Klaus K Kempter

Charles F Pells

Harald Pross

Wolfgang A Scholz

Gerhard Schoor

Willi Recktenwald

Wiren Dale Becker

Dierk Kaller

Rene Schrottenholzer

A MCM system board uses a stiffener arrangement to enhance mechanical, thermo and electrical properties by incorporating an LGA compression connector in a computer system. The present designs of large scale computing systems (LSCS) in IBM use a MCM that is attached to a system board and held together by a stiffening frame. Due to the nature of the manufacturing of the system board, there can be significant gaps formed in the mounting area of the MCM between the board and the stiffener. A method is described that not only fills the void, it also, in addition promotes thermo conduction of excess heat away from the MCM and at the same time promotes enhanced electrical properties of the LGA connections of the MCM to the system board.

Gel package structural enhancement of compression system board connections

Method for structural enhancement of compression system board connections

Method for using gel package structure enhancing thermal dissipation between compressed printed circuit board and heat sink mechanical stiffener

An assembly for mounting elongated electrical contact elements to an integrated circuit package or printed circuit board. The assembly comprises a a base plate having a first surface and a multiplicity of recesses aligned with each other in the first surface. Each of the recesses is sized and configured to receive a respective one of the contact elements. The assembly also comprises first and second spaced apart supports extending from the base plate. The assembly also comprises first and second rods received by the first and second supports and supported parallel to each other. The first and second rods define an intervening slot aligned with the recesses. The assembly also comprises a multiplicity of the contact elements. One end of each of the contact elements is received in a respective one of the recesses. The contact elements are engaged by the first and second rods, whereby the contact elements are held in their respective recesses. The rods are removable from the first and second supports to permit the contact elements to be removed from the base plate.

Removable housing for mounting pin grid array

A contact assembly comprised of two parts bonded (e.g., welded) together, the first part including a male pin portion and the second part including a cylindrical jacket terminating in a flat end surface adapted for being electrically coupled (e.g., soldered) to a conductor (e.g., pad) on a substrate (e.g., PCB). Several contact assemblies may be positioned within a housing or substrate, to form a connector assembly which may then be positioned on and electrically coupled to a second substrate (e.g., a PCB), forming an electronic assembly.

Contact assembly, connector assembly utilizing same, and electronic assembly

A method and apparatus of interconnecting with a system board is presented. A system board having a metal stiffener mounted thereon is provided with an opening in the stiffener to provide access to an area of interest on the system board. A probe test assembly is positioned a the opening and secured to the stiffener when testing is desired to provide access to the pins of the device under test (e.g., a Multi Chip Module (MCM) on the system board). Alternatively, a system enhancement device, such as an MCM or Single Chip Module (SCM) having additional Central Processing Units (CPU's) or other features, may be installed on the system board at the opening in the stiffener to enhance the function of the system board. Another alternate includes an interface assembly positioned at the opening in the stiffener. A cover is positioned at the opening and secured to the stiffener at all other times.

Method and apparatus of interconnecting with a system board

Method of interconnecting with a system board

A method and apparatus of interconnecting with a system board is presented. A system board having a metal stiffener mounted thereon is provided with an opening in the stiffener to provide access to an area of interest on the system board. A probe test assembly is positioned at the opening and secured to the stiffener when testing is desired to provide access to the pins of the device under test (e.g., a Multi Chip Module (MCM) on the system board). Alternatively, a system enhancement device, such as a MCM or Single Chip Module (SCM) having additional Central Processing Units (CPU's) or other features, may be installed on the system board at the opening in the stiffener to enhance the function of the system board. Another alternate includes an interface assembly positioned at the opening in the stiffener. A cover is positioned at the opening and secured to the stiffener at all other times.

Method and apparatus for enhancing a system board

A counterbalancing arrangement for use with a compressive land grid array connector system provides a counterbalancing load element at a side of a system circuit board opposite a back side holding an integrated circuit chip substrate via the connector system. In a first aspect, the counterbalancing load element is a probe template and spacer element providing measurement across to the integrated circuiting. In another aspect, the counterbalancing load element is a mirror image integrated circuit land grid array connector system.

Application and test methodology for use with compression land grid array connectors

System interface assembly and method

A probe test assembly for testing electronic devices maintained at lowered temperatures includes heaters and flows of dried air to prevent condensation from forming on the devices. The devices have pins received in an electrically non-conductive system board, and the probe test assembly includes a heat conductive and electrically conductive apertured probe plate to transfer heat from the heaters to the system board. Grounding pins extend from the probe plate to grounding pads on the system board, and a non-conductive apertured pattern plate spaced above the probe plate protects exposed ends of the grounding pins. In an alternate embodiment, the pattern plate is omitted in favor of a conductive intermediate plate and a superposed non-conductive contact plate. Signal pins extend from the system board to the contact plate in order to transfer contact points for electronic device from the system board to the contact plate. A multipin connector can be connected to the contact plate to enable the transmission of signals from the devices under test to a computer.

Probing systems for chilled environment

A high frequency probe is presented. The probe comprises a probe body having a coaxial resilient double ended probe element attached thereto by an adaptor. A locking pin is attached to the probe adaptor and extends parallel to the probe element, however, it is slightly shorter as the locking pin should not contact any pins of the device being probed. The locking pin serves to hold the probe in place. Alternatively, a high frequency differential probe is presented. The high frequency differential probe comprises a base having a first pair of opposing spring steel plates and a second adjacent pair of opposing spring steel plates connected thereto. The first pair of spring plates are also connected to a first probe adaptor and the second pair of spring plates are also connected to a second probe adaptor. A first probe body is mounted at an angle to the first adaptor and a second probe body is mounted at an angle to the second adaptor. A first coaxial resilient double ended probe element connected to the first probe body by the first adaptor and a second coaxial resilient double ended probe element connected to the second probe body by the second adaptor.

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Sindelfingen, Germany

Gerhard H Ruehle