Expansion card auxiliary power cable assembly with integrated electric fuse

Abstract

An expansion card auxiliary power cable assembly with an integrated electrical fuse is disclosed that includes a paddle board, a power connector mounted to the paddle board, an adapter output connector, an adapter cable extending from the paddle board to the adapter output connector, an auxiliary output connector, and an auxiliary cable extending from the paddle board to the auxiliary output connector. The power connector is connected to a power output connector of a main system board of the computing system, the riser output connector is connected to the riser card, and the auxiliary output connector is connected to the expansion card. The paddle board includes electrical fuses configured to control power supplied from the power connector to the adapter output connector and power supplied from the power connector to the auxiliary output connector.

Description

Background Technology

[0001] Computing devices such as servers typically have a main system board (e.g., a motherboard) that includes various components, such as one or more CPU sockets. In addition to these core components, the main system board may also include electrical connectors to allow electronic modules to be connected to the system board, thereby expanding the capabilities or functionality of the computing device. These connectors and the modules they accept are typically referred to as expansion slots and expansion cards, respectively. Examples of such expansion slots include PCIe slots, M.2 connectors, etc. Examples of common types of expansion cards include video cards or graphics processing units (GPUs), network interface cards (NICs), storage controllers, hardware accelerators, and so on.

[0002] However, in some computing devices, due to space constraints, it may not be possible to directly connect expansion cards to expansion slots. Therefore, an intermediate board called a riser card can be used to facilitate the connection between the expansion card and the system board. The expansion card can connect to the riser card, which in turn can connect to the expansion slot of the main system board. The riser card is a printed circuit assembly (PCA) that carries an electrical connector suitable for receiving the expansion card and another electrical connector suitable for connecting to the expansion slot of the main system board, and these connectors are arranged so that the expansion card can be assembled as needed within the system's space constraints when everything is connected. To physically support and secure the riser card and expansion card, a support structure called a riser cage can be attached to the riser card and expansion card and anchored to the computing device's chassis. Attached Figure Description

[0003] Can be used alone or with an appendix Figure 1 This disclosure is to be understood from the following detailed description. These accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of this disclosure, and are incorporated in and form a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate one or more examples of the teachings and, together with the description, explain certain principles and operations. In the drawings:

[0004] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating an example auxiliary power cable assembly.

[0005] Figure 2 The diagram includes Figure 1 A block diagram of an example computational system for auxiliary power cable assemblies.

[0006] Figure 3 This is a 3D view of an example auxiliary power cable assembly.

[0007] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A perspective view of the input connector assembly of the auxiliary power cable assembly, wherein the housing of the connector assembly is omitted.

[0008] Figure 5 It is used with the power output connector of the system board. Figure 3 The front view of the input connector assembly of the auxiliary power cable assembly, wherein the housing of the connector assembly is transparent and indicated by dotted lines.

[0009] Figure 6 is with Figure 5 The system board's power output connector is compatible. Figure 3 A side view of the input connector assembly of the auxiliary power cable assembly, wherein the housing of the connector assembly is transparent and indicated by dotted lines.

[0010] Figure 7 It is designed to work with the power output connector of another system board. Figure 3 A side view of the input connector assembly of the auxiliary power cable assembly, wherein the housing of the connector assembly is transparent and indicated by dotted lines.

[0011] Figure 8 It connects to the adapter card and the expansion card. Figure 3 A three-dimensional view of the auxiliary power cable assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0012] When expansion cards or other electronic modules are connected to the main system board, they typically draw power from the system board. For example, if an expansion card is connected to the system board via an adapter card, the expansion card can draw power from the adapter card, which in turn draws power from the expansion slots on the system board. In some cases, it may be desirable to provide power gating logic between the system board and the expansion card to control the power flow to the expansion card and ensure safe operation. In particular, this is not only desirable but also mandatory in systems conforming to the Open Compute Project (OCP) Platform Infrastructure Connectivity (M-PIC) benchmark specification. The OCP M-PIC benchmark specification requires any 12V peripheral subsystem (which includes numerous expansion cards and associated adapter cards) to have power gating logic positioned between the system board and the load.

[0013] One way to provide such power gating logic is to add it to the adapter card. However, in some cases, providing such power gating logic on the adapter card can be difficult and expensive. Adapter cards are space-constrained, and in some situations, there may not be enough free space to accommodate the required power gating logic. Furthermore, adding power gating logic to the adapter card may require adding more copper for power signal routing, which not only takes up more space but can also increase the cost of the adapter card (in addition to the cost of the power gating logic itself).

[0014] These challenges can be amplified in adapter cards designed to handle large amounts of power. Larger power demands may require more robust power gating logic, leading to higher costs and increased card size. Furthermore, adapter cards may require more copper for power signal cabling, again resulting in higher costs and increased card size. High power requirements are not uncommon in adapter cards, as some expansion cards (such as graphics processing units (GPUs)) can be rated to draw up to 600W of continuous power. Adapter cards connected to such expansion cards may need to be designed to handle even more power, for example, to account for temporary deviations from the rated continuous power draw and / or to provide safety margins. For instance, to comply with the Peripheral Component Interconnect Special Interest Group (PCI-SIG) Card Electromechanical (CEM) specification (which covers adapter cards with PCI-SIG CEM connectors, a type of PCIe connector), the adapter card needs to be able to handle temporary power draws up to three times the rated continuous power draw of the expansion card. Accordingly, to add power gating logic to certain adapter cards, in some cases, the power gating logic might need to be able to handle up to 1800W per expansion card. This would require very robust power gating logic, correspondingly requiring robust copper wiring in the adapter card. In many cases, this is not feasible due to cost and space constraints of the adapter card.

[0015] To address these and other issues, the examples disclosed herein provide an auxiliary power cable assembly that supplies power from the system board of a computing device to an expansion card. The cable assembly includes multiple fuses integrated within it, which act as power gating logic for controlling the power supply to the expansion card. Because power can be supplied to the expansion card via the cable assembly, the expansion card does not need to obtain power through an adapter card (or the power obtained through the adapter card can be significantly less), and therefore the adapter card does not need to be designed to handle large amounts of power. In particular, because the cable assembly includes fuses to act as power gating logic, the system can meet power gating requirements, such as those specified in the OCP M-PIC benchmark specification, without having to add power gating logic to the adapter card (or at least reducing the amount of power gating logic added to the adapter card). Therefore, the difficulties associated with finding space for power gating logic in space-constrained adapter cards can be avoided, and the cost of the adapter card can be significantly reduced. Furthermore, unlike most adapter cards, cable assemblies are not space-constrained, so including the same power gating logic in the cable assembly is less costly and simpler than including it in the adapter card. Therefore, the example auxiliary power cable assembly disclosed herein meets desired power delivery specifications while being less costly and simpler to manufacture.

[0016] In some examples, the auxiliary power cable assembly has an input connector assembly at one end configured to connect to a power output connector (e.g., a PICPWR connector) of the system board of a computing device. At the other end of the cable assembly, there are one or more output connectors configured to connect to an auxiliary power input connector of an expansion card and / or adapter card. One or more cables extend between the input power connector assembly and the one or more output power connectors. The input connector assembly includes a printed circuit board assembly (PCA) that includes a paddle board and power connectors (e.g., PICPWR connectors) mounted to the paddle board. Additionally, e-fuses are mounted to the paddle board. The e-fuses are connected between the power connectors and the conductors of the cables, which are electrically connected to the paddle board (e.g., via contacts soldered to the paddle board). In some examples, the e-fuses on the paddle board provide power gating not only for power delivered to the expansion card via one of the output connectors but also for power delivered to the adapter card via another of the output connectors.

[0017] In some examples, auxiliary power cable assemblies are available as optional kits, which users can add to their systems to allow the use of higher-power expansion cards. Furthermore, in some examples, the use of such optional kits allows the same adapter card to be used in many different system configurations, including configurations with both lower-power and higher-power expansion cards. For example, in a system with a low-power expansion card, the adapter card can be used without the cable assembly, as the adapter card itself is capable of providing sufficient power to the expansion card. However, in a system with a higher-power expansion card, the adapter card can be used even if it cannot provide sufficient power, and an auxiliary power cable assembly can be added to compensate for the power supply difference. Because designing, manufacturing, and handling multiple individual adapter card designs can be costly, enabling the use of the same adapter card in multiple system configurations can save on engineering, manufacturing, and logistical costs. Additionally, optional auxiliary power cable assemblies allow users to more easily upgrade their systems after manufacturing by adding the cable assembly, without having to disassemble existing adapter cards and replace them with new ones.

[0018] These and other aspects of the examples disclosed herein will be combined below. Figures 1 to 8 To describe in more detail.

[0019] Figure 1 The illustration shows an example auxiliary power cable assembly 100 (cable assembly 100). Figure 2An example computing device 101 including an auxiliary power cable assembly 100 is illustrated. Figure 1 and Figure 2 It is schematic in nature and is not intended to depict shape, size, position or other structural details accurately or to scale. In particular, unless otherwise indicated, Figure 1 and Figure 2 The nesting of blocks in the diagram indicates a hierarchical (i.e., component / sub-component) relationship, rather than a spatial / locational relationship. Some examples of cable assemblies 100 or computing devices 101 may include... Figure 1 or Figure 2 Components not shown in the diagram may be omitted in some examples. Figure 1 and Figure 2 One or more components are shown in the diagram. Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the diagram, physical connections between components are schematically indicated by double solid lines; electrical connections for transmitting power are indicated by dashed lines; and electrical connections for transmitting sideband signals are indicated by dotted lines.

[0020] like Figure 1 As shown, the auxiliary power cable assembly 100 includes an input connector assembly 110 at one end, an auxiliary output connector 150 at the other end, and an auxiliary cable 151 extending between and electrically connected to the input connector assembly 110 and the auxiliary output connector 150. In some examples, the cable assembly 100 (in addition to the auxiliary output connector 150 and the auxiliary cable 151) may also include an adapter output connector 140 and an adapter cable 141, wherein the adapter cable 141 extends between and electrically connects to the input connector assembly 110 and the adapter output connector 140. In other examples, the auxiliary power cable assembly 100 may include any number of additional output connectors and corresponding cables. These components will be described sequentially below.

[0021] Input connector assembly 110 includes an input connector printed circuit assembly (PCA) 111 (PCA 111). In some examples, input connector assembly 110 also includes an input connector housing 112 attached to and receiving (e.g., at least partially surrounding) PCA 111. PCA 111 includes a printed circuit board (PCB) referred to herein as paddle 130 and a power connector 120 mounted to paddle 130.

[0022] Power connector 120 is configured to mate with complementary power output connector 161 of the main system board 160 of computing device 101, such as Figure 2As shown. For example, power connector 120 and power output connector 161 can be complementary PICPWR connectors as specified in the OCP M-PIC specification. For example, connector 161 can be a PICPWR receptacle (or connector) and connector 120 can be a PICPWR plug.

[0023] The power connector 120 includes power contacts 122 that are configured to electrically connect with complementary power contacts of the power output connector 161 when two connectors 120 / 161 mate and are configured to carry a power signal. The power contacts 122 can be pins, sockets, contact pads, spring clips, or any other form of electrical termination or contact. Any number of power contacts 122 can be present. The power contacts 122 include power supply contacts (also called live contacts or positive contacts) carrying a supply potential and ground contacts (also called neutral contacts or return contacts) carrying a ground potential. In some examples, the power supply signal is a 12V DC power signal (i.e., the voltage difference between the supply potential and the ground potential is 12V), and in some examples, the power contacts 122 are rated to carry up to 10A (120W) per contact. In some examples, each power contact 122 is associated with a corresponding power path 145 or 155 via an auxiliary power cable assembly 110, wherein each power path 145 or 155 has a corresponding conductor (wire) in one of the cables 141 and / or 151 and a corresponding output power contact in one of the output connectors 140 and / or 150. Power path 155 passes through auxiliary cable 151 and auxiliary output connector 150 to expansion card 180, and is also referred to herein as expansion card power path 155. Power path 145 passes through adapter cable 141 and adapter output connector 140 to adapter card 170, and is also referred to herein as adapter card power path 145. In some embodiments, ten of the power contacts 122 (five carrying power supply potentials and five carrying ground potentials) are associated with expansion card power path 155, and two of the power contacts 122 (one power supply contact and one ground contact) are associated with adapter card power path 145.

[0024] The power connector 120 also includes sideband contacts 121, which are configured to electrically connect with complementary sideband contacts of the power output connector 161 when the two connectors 120 / 161 mate and are configured to carry sideband signals. Sideband signals are communication signals associated with managing peripheral subsystems, such as presence signals, status signals, etc. Any number of sideband contacts 121 may be present. In some examples, the sideband contacts 121 are associated with corresponding sideband paths 146 or 156 via the auxiliary power cable assembly 110, wherein each sideband path 146 or 156 has a corresponding conductor (wire) in one of the cables 141 and / or 151 and a corresponding output sideband contact in one of the output connectors. Sideband path 156 passes through the auxiliary cable 151 and the auxiliary output connector 150 to the expansion card 180 and is also referred to herein as expansion card sideband path 156. Sideband path 146 passes through adapter cable 141 and adapter output connector 140, leads to adapter card 170, and is also referred to herein as adapter card sideband path 146. In some embodiments, there may be two expansion card sideband paths 156 and four adapter card sideband paths 146.

[0025] In some examples, connector 120 may include additional contacts that, although present in the power connector 120, are not connected to any of the power paths or sideband paths through cable assembly 100. For example, connector 120 may include additional sideband contacts that are not connected to any of the sideband paths through assembly 100. References herein to power contact 122 or sideband contact 121 should be understood to refer only to those contacts of connector 120 that are connected to the corresponding paths through cable assembly 110.

[0026] The power connector 120 can be physically attached to and electrically connected to the paddle plate 130. Specifically, the paddle plate 130 may include a connector sideband interface 131 electrically connected to the sideband contacts 121 of the power connector 120, and a connector power interface 132 electrically connected to the power contacts 122 of the power connector 120. In some examples, the connector 120 is surface-mounted to the paddle plate 130, in which case interfaces 131 and 132 may include contact pads that contact (and can be soldered to) corresponding pins, contact pads, solder balls, etc., of the power connector 120, which are then electrically connected to the contacts 121 and 122 of the connector 120. In other examples, the connector 120 is through-hole mounted to the paddle plate 130, in which case interfaces 131 and 132 may include plated through-holes that receive (and can be soldered to) corresponding leads / pins of the power connector 120, which are then electrically connected to the contacts 121 and 122 of the connector 120. As mentioned above, in some examples, not all contacts of connector 120 need to be used, and unused contacts of connector 120 need not be connected to interface 131 or 132.

[0027] The paddle 130 also includes a plurality of pads that are electrically connected (directly or indirectly) to interfaces 131 and 132 and are also soldered to conductors (wires) of one or more cables. These pads include auxiliary power pads 136 that are connected to the corresponding connector power interface 132 (via the electro-fuse 138 described below) and soldered to the electrical conductors (wires) of auxiliary cables 151. Thus, each auxiliary power pad 136 forms a portion of one of the aforementioned expansion card power paths 155. The pads also include auxiliary sideband pads 135 that are connected to the corresponding connector sideband interface 131 and soldered to the electrical conductors (wires) of auxiliary cables 151. Thus, each auxiliary sideband pad 135 forms a portion of one of the aforementioned expansion card sideband paths 156. As described above, in some examples there are ten expansion card power paths 155 and two expansion card sideband paths 156, so in such examples there may be ten auxiliary power pads 136 and two auxiliary sideband pads 135.

[0028] In some examples where an adapter cable 141 and an adapter output connector 140 are also present, the pads of the paddle 130 further include adapter sideband pads 133 and adapter power pads 134. The adapter power pads 134 are connected to the corresponding connector power interface 132 (via the electro-fusible link 138 described below) and soldered to the electrical conductors (wires) of the adapter cable 141. Thus, each adapter power pad 134 forms a portion of one of the aforementioned adapter card power paths 145. In these examples, the pads also include adapter sideband pads 133, which are connected to the corresponding connector sideband interface 131 and soldered to the electrical conductors (wires) of the adapter cable 141. Thus, each adapter sideband pad 133 forms a portion of one of the aforementioned adapter card sideband paths 146. As described above, in some examples there are two adapter card power paths 145 and four adapter card sideband paths 146, so in such examples there may be two adapter power pads 134 and four adapter sideband pads 133.

[0029] In some examples, power paths 145 and 155 remain electrically isolated from each other throughout their journey through cable assembly 100. However, in other examples, some power paths 145 and 155 may be electrically joined together at one or more points in their respective paths. For example, in some embodiments, connector power interfaces 132 carrying power supply potentials may be all electrically connected together to effectively form a single power supply rail, and all connector power interfaces 132 carrying ground potentials may be all electrically connected together to effectively form a single ground rail. As another example, in some embodiments, auxiliary power pads 136 carrying power supply potentials may be all electrically connected together, and auxiliary power pads 136 carrying ground potentials may be all electrically connected together.

[0030] The paddle 130 also includes one or more fuses 138 mounted to the paddle and disposed in the aforementioned power supply paths 155 and / or 145 to control the power flow through these power supply paths. Fuse 128 may include an integrated circuit comprising a power switch and control circuitry for controlling the power switch. A power path connected to one of the fuses 128 passes through the power switch of fuse 128, such that the power switch controls the power flow through that power path. The control circuitry of fuse 128 may monitor the conditions of the power path (e.g., voltage and current) and control the power switch based on these conditions; for example, if a voltage threshold or current threshold is exceeded, the fuse may cut off or limit the power flow. Fuse 128 may be programmable to set thresholds and define behavior.

[0031] As mentioned above, multiple fuses 128 are disposed in power paths 155 and 145. More specifically, each connector power interface 132 is connected to the input of fuse 128, and each auxiliary power pad 136 and each adapter power pad 134 are electrically connected to the output of fuse 128. Connections between fuses 128 and other components may include internal circuitry (e.g., conductive lines) of paddle 130. In some examples, at least each power path 155 or 145 carrying a power supply potential has a corresponding fuse 128 to control the current flow through each power path (this indirectly controls the current flow through the ground carrying path, since current only flows when the circuit is closed). In some examples, at least each power path 155 or 145 carrying a ground potential has a corresponding fuse 128 to control the current flow through each power path (this indirectly controls the current flow through the power supply carrying path). In some examples where one or more power paths 155 or 145 are joined together at one or more points, these joined power paths 155 or 145 may be able to share the same fuse 128. For example, assuming auxiliary power pads 136 are electrically connected to each other, a single fuse 138 may be provided for all expansion card power paths 155. It should also be noted that in some cases, both the supply potential and the ground potential may be provided to a single fuse 138 to allow its operation, but in other cases, the fuse 138 may directly control (switch) only one of the potentials.

[0032] As mentioned above, the input connector assembly 110 includes a housing 112. In some examples, the housing 112 covers the exposed electrical contacts (such as pads 133, 134, 135, 136) of the paddle 130 to prevent accidental contact by a user or other object. The housing 112 also protects components of the paddle 130 from damage caused by external objects. In some examples, the housing 112 includes a hollow box-like structure made of a rigid material (e.g., plastic) that partially surrounds and houses the paddle 130. In such examples, the portion of the power connector 120 that mates with connector 161 can protrude from the housing 112 through an opening, and cables 141 and 151 can also protrude into the housing 112 through one or more additional openings. In other examples, the housing 112 may include a more flexible or extensible material (such as a polyester film) that wraps around the paddle 130 and covers the exposed electrical contacts of the paddle. In other examples, housing 112 may comprise resin or a similar material that is applied to paddle 130 in liquid form and then cured into a hardened form. In some examples where resin (or a similar material) is used as housing 112, the resin may cover and encapsulate most or all of paddle 130, and may also cover portions of power connector 120 and / or cables 141 / 151. In other examples using resin (or a similar material), the resin may be applied to exposed electrical contacts to prevent accidental contact with these contacts while exposing other areas.

[0033] Turning to cables 141 and 151, each cable may include multiple conductors (wires) soldered to pads 133, 134, 135, or 136, as described above. Each such conductor may be a single solid wire or a stranded wire formed by combining multiple strands together. Cables 141 and 151 may also include sheaths to protect the conductors and bundle them together, wherein the bundled cables are referred to as a single cable. In some examples, adapter cable 141 and auxiliary cable 151 may be separate along their entire length. In other examples, adapter cable 141 and auxiliary cable 151 may initially be joined together at their proximal ends (the ends connected to input connector assembly 110), and then the adapter cable and auxiliary cable may later separate into separate cables at their distal ends.

[0034] The distal end of the auxiliary cable 151 connects to the auxiliary output connector 150. The auxiliary output connector 150 is configured to mate with the auxiliary input connector 181 of the expansion card 180, such as... Figure 2As shown. The auxiliary input connector 181 is an auxiliary power connector for the expansion card 180, configured to receive input power and transmit sideband signals. The auxiliary output connector 150 includes various electrical contacts (e.g., pins) corresponding to the aforementioned expansion card power path 155 and various electrical contacts corresponding to the aforementioned expansion card sideband path 156. These electrical contacts mate with corresponding contacts of the auxiliary input connector 181 to electrically connect power path 155 and sideband path 156 to the expansion card 180. This allows the main system board 160 to supply power to the expansion card 180 via the auxiliary power cable assembly 100. In some examples, there are ten expansion card power paths 157 (five power supply paths and five ground paths) and two expansion card sideband paths 158; therefore, in such examples, the auxiliary output connector 150 may include twelve electrical contacts.

[0035] In the example including adapter cable 141, the distal end of adapter cable 141 is connected to adapter output connector 140. Adapter output connector 140 is configured to mate with adapter input connector 171 of adapter card 170, as... Figure 2 As shown. The input connector 171 is an auxiliary power connector for the adapter card 170, configured to receive input power and transmit sideband signals. The output connector 140 includes various electrical contacts (e.g., pins) corresponding to the aforementioned adapter card power path 157 and various electrical contacts corresponding to the aforementioned adapter card sideband path 158. These electrical contacts mate with corresponding contacts of the input connector 171 to electrically connect the power path 157 and the sideband path 158 to the adapter card 170. This allows the main system board 160 to supply power to the adapter card 170 via the auxiliary power cable assembly 100. In some examples, there are two adapter card power paths 157 (one power supply path and one ground path) and four adapter card sideband paths 158; therefore, in such examples, the output connector 140 may include six electrical contacts.

[0036] Go to Figure 2 The computing system 101 includes a housing 180, a main system board 160 supported by the housing, an adapter card 170, an expansion card 180, and an auxiliary power cable assembly 100.

[0037] The main system board 160 may be a motherboard, or, in a system conforming to the OCP Data Center-Modular Hardware System (DC-MHS) specification, a main processor module (HPM). The main system board 160 includes a processor 165, an expansion slot 162, a power output connector 161, and one or more controllers 164. The expansion slot 162 is used to receive an expansion card 180. The expansion slot 162 may include a PCIe slot. The power output connector 161 is configured to supply power to peripheral subsystems, and, as described above, in some examples, this power output connector may be a PICPWR connector.

[0038] Controller 164 includes logic for managing, in particular, the supply of power to expansion card 180 via power output connector 161. In some examples, sideband signals carried by auxiliary power cable assembly 100 communicate with controller 164. In some examples, controller 164 may include baseboard management controller (BMC). In some examples, in addition to or instead of a BMC, controller 164 may also include field-programmable gate array (FPGA), complex programmable logic device (CPLD), or other dedicated hardware. Although controller 164 is illustrated as part of main system board 160, it should be understood that in some examples, all or part of controller 164 (e.g., BMC) may be configured to be part of a detachable module connected to main system board 160, such as a data center security control module (DC-SCM).

[0039] In some examples, adapter card 170 includes an edge connector 172, such as a PCIe edge connector in some examples. In some examples, edge connector 172 mates with expansion slot 162. Adapter card 170 also includes an adapter card slot 173 electrically connected to edge connector 172. Adapter card slot 173 may be similar in form to expansion slot 162 (e.g., in some examples, adapter card slot may be a PCIe slot). Expansion card 180 includes an edge connector 183 that mates with adapter card slot 173. Thus, between the main system board 160 and expansion card 180, a connection is formed via expansion slot 162, edge connector 172, adapter card slot 172, and edge connector 183. Figure 2 The main data communication channel 163 is indicated by a dashed line. This main data communication channel 163 may be, for example, a PCIe interface, which includes one or more PCIe lanes (e.g., 1x lane, 4x lane, 8x lane, 16x lane). Apart from sideband signals carried via the auxiliary power cable assembly 100, most communication between the main system board 160 and the expansion card 180 occurs through this channel 163.

[0040] In some examples, system 101 includes an adapter card holder 185 to which an adapter card 170 and an expansion card 180 are attached. The adapter card holder 185 is a support structure attached to the housing 180 and thus supports and secures the adapter card 170 and the expansion card 180 relative to the housing.

[0041] As described above, the adapter output connector 140 connects to the adapter input connector 171 of the adapter card 170, and similarly, the auxiliary output connector 150 connects to the auxiliary input connector 1810 of the expansion card 180. This allows power to be delivered from the system board 160 to the expansion card 180 and the adapter card 170 via the auxiliary power cable assembly. Furthermore, because the power gating logic is provided in the cable assembly 100 in the form of fuses 138, less power gating logic needs to be provided in the adapter card 170, or in some cases, no power gating logic is required.

[0042] In some examples, some power may also be supplied from expansion slot 162 to adapter card 170 and / or from adapter card slot 173 to expansion card 180. However, in some examples, because auxiliary power cable assembly 100 is capable of supplying power to expansion card 180, the power supplied via expansion slot 162 can be kept relatively small. This allows for less power gating in adapter card 170. In other examples, the use of auxiliary power cable assembly 100 may allow power not to be supplied to adapter card 170 or expansion card 180 via expansion slot 162 (i.e., all power is supplied to adapter card 170 and expansion card 180 by cable assembly 100), in which case power gating logic can be completely omitted from adapter card 170.

[0043] Now go to Figures 3 to 8 An example auxiliary power cable assembly 200 (cable assembly 200) will be described below. Cable assembly 200 is an example embodiment of the cable assembly 100 described above, and some parts of cable assembly 200 therefore correspond to parts of cable assembly 100 (i.e., are example embodiments of its parts). Such corresponding parts have similar reference numerals with the same last two digits, such as 120 and 220. In some cases, unless otherwise indicated or logically contradictory, the above description of various aspects of cable assembly 100 also applies to the corresponding parts of cable assembly 200 described below, and therefore repeated descriptions of these aspects may be omitted below. Although cable assembly 200 is an example embodiment of cable assembly 100, cable assembly 100 is not limited to cable assembly 200. Furthermore, in Figures 5 to 8In this illustration, the cable assembly 200, in conjunction with various other components such as main system boards 260 and 360, adapter cards 270, and expansion cards 280, is shown to provide context. Main system boards 260 and 360 are example embodiments of the aforementioned main system board 160, adapter card 270 is an example embodiment of adapter card 170, and expansion card 280 is an example embodiment of adapter card 180.

[0044] like Figure 3 As shown, the auxiliary power cable assembly 200 includes an input connector assembly 210 at one end, an auxiliary output connector 250 at the other end, an auxiliary cable 251 extending between and electrically connected to the input connector assembly 210 and the auxiliary output connector 250, an adapter output connector 240, and an adapter cable 241 extending between and electrically connected to the input connector assembly 210 and the adapter output connector 240. These components will be described in turn below.

[0045] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the input connector assembly 210 includes an input connector printed circuit assembly (PCA) 211 (PCA 211) and an input connector housing 212 (shown in a phantom / transparent form) attached to and housing (e.g., at least partially surrounding) the PCA 211. The PCA 211 includes a printed circuit board (PCB) referred to herein as a paddle 230 and a power connector 220 mounted to the paddle 230.

[0046] Power connector 220 is a PICPWR plug-type connector defined by the OCP M-PIC reference specification and is configured to mate with a complementary PICPWR receptacle-type power output connector on the main system board of a computing device. For example, as Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, power connector 220 can mate with vertical PICPWR connector 261 (vertical direct connector) of system board 260, wherein the mating axis "x" is perpendicular to the surface of system board 260 (the mating axis refers to the direction along which connectors 220 and 261 move relative to each other to achieve mating). As another example, such as Figure 7 As shown, the power connector 220 can mate with the right-angle PICPWR connector 361 (right-angle connector) of the system board 360, wherein the mating axis "y" is parallel to the surface of the system board 360.

[0047] like Figure 4 As shown, the power connector 220 includes twelve power contacts 222 arranged in two rows (in... Figure 4(Only four power contacts are marked to avoid obscuring the diagram). The six power contacts 222 in the top row are power supply contacts carrying the power supply potential, which is 12V in this example. The six power contacts 222 in the bottom row are ground contacts carrying the ground potential. Each of the power contacts 222 is rated to carry up to 10A (120W) per contact. Each power contact 222 is electrically connected to a corresponding power path via the auxiliary power cable assembly 210, which will be described in more detail below. In this example, ten of the power contacts 222 (five carrying the power supply potential and five carrying the ground potential) are associated with the expansion card power path supplying power to the expansion card, while two of the power contacts 222 (one power supply contact and one ground contact) are associated with the adapter card power path supplying power to the adapter card.

[0048] The power connector 220 also includes sideband contacts 221 arranged in a third row below the power contacts 222. In some examples, there are twelve sideband contacts 221 (in...). Figure 4 (Only two sideband contacts are marked to avoid obscuring the diagram), but not all of these sideband contacts are used to carry signals. In some examples, six of the sideband contacts 221 are electrically connected to corresponding sideband paths used to carry sideband signals through the auxiliary power cable assembly 210. In this example, two of the sideband contacts 221 are associated with expansion card sideband paths that transmit sideband signals to the expansion card, and four of the sideband contacts 221 are associated with adapter card sideband paths that transmit sideband signals to the adapter card.

[0049] The power connector 220 is physically attached to and electrically connected to the paddleboard 230. Specifically, the power connector 220 includes posts 226 that extend through the paddleboard 230 to help secure the power connector 220 to the paddleboard 230. Additionally, the power connector 220 includes electrical leads 225 that extend through corresponding plated through-holes (not visible) in the paddleboard 230 to electrically connect the power connector 220 to the paddleboard 230. The plated through-holes receiving the electrical leads 225 are examples of the aforementioned sideband interface 131 and power interface 132. The electrical leads 225 can be soldered to these through-holes.

[0050] like Figure 5 As shown, the paddle plate 230 also includes a plurality of pads 233, 234, 235, and 236, which are electrically connected (directly or indirectly) to the contacts 221 or 220 of the connector via through-holes and electrical leads 225 of the connector 220. These pads 233, 234, 235, and 236 are soldered to corresponding conductors (wires) 242, 243, 252, or 253 of the cable 241 or 251, as shown. Figure 4 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown. It should be noted that, in Figure 4 In the middle, only conductors 252 and 253 are visible, but portions of conductors 242 and 243 are not. Figure 6 and Figure 7 It is visible in the middle, and conductors 242 and 243 have structures similar to those of conductors 252 and 253, respectively. Additionally, in Figure 4 In the diagram, solder is not shown, and conductors 252 and 253 are shown as cut off to avoid obscuring other aspects (where the cut surfaces are shown in shaded lines). However, in reality, all conductors 242, 243, 252, or 253 will extend from housing 212 and into cable 241 or 251, as shown. Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown. Each conductor has a conductive portion surrounded by an insulator, such as... Figure 4 The diagram shows a conductive portion 252a and an insulator 252b. The conductive portion 252a is brought into contact with one of the pads in the pad 236, as shown. Figure 4 As shown, then add solder 259 to bond the two together, as shown. Figure 6 As shown.

[0051] The power paths mentioned above include expansion card power paths, each including an auxiliary power conductor 252 extending through the auxiliary power cable 251 to the auxiliary output connector 250. More specifically, auxiliary power pads 236 are connected to power pins 222 (via the fuse 238 described below) and soldered to the auxiliary power conductors 252 of the auxiliary cable 251. Thus, each auxiliary power pad 236 forms part of a corresponding expansion card power path supplying power to the expansion card. In this example, there are ten auxiliary power pads 236 and ten auxiliary power conductors 252 corresponding to ten expansion card power paths, as follows: Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown.

[0052] The power paths also include adapter card power paths, each comprising an adapter power conductor 242 extending through the adapter cable 241 to the adapter output connector 242. Adapter power pads 234 are connected to corresponding power contacts 222 (via the fuse 238 described below) and soldered to the adapter power conductors 242 of the adapter cable 241. Thus, each adapter power pad 234 forms part of a corresponding adapter card power path supplying power to the adapter card. In this example, there are two adapter power pads 234 corresponding to two adapter card power paths (e.g., ...). Figure 5 (as shown) and two switching power conductors 242.

[0053] The sideband paths include expansion card sideband paths, each including an auxiliary sideband conductor 253 extending through the auxiliary power cable 251 to the auxiliary output connector 250. Auxiliary sideband pads 235 are connected to sideband contacts 221 and soldered to the auxiliary sideband conductor 253 of the auxiliary cable 251. Therefore, each auxiliary sideband pad 235 forms a portion of a corresponding expansion card sideband path 256 for transmitting sideband signals. In this example, there are two auxiliary sideband pads 235 and two auxiliary sideband conductors 253 corresponding to two expansion card sideband paths 256, as shown below. Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown.

[0054] The sideband paths also include adapter card sideband paths, each including an adapter sideband conductor 243 extending through the adapter cable 241 to the adapter output connector 242. Adapter sideband pads 233 are connected to corresponding sideband contacts 221 of the connector 220 and soldered to the adapter sideband conductor 243 of the adapter cable 241. Therefore, each adapter sideband pad 233 forms part of a corresponding adapter card sideband path. In this example, there are four adapter sideband pads 233 corresponding to four adapter card sideband paths (e.g., ...). Figure 5 (as shown) and four transition side conductors 243, as Figure 5 As shown.

[0055] In this example, the paddle 230 includes six fuses 238 mounted to the paddle and disposed in the aforementioned power supply paths 255 and / or 245 to control the power flow through these power supply paths. The fuses 238 are connected to each power path carrying a power supply potential and are configured to control each power path carrying a power supply potential, thus indirectly controlling the power through the grounded power path. More specifically, each power contact 222 carrying a power supply potential (via lead 225 and a through-hole disposed therein) is electrically connected to the input of the corresponding fuse 228. Furthermore, each auxiliary power pad 236 carrying a power supply potential is electrically connected to the output of the corresponding fuse 228. Similarly, each transition power pad 234 carrying a power supply potential is electrically connected to the output of the corresponding fuse 228. In other examples, the fuses 238 are connected to each power path carrying a grounded potential and are configured to control each power path carrying a grounded potential, thus indirectly controlling the power through the power supply path. The electric fuse 238 includes a commercially available integrated circuit that can be mounted (e.g., surface mount, through-hole mount, etc.) to the paddle plate 230.

[0056] As mentioned above, the input connector assembly 210 includes a housing 212. In this example, the housing 212 includes a rigid, hollow, box-like structure that partially surrounds and houses the paddle plate 230. The housing 212 may be an electrically insulating (dielectric) material such as plastic. Except for the contacts 220 / 221 of the connector 220, the housing 212 covers all energized, exposed metal portions of the assembly 210, such as leads 225, pads 233, 234, 235, 236, and the ends of the conductors of cables 241 and 251. Figure 3 As shown, the mating portion of the power connector 220 protrudes from the housing 212 via the opening 214, and the cables 241 and 251 also protrude into the housing 212 via the openings 213 and 214.

[0057] Turning to cables 241 and 251, each cable may include multiple conductors (wires) 242, 243, 252, and 253, which, as described above, are soldered to pads 233, 234, 235, or 236. Each such conductor 242, 243, 252, and 253 may be a single solid wire or a stranded wire formed by combining multiple strands together. Cables 241 and 251 may also include sheaths 254 and 244 to protect conductors 242, 243, 252, and 253 and to bundle the conductors together. In this example, adapter cable 241 includes two adapter power conductors 242 and four adapter side conductors 243, while auxiliary cable 251 includes ten auxiliary power conductors 252 and two auxiliary side conductors 253.

[0058] The distal end of the auxiliary cable 251 connects to the auxiliary output connector 250. The auxiliary output connector 250 is configured to mate with the auxiliary input connector 281 of the expansion card 280, such as... Figure 8 As shown. The auxiliary input connector 281 is an auxiliary power connector for the expansion card 280, configured to receive input power and transmit sideband signals. In this example, the auxiliary output connector 250 includes ten different electrical contacts (e.g., pins) connected to the auxiliary power conductor 252 and corresponding to the aforementioned expansion card power path. The auxiliary output connector 250 also includes two electrical contacts connected to the auxiliary sideband conductor 253, corresponding to the aforementioned expansion card sideband path. These electrical contacts mate with corresponding contacts of the auxiliary input connector 281 to electrically connect the power path and sideband path to the expansion card 280. This allows the main system board to supply power to the expansion card 280 via the auxiliary power cable assembly 200 and exchange sideband signals with the expansion card to manage the power supply to the expansion card 280.

[0059] Similarly, the distal end of the adapter cable 241 is connected to the adapter output connector 240. The adapter output connector 240 is configured to mate with the adapter input connector 271 of the adapter card 270, as... Figure 8 As shown. The input connector 271 is an auxiliary power connector for the adapter card 270, configured to receive input power and transmit sideband signals. The output connector 240 includes two electrical contacts (e.g., pins) connected to the input power conductor 242 and corresponding to the power path of the adapter card. The output connector 240 also includes four electrical contacts connected to the input sideband conductor 243 and corresponding to the sideband path of the adapter card. These electrical contacts mate with corresponding contacts of the input connector 271 to electrically connect the power path and the sideband path to the adapter card 270. This allows the main system board to supply power to the adapter card 270 via the auxiliary power cable assembly 200 and exchange sideband signals with the adapter card to manage the power supply to the adapter card 270 and / or the expansion card 280 coupled to the adapter card 270. (e.g.) Figure 7 As shown, the adapter card 270 also includes a plurality of adapter card slots 273, and the expansion card 280 includes an edge connector 283 that connects to one of the adapter card slots 273.

[0060] As described above, in some examples, cable assembly 200 can be connected to the vertical PICPWR connector 261 of system board 260. For example... Figure 6 As shown, in this configuration, cables 241 and 251 exit housing 212 and extend horizontally (parallel to system board 261), or in other words, extend at a right angle relative to the mating axis x of connectors 220 / 261. Therefore, the overall height of the assembly in the x-axis direction can be reduced compared to cables 241 and 251 exiting the housing parallel to the mating axis x through the rear side of the housing. This allows the cable assembly 200 to be successfully used in systems with very limited vertical space, such as in a 1U server. For example, in some embodiments, the total vertical height of connector 220 above system board 260 when coupled to connector 261 is only 35 mm.

[0061] As described above, in some examples, cable assembly 200 can be connected to the right-angle PICPWR connector 361 of system board 360. For example... Figure 7 As shown, in this configuration, cables 241 and 251 exit housing 212 and extend vertically (perpendicular to system board 326), or in other words, extend parallel to the mating axis y of connectors 220 / 361. Additionally, in this configuration, paddle plate 230 is parallel to and coplanar with system board 361.

[0062] The above description describes various types of electronic circuits. As used herein, "electronic" is intended to be understood broadly to include all types of circuits that utilize electricity, including digital and analog circuits, direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) circuits, circuits for converting electricity into another form of energy, and circuits for using electricity to perform other functions. In other words, as used herein, there is no distinction between "electronic" circuits and "electrical" circuits.

[0063] It should be understood that both the general description and the detailed description provide illustrative examples of an inherent nature and are intended to provide an understanding of this disclosure without limiting its scope. Various mechanical, compositional, structural, electronic, and operational changes may be made without departing from the scope of this specification and the claims. In some instances, well-known circuits, structures, and techniques have not been shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring these examples. In two or more drawings, the same numerals denote the same or similar elements.

[0064] Furthermore, unless the context otherwise indicates, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to also include the plural forms. Additionally, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” etc., specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, components described as connected may be directly electrically or mechanically connected, or may be indirectly connected via one or more intermediate components. Unless the context otherwise indicates, mathematical and geometric terms are not necessarily used according to their strict definitions, as those skilled in the art will understand that, for example, substantially similar elements acting in substantially similar ways may readily fall within the scope of descriptive terms, even if those terms have strict definitions.

[0065] And / or: Occasionally, the phrase “and / or” is used in conjunction with a list of enumerated items in this text. This phrase means that any combination of items in the list can be included—from a single item to all items, and any permutation in between. Thus, for example, “A, B and / or C” means “one of {A}, {B}, {C}, {A, B}, {A, C}, {C, B}, and {A, C, B}.”

[0066] An element and its related aspects described in detail with reference to an example may, where feasible, be included in other examples that do not specifically show or describe them. For example, if an element is described in detail with reference to an example and not with reference to a second example, then that element may still be claimed as being included in the second example.

[0067] Furthermore, unless otherwise stated herein or implied by the context, the use of approximate terms such as “substantially,” “approximately,” “about,” “around,” “probably,” etc., should be understood to mean that mathematical precision is not required, but rather refers to a range of variation that includes, but is not strictly limited to, the stated value, characteristic, or relationship. In particular, apart from any range explicitly stated herein (if any), the range of variation implied by the use of such approximate terms includes at least any insignificant variations and those that are typical for items of the type discussed due to manufacturing tolerances or other tolerances in the relevant field. In any case, unless otherwise indicated, the range of variation may include values ​​within ±1% of the stated value, characteristic, or relationship.

[0068] Given the disclosure herein, further modifications and alternative examples will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, apparatus and methods may include additional components or steps omitted from the figures and description for clarity of operation. Accordingly, this description is to be interpreted only as illustrative and intended to teach those skilled in the art the general manner of performing this teaching. It should be understood that the various examples shown and described herein are to be considered exemplary. Those illustrated and described herein may be replaced by elements and materials, and arrangements of such elements and materials, components and processes may be reversed, and certain features of this teaching may be utilized independently, all of which will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon benefiting from the description herein. Changes may be made to the elements described herein without departing from the scope of this teaching and the appended claims.

[0069] It should be understood that the specific examples described herein are non-limiting, and modifications can be made to the structure, dimensions, materials, and methods without departing from the scope of this teaching.

[0070] Considering the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein, other examples based on this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The specification and examples are intended to be illustrative only, and the following claims will have their broadest scope, including equivalents under applicable law.

Claims

1. An auxiliary power cable assembly, comprising: An input connector assembly, the input connector assembly including a paddle and a power connector mounted to the paddle, the power connector being configured to connect to a power output connector of a main system board of a computing system; An adapter output connector configured to connect to the adapter power input terminal of an adapter card; An adapter cable that connects to the paddleboard and the adapter output connector; An auxiliary output connector configured to connect to the auxiliary power input of an expansion card coupled to the adapter card; as well as An auxiliary cable, which connects to the paddleboard and the auxiliary output connector; The paddle includes an electric fuse configured to control the power supplied from the power connector to the adapter output connector and the power supplied from the power connector to the auxiliary output connector.

2. The auxiliary power cable assembly as described in claim 1, comprising: A power transfer path is configured to deliver power from the power connector to the adapter card via the adapter cable and the adapter output connector; A transition sideband path, configured to deliver sideband signals between the power connector and the adapter card via the transition cable and the transition output connector; An auxiliary power path, configured to deliver power from the power connector to the expansion card via the auxiliary cable and the auxiliary output connector; as well as An auxiliary sideband path is configured to deliver sideband signals between the power connector and the expansion card via the auxiliary cable and the auxiliary output connector.

3. The auxiliary power cable assembly as described in claim 2, in, The power connector includes power contacts and side contact points; Wherein, some of the power contacts correspond to the switching power path, and some of the power contacts correspond to the auxiliary power path; and Wherein, some of the sideband contacts correspond to the transition sideband path, and some of the sideband contacts correspond to the sideband power path.

4. The auxiliary power cable assembly as described in claim 2, in, The power connector includes twelve power contacts and six side contacts; Specifically, two of the power contacts correspond to the switching power path, and ten of the power contacts correspond to the auxiliary power path; and Wherein, four of the sideband contacts correspond to the transition sideband path, and two of the sideband contacts correspond to the sideband power path.

5. The auxiliary power cable assembly as described in claim 4, in, The paddle includes six of the aforementioned electrical fuses, one of which is configured to control power through the first power path, and five of the electrical fuses are configured to control power through the auxiliary power path.

6. The auxiliary power cable assembly as described in claim 1, in, The power connector includes a first subset of power contacts configured to carry a power supply potential and a second subset of power contacts configured to carry a ground potential; The paddle includes an electric fuse for each electric contact in the first subset of electric contacts, wherein each electric contact in the first subset of electric contacts is electrically connected to the input terminal of the electric fuse.

7. The auxiliary power cable assembly as described in claim 6, in, The respective output terminals of one or more of the electric fuses are connected to the transfer power conductor of the adapter cable; and The corresponding output terminal of one or more of the electric fuses is connected to the auxiliary power conductor of the auxiliary cable.

8. The auxiliary power cable assembly as described in claim 1, in, The power connector is a PICPWR connector.

9. The auxiliary power cable assembly as described in claim 1, in, The input connector assembly includes a housing; and The adapter cable and the auxiliary cable extend from the housing perpendicular to the mating axis of the power connector.

10. A computing system, comprising: The main system board includes a processor, an expansion slot, and a power output connector; An adapter card, the adapter card including an adapter power input connector, an edge connector connected to the expansion slot, and an adapter card slot; The expansion card includes an auxiliary power input connector and an edge connector that connects to the adapter slot; as well as Auxiliary power cable assembly, the auxiliary power cable assembly comprising: An input connector assembly, the input connector assembly including a paddle and a power connector mounted to the paddle, the power connector being connected to the power output connector; An adapter output connector, which is connected to the adapter power input connector; An adapter cable that connects to the paddleboard and the adapter output connector; An auxiliary output connector, which is connected to the auxiliary power input connector; and An auxiliary cable, which connects to the paddleboard and the auxiliary output connector; The paddle includes an electric fuse configured to control the power supplied from the power connector to the adapter output connector and the power supplied from the power connector to the auxiliary output connector.

11. The computing system of claim 10, comprising: A power transfer path is configured to deliver power from the power connector to the adapter card via the adapter cable and the adapter output connector; A transition sideband path, configured to deliver sideband signals between the power connector and the adapter card via the transition cable and the transition output connector; An auxiliary power path, configured to deliver power from the power connector to the expansion card via the auxiliary cable and the auxiliary output connector; as well as An auxiliary sideband path is configured to deliver sideband signals between the power connector and the expansion card via the auxiliary cable and the auxiliary output connector.

12. The computing system as described in claim 11, in, The power connector includes power contacts and side contact points; Wherein, some of the power contacts correspond to the switching power path, and some of the power contacts correspond to the auxiliary power path; and Wherein, some of the sideband contacts correspond to the transition sideband path, and some of the sideband contacts correspond to the sideband power path.

13. The computing system as described in claim 11, in, The power connector includes twelve power contacts and six side contacts; Specifically, two of the power contacts correspond to the switching power path, and ten of the power contacts correspond to the auxiliary power path; and Wherein, four of the sideband contacts correspond to the transition sideband path, and two of the sideband contacts correspond to the sideband power path.

14. The computing system as described in claim 13, in, The paddle includes six of the aforementioned electrical fuses, one of which is configured to control power through the first power path, and five of the electrical fuses are configured to control power through the auxiliary power path.

15. The computing system as described in claim 10, in, The power connector includes a first subset of power contacts configured to carry a power supply potential and a second subset of power contacts configured to carry a ground potential; The paddle includes an electric fuse for each electric contact in the first subset of electric contacts, wherein each electric contact in the first subset of electric contacts is electrically connected to the input terminal of the electric fuse.

16. The computing system as described in claim 15, in, The respective output terminals of one or more of the electric fuses are connected to the transfer power conductor of the adapter cable; and The corresponding output terminal of one or more of the electric fuses is connected to the auxiliary power conductor of the auxiliary cable.

17. The computing system as described in claim 10, in, The power connector is a PICPWR plug type connector, and the power output connector is a PICPWR socket type connector.

18. The computing system as described in claim 17, in, The input connector assembly includes a housing; and The adapter cable and the auxiliary cable extend from the housing perpendicular to the mating axis of the power connector.

19. The computing system as described in claim 10, in, The adapter card omits any power gating logic.

20. A method comprising: Power signals and sideband signals are supplied from the power output connector of the main system board of the computing system to the power connector of the auxiliary power cable assembly connected to the power output connector. The paddle, which is equipped with the power connector, transmits the power and sideband signals to the auxiliary power cable assembly; A portion of the power signal and a portion of the sideband signal are transmitted from the paddleboard to the adapter card via an adapter cable and an adapter output connector; A portion of the power signal and a portion of the sideband signal are transmitted from the paddleboard to an expansion card connected to the adapter card via an auxiliary cable and an auxiliary output connector; as well as Power gating is performed on the power supplied to the adapter card via the adapter cable and the power supplied to the expansion card via the auxiliary cable by means of an electric fuse installed on the paddle plate.

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