The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 02, 2000
Filed:
Nov. 03, 1998
Scott Peter Graves, Zumbro Falls, MN (US);
Maurice Leron Hutson, Byron, MN (US);
Douglas Allan Kuchta, Rochester, MN (US);
Paul Steven Severson, Rochester, MN (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
An electronic system contains a backplane circuit card assembly for distribution of electrical signals among component devices. Power is distributed in embedded power planes, one of which is associated with ground. The backplane also contains multiple embedded ground planes. The circuit card assembly is divided by an axis into two halves, each half receiving and consuming approximately equal power. Electrical couplings for power sources and power planes in each half of the backplane are located symmetrically with respect to the axis. A row of ground vias along the axis couples the ground planes to the associated power plane. At all other locations on the backplane, the ground planes are electrically isolated from the associated power plane. Preferably, the backplane assembly comprises a pair of base cards, connected by a single smaller jumper card in which all ground vias are located. Each base card lies on a respective side of the axis, the jumper straddling the axis. The exemplary embodiment is an intelligent redundant array of independent disks (RAID) storage server having concurrent maintenance capability.