Other

Thinking Machines Corporation

Nexabit Networks LLC

Theodore W Bilodeau

W Daniel Hillis

Peter Marconi

William Gerner

Peter R Bilodeau

Michael John Rigby

An electronic circuit board assembly and method that enable close stacking and cooling of closely positioned pluralities of similar electronic I/O or memory boards and requiring high speed communication between the boards, such as high speed switching amongst the I/O terminals of the boards or CPU processing, and having an upper and a lower set of similar spaced groups of closely spaced vertical boards; powering terminals aligned along the upper edges of the upper set of boards, and along the lower edges of the lower set of boards, and terminals for connection with a switching fabric disposed along the lower edges of the upper set of boards and the upper edges of the lower set of boards; power backing planes mounted to power and support the lateral edges of the respective sets of groups of boards and extending across the upper and lower sections of the frame; and a plurality of parallel closely spaced vertical switching fabric boards comprising switching fabric (or CPU processing boards) and centrally mounted in the central space of the frame between the groups of boards of the upper and lower sets of boards, and with a backing plane therefor extending intermediately of the frame between the upper and lower section backing plates and isolatively separate therefrom to provide a no-power quiescent zone for the switching fabric (or CPU) boards.

Electronic circuit board assembly and method of closely stacking boards

A system for installing a circuit board edge connector into a motherboard connector from the side to accommodate high density card arrangements that obstruct overhead clearance. In one embodiment, the system utilizes an insertion tool which conveys the circuit board across the motherboard and positions it with the pins of both boards aligned. The tool locates the board adjacent the motherboard with the aligned connectors just touching and blocked against withdrawal. The cooperation between ramps and pins associated with the tool and circuit board applies a force, upon the withdrawal of the tool from the motherboard, to engage fully the pins of the circuit board with the pins of the motherboard. The extraction of the circuit board from the motherboard uses the tool in a reverse sequence. In a second embodiment the system includes a circuit board incorporating slidably configured rail and groove mechanism and a bell crank that allows the circuit board to slide in over the motherboard through relative sliding of the rail and groove and permits the two boards to be drawn together with mating pins by activation of the bell crank. In yet another embodiment the system includes a circuit board incorporating a spacer and a cardcage incorporating a spacer track which permits increased utilization of the circuit board surface for the placement of components.

Circuit board and insertion tool

A flexible marking and measuring instrument which can be folded or rolled as may be desired or convenient comprising a plurality of preferably elongated, rectangular, flat, thin members parallel one with another and sequentially flexibly connected one to another whereby the marking instrument may be folded or rolled to fit in a pocket or tool chest and/or bent or flexed to follow substantially any surface such as, for example, an elongated pipe, board, inside and outside corners, or surface of substantially any configuration. The parallel members may, inter alia, be of the same or different widths, the instrument may be provided with portions that are foldable at the same or different angles, the instrument may be provided with edges defining predetermined angles, the instrument may be provided with marking holes, and/or the instrument may be provided with such indicia as may be desired including but not limited to dimensions in English and/or metric units and lines designating angles.

Marking and measuring instrument

Growing community of inventors

Concord, MA, United States of America

Theodore W Bilodeau