Switch and communication equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of switches, and discloses a switch and communication equipment, the switch comprises a first connector, a second connector, a switching network board, a switching chip and a flexible circuit board; the first connector is provided with a jack, and the jack is used for plugging an optical module. The second connector and the switching chip are arranged on the switching network board, the second connector is electrically connected with the switching chip through the switching network board, and the second connector is further connected with the first connector through the flexible circuit board. The flexible circuit board is used as a connecting channel to connect the HSIO port and the switch chip, compared with a copper cable, the flexible circuit board is smaller in size and can be bent at will, the occupied space can be reduced, and the simple, reliable and stable design of the switch is achieved. And moreover, interconnection between the board cards is realized through the flexible circuit board, so that layer change holes can be reduced, and the SI performance is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of switches, and in particular to a switch and a communication device. Background Art

[0002] A network switch (referred to as a switch) is a network device used to receive, process, and forward data. A switch contains multiple high-speed input and output (HSIO) ports. HSIO ports can be configured with different types of pluggable optical modules or cables to connect to other switches or devices. With the rapid development of artificial intelligence / machine language, the demand for physical layer bandwidth continues to increase, and the number of HSIO ports needs to be further increased accordingly.

[0003] In the architecture design of the switch, multiple interface boards are set up to carry more HSIO ports, and the HSIO ports on the multiple interface boards are connected to the switching chip of the mainboard through copper cables. However, due to the large size of the copper cable itself, the system complexity of the switch will be increased in the high-density port design, and the cost is relatively high. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of this, the present disclosure provides a switch and a communication device to improve the problem of increased system complexity of the switch caused by connecting the HSIO port and the switch chip through a copper cable.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a switch, the switch comprising a first connector, a second connector, a switching network board, a switching chip, and a flexible circuit board;

[0006] The first connector is provided with a socket, and the socket is used to plug in the optical module;

[0007] The second connector and the switching chip are arranged on the switching network board. The second connector is electrically connected to the switching chip through the switching network board. The second connector is also connected to the first connector through a flexible circuit board.

[0008] In this embodiment, the HSIO port and the switching chip are connected by a flexible circuit board. Compared with copper cables, the flexible circuit board is small in size, which can avoid the problem of increased chassis complexity caused by the copper cable solution, and is more suitable for high-density and short-distance scenarios. In addition, the flexible circuit board has good bendability, which can better plan the path of the flexible circuit board in the chassis and avoid the situation where the copper cable solution blocks the air duct. Compared with the method of using a cross-board connector to connect the HSIO port and the switching chip, the interconnection between boards is achieved through a flexible circuit board, which not only allows a more flexible layout, but also reduces the layer change holes and improves SI performance.

[0009] In a second aspect, the present disclosure provides a communication device, the communication device comprising the switch of the above-mentioned first aspect or any corresponding embodiment thereof. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present disclosure or the technical solutions in the related technologies, the drawings required for use in the specific embodiments or the related technical descriptions will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present disclosure. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0011] Figure 1 is a schematic top view of a switch according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0012] Figure 2 is a side view schematic diagram of a switch according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of multiple HSIO ports of a switch according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a first connection mode between an HSIO port and a switch chip according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a second connection method between an HSIO port and a switch chip according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the connection relationship between the HSIO port and the switch chip of another switch according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible circuit board according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the loss of electric signals transmitted by flexible circuit boards of different lengths according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Fig. 9 is a schematic top view of another switch according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Fig.10 is a first side view schematic diagram of another switch according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Fig.11 is a second side view schematic diagram of another switch according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Fig.12is a schematic top view of another switch according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Fig.13 is a first side view schematic diagram of another switch according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Fig.14 is a second side view schematic diagram of another switch according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Fig.15 is a schematic diagram of a connection method between a second connector and a switching chip according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Fig.16 is a schematic top view of another switch according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Fig.17 is a side view schematic diagram of another switch according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Fig.18 is a schematic diagram of the placement position of the connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure numerals: 110, chassis shell; 120, printed circuit board; 130, high-speed input and output port; 140, switching unit; 141, switching chip; 1411, second ball grid array; 142, switching network board; 150, management unit; 151, central processing unit; 160, power supply unit; 170, fan; 180, chip; 190, chip heat sink; 200, interface board; 210, cross-board connector; 220, copper cable; 230, second connector; 231, first ball grid array; 240, first connector; 241, socket; 250, flexible circuit board; 250a, bending area; 250b, connection area; 251, first ground layer; 252, first insulating layer; 253, adhesive layer; 254, signal layer; 255, second insulating layer; 256, second ground layer; 257, supporting structure; 258, via. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The present disclosure is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It is understandable that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present disclosure, rather than to limit the present disclosure. It should also be noted that, for ease of description, only parts of the present disclosure, rather than all structures, are shown in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, descriptions of known structures and technologies are omitted to avoid unnecessary confusion of the concepts of the present disclosure. Various structural schematic diagrams according to embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings. These figures are not drawn to scale, and some details are magnified for the purpose of clear expression, and some details may be omitted. The shapes of the various regions and layers shown in the figures and the relative sizes and positional relationships therebetween are only exemplary, and may be deviated in practice due to manufacturing tolerances or technical limitations, and those skilled in the art may additionally design regions / layers with different shapes, sizes, and relative positions according to actual needs.

[0031] In the context of the present disclosure, when a layer / element is referred to as being "on" another layer / element, the layer / element may be directly on the other layer / element or an intervening layer / element may exist therebetween. In addition, if a layer / element is "on" another layer / element in one orientation, the layer / element may be "below" the other layer / element when the orientation is reversed.

[0032] A switch is a device that provides network communication for connected Internet devices and can be used in scenarios such as data centers. In data centers, switches can enable high-speed data exchange between multiple servers.

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown, the switch may include a chassis housing 110, a printed circuit board (PCB) 120 disposed in the chassis housing 110, a high-speed input and output (HSIO) port 130, a switching unit 140, a management unit 150, a power supply unit (PSU) 160 and a fan (FAN) 170.

[0034] Specifically, the HSIO port 130 is an interface for connecting the switch to the optical module, and is used for high-speed reception and transmission of data. The switching unit 140 includes a switching chip 141, which can be used for forwarding and processing data, and the switching chip 141 can be an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0035] It should be understood that the HSIO port 130 can realize the connection between the switch and the optical module through a connector. For the convenience of distinction, the connector that realizes the HSIO port 130 is recorded as the first connector (also called I / O connector). Figure 1 The HSIO port 130 illustrated in FIG. 1 is also referred to as a first connector.

[0036] The management unit 150 is used to perform device management. The management unit 150 may include a central processing unit (CPU) 151, a memory, a solid state drive (SSD), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD) and other management chips.

[0037] in, Figure 1 The chip 180 in the switching unit 140 may be a chip that assists the switching chip 141 in data processing. Figure 1 The chip 180 in the management unit 150 may be a chip that assists the central processor 151 in performing operations such as configuration management or data caching, such as a memory control chip or an interface control chip.

[0038] The power supply unit 160 can be used to supply power to various components inside the switch, and the fan 170 is used to dissipate heat for various components inside the switch. The printed circuit board 120 is a provider of electrical connections for electronic passive components. The above-mentioned switching chips and management chips are mainly fixed on the printed circuit board 120 in the form of a chip packaging structure to achieve the purpose of controlling the stable conduction between the chips inside the chip packaging structure and the printed circuit board 120.

[0039] The optical module ports of the switch (i.e., the ports of the I / O connector) usually adopt the industry-standard pluggable optical transceiver form factors, such as Small Form Factor Pluggable (SFP), Quad Small Form Factor Pluggable (QSFP), Quad Small Form Factor Pluggable-Double Density (QSFP-DD), Octal Small Form Factor Pluggable (OSFP), or Octal Small Form-Factor Pluggable-eXtended Density (OSFP-XD).

[0040] Specifically, the optical module is used to achieve photoelectric conversion. At the transmitting end, the optical module is used to convert electrical signals into optical signals for long-distance transmission through optical fibers. At the receiving end, the optical module is used to convert optical signals back into electrical signals for processing by network equipment.

[0041] Currently, with the rapid development of technologies such as artificial intelligence / machine language, the signal speed of the electrical channel connecting the switching chip 141 and the I / O connector has rapidly increased from 10 gigabits per second (Gbps) to 100 Gbps, and the next-generation network system is expected to use an electrical channel with a nominal data rate of 200 Gbps per channel.

[0042] Doubling the data rate of an electrical channel from 100 Gbps to 200 Gbps doubles the losses in the printed circuit board (PCB) traces, meaning that a signal at twice the speed can travel roughly half the distance on the PCB.

[0043] At the same time, as the bandwidth of the switch chip 141 is rapidly increased from the original 3.2 terabit (T) to the current 51.2T and the future 100T / 200T, the density of the HSIO ports on the printed circuit board also needs to be increased. However, the PCB space is limited. For example, Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, a PCB generally implements a design of 64 HSIO ports 130 through connectors, and it is difficult to implement a high-density port design such as 128 800G / 1.6T ports.

[0044] Among them, Figure 2 As shown, the switch also includes a chip heat sink 190, which is disposed on a side surface of the switching chip 141 away from the printed circuit board 120, and is used to transfer the heat generated by the switching chip 141. The chip heat sink 190 is also disposed on a side surface of the central processing unit 151 away from the printed circuit board 120, and is used to transfer the heat generated by the central processing unit 151.

[0045] In the architecture design of the switch, more HSIO ports 130 can be carried by setting multiple interface boards, and the interface board can be a printed circuit board on which the HSIO ports 130 are set. Specifically, after multiple interface boards are set, each interface board is set with multiple HSIO ports, such as Figure 4 As shown, the interface board 200 can be electrically connected to a printed circuit board (referred to as a switching network board) on which the switching chip 141 is disposed through a plurality of cross-board connectors 210, so that the HSIO port 130 on the interface board 200 can be connected to the switching chip 141; or Figure 5As shown, the HSIO port 130 on the interface board 200 is connected to a connector (referred to as a second connector 230 ) near the switching network board via a copper cable 220 , so that the HSIO port 130 on the interface board 200 can be connected to the switching chip 141 .

[0046] It should be understood that the HSIO port 130 is arranged on the interface board and is in an electrically connected state with the interface board 200, and the switching chip 141 is also in an electrically connected state with the switching network board. At this time, the switching network board and the interface board 200 are connected through the cross-board connector 210, so that the HSIO port 130 and the switching chip 141 can be connected. The second connector 230 and the switching chip 141 are both arranged on the switching network board, and the second connector and the switching chip 141 are electrically connected through the conductive line on the switching network board. At this time, the HSIO port 130 and the second connector are connected through the copper cable 220, so that the HSIO port 130 and the switching chip 141 can be connected.

[0047] However, using Figure 4 or Figure 5 The connection between the HSIO port 130 and the switching chip 141 is realized in a manner. The cross-board connector 210 and the copper cable 220 are relatively large in size, which will increase the system complexity of the switch in the high-density port design. Moreover, the cross-board connector 210 will affect the signal integrity (SI) in the switch. The higher the link data rate, the greater the impact on SI.

[0048] In view of this, the present disclosure provides a switch that uses a flexible printed circuit (FPC) as a connection channel to connect the HSIO port and the switch chip. Compared with copper cables, the flexible printed circuit is smaller in size and can be bent at will, which can reduce the space occupied and realize a simple, reliable and stable design of the switch. Moreover, by using FPC to interconnect boards, the number of layer change holes can be reduced and the SI performance can be improved.

[0049] The switch provided by the present disclosure is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0050] like Figure 6 As shown, the switch includes a first connector 240 , a second connector 230 , a switching network board 142 , a switching chip 141 and a flexible circuit board 250 .

[0051] Among them, the first connector 240 is provided with a socket 241, and the socket 241 is used to plug in the optical module. The second connector 230 and the switching chip 141 are arranged on the switching network board 142. The second connector 230 is electrically connected to the switching chip 141 through the switching network board 142. The second connector 230 is also connected to the first connector 240 through a flexible circuit board 250. The switching network board 142 can be a printed circuit board on which the switching chip 141 is arranged.

[0052] Specifically, the second connector 230 is electrically connected to the switching chip 141 , and the second connector 230 is electrically connected to the first connector 240 forming the HSIO port through the flexible circuit board 250 , so that the HSIO port can be electrically connected to the switching chip 141 for transmission of electrical signals.

[0053] Exemplarily, the number and setting positions of the first connector 240 and the second connector 230 can be set by the designer according to specific needs. The first connector 240 and the second connector 230 can be one or more. The position of the first connector 240 can be the position of the HSIO port, and the second connector 230 is located near the switching chip 141.

[0054] In this embodiment, the HSIO port 130 and the switching chip 141 are connected by a flexible circuit board 250. Compared with copper cables, the flexible circuit board 250 is small in size, which can avoid the problem of increased chassis complexity caused by the copper cable solution, and is more suitable for high-density, short-distance scenarios. Moreover, the flexible circuit board 250 has good bendability, which can better plan the path (Routing) of the flexible circuit board 250 in the chassis and avoid the situation where the copper cable solution blocks the air duct. Compared with the method of using a cross-board connector to connect the HSIO port 130 and the switching chip 141, the interconnection between boards is achieved through FPC, which not only allows a more flexible layout, but also reduces the layer change holes and improves SI performance.

[0055] In some embodiments, after the flexible circuit board 250 is connected to the second connector 230 , it can be directly connected to the HSIO port through the first connector 240 , so that the HSIO port is connected to the switch chip.

[0056] Specifically, gold fingers are provided at both ends of the flexible circuit board 250, the first connector 240 is provided with a first gold finger slot, the second connector 230 is provided with a second gold finger slot, the gold finger at one end of the flexible circuit board 250 is fixedly set in the first gold finger slot, and the gold finger at the other end of the flexible circuit board 250 is fixedly set in the second gold finger slot.

[0057] That is, both ends of the flexible circuit board 250 are made into gold finger shapes, and the second connector 230 and the first connector 240 are connectors in the form of gold fingers. The connection between the flexible circuit board and the first connector 240 and the second connector 230 is achieved by plugging and fixing the gold fingers in the gold finger slots.

[0058] Exemplarily, the first connector 240 may be disposed on the switching network board 142 or on an interface board, which is not specifically limited in the present disclosure.

[0059] In this embodiment, the flexible circuit board and the connector are interconnected through the gold finger and the gold finger slot, which can reduce the number of PCB layer changes within the board and improve the signal transmission quality.

[0060] Exemplarily, the flexible circuit board 250 may also be fixed in the connector by welding or crimping.

[0061] In other embodiments, after the flexible circuit board 250 is connected to the second connector 230, it can also be connected to the third connector first. Since the third connector is electrically connected to the first connector 240 through the PCB conductive line, the HSIO port and the switching chip are indirectly connected.

[0062] Specifically, gold fingers are provided at both ends of the flexible circuit board 250, the second connector 230 is provided with a second gold finger slot, and the third connector is provided with a third gold finger slot. The gold finger at one end of the flexible circuit board 250 is fixedly set in the third gold finger slot, and the gold finger at the other end of the flexible circuit board 250 is fixedly set in the second gold finger slot, so that the flexible circuit board 250 is connected to the second connector 230 and the third connector.

[0063] Exemplarily, the first connector and the third connector may both be disposed on the interface board.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the number of the first connector 240 and the second connector 230 are both multiple, and multiple gold fingers can be set at at least one end of the flexible circuit board 250, that is, the flexible circuit board 250 can be set with multiple gold fingers at both ends (FPC is multi-point multi-mode), or one gold finger can be set at one end and multiple gold fingers can be set at the other end (FPC is one-point multi-mode), multiple gold fingers and multiple first gold finger slots are connected one-to-one, or multiple gold fingers and multiple second gold finger slots are connected one-to-one, or multiple gold fingers and multiple third gold finger slots are connected one-to-one.

[0065] Specifically, when multiple gold fingers are set at both ends of the flexible circuit board 250, if the flexible circuit board 250 is connected to the first connector and the second connector, the multiple gold fingers at one end of the flexible circuit board 250 and the multiple first gold finger slots are connected one-to-one, and the multiple gold fingers at the other end and the multiple second gold finger slots are connected one-to-one; if the flexible circuit board 250 is connected to the third connector and the second connector, the multiple gold fingers at one end of the flexible circuit board 250 and the multiple third gold finger slots are connected one-to-one, and the multiple gold fingers at the other end and the multiple second gold finger slots are connected one-to-one.

[0066] In the case where one gold finger is set at one end of the flexible circuit board 250 and multiple gold fingers are set at the other end, if the flexible circuit board 250 is connected to the first connector and the second connector, the gold finger at one end of the flexible circuit board 250 can be connected to the first gold finger slot, and the multiple gold fingers at the other end are connected to the multiple second gold finger slots in a one-to-one correspondence; or the multiple gold fingers at the other end of the flexible circuit board 250 are connected to the multiple first gold finger slots in a one-to-one correspondence, and the gold finger at one end is connected to the second gold finger slot.

[0067] In the case where one gold finger is set at one end of the flexible circuit board 250 and multiple gold fingers are set at the other end, if the flexible circuit board 250 is connected to the first connector and the third connector, the gold finger at one end of the flexible circuit board 250 can be connected to the third gold finger slot, and the multiple gold fingers at the other end are connected to the multiple second gold finger slots in a one-to-one correspondence; or the multiple gold fingers at the other end of the flexible circuit board 250 are connected to the multiple third gold finger slots in a one-to-one correspondence, and the gold finger at one end is connected to the second gold finger slot.

[0068] For example, Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the flexible circuit board 250 includes a stacked structure, which includes a first ground layer 251, a first insulating layer 252, an adhesive layer 253, a signal layer 254, a second insulating layer 255 and a second ground layer 256 stacked from bottom to top. The flexible circuit board 250 includes a bending area 250a and a connecting area 250b located at both ends of the bending area 250a.

[0069] Specifically, the first ground layer 251 and the second ground layer 256 can be metal layers, which can provide shielding protection for the middle signal layer 254. The signal layer 254 includes a conductive line for transmitting electrical signals. The first insulating layer 252 and the second insulating layer 255 are used to protect the signal layer 254. The adhesive layer 253 is used to bond the insulating layer and the signal layer together.

[0070] The number of superimposed structures can be one, and a support structure is provided in the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer in the connection area. The material of the support structure can be metal or other rigid materials. The support structure is used to increase the mechanical strength of the connection area 250b of the flexible circuit board to avoid the situation where the flexible circuit board is too soft to be inserted into the connector. Among them, the gold finger and the solder pad are located in the connection area 250b.

[0071] The number of superimposed structures can also be multiple, such as Figure 7 As shown, a support structure 257 is provided between two adjacent superimposed structures located in the connection area, that is, rigid material is retained at both ends of the flexible circuit board to provide necessary support for structural positioning and support.

[0072] in, Figure 7 Take the flexible circuit board 250 including two superimposed structures as an example, but it is not limited thereto. When the number of superimposed structures is 2, the flexible circuit board 250 is a 6-layer flexible circuit board. Specifically, Figure 7 As shown, the stacked structure is also provided with a via 258 (laser signal hole) for connecting conductive lines of different layers.

[0073] Exemplarily, the material of the first insulating layer 252 and the second insulating layer 255 includes polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), that is, the base material of the flexible circuit board 250 includes polytetrafluoroethylene.

[0074] Specifically, compared with traditional FPC made of polyimide (PI) material, the dielectric constant and dielectric loss of polytetrafluoroethylene are very low and stable, which can reduce the link loss of high-speed systems.

[0075] Furthermore, the base material of the flexible circuit board 250 further includes non-glass fiber, inorganic filler and / or thermal conductive filler.

[0076] Adding non-glass fibers to polytetrafluoroethylene can further reduce the dielectric constant and dielectric loss. Link loss is related to the dielectric constant and dielectric loss. The lower the dielectric constant and dielectric loss, the lower the link loss. Adding inorganic fillers (such as silica or hollow silica, etc.) to polytetrafluoroethylene can improve mechanical properties and reduce the thermal expansion coefficient. By adding thermal conductive fillers such as alumina, silicon nitride, and boron nitride to polytetrafluoroethylene, the conductivity can be improved.

[0077] That is, by adding non-glass fibers, inorganic fillers and / or thermal conductive fillers into polytetrafluoroethylene, the properties of polytetrafluoroethylene can be improved, so that the flexible circuit board made of polytetrafluoroethylene material can meet the design requirements.

[0078] In this embodiment, the flexible circuit board formed by adding non-glass fiber, inorganic filler and / or thermal conductive filler to polytetrafluoroethylene has good bending performance. The flexible circuit board made of filler-reinforced polytetrafluoroethylene material has passed 200,000 bending tests without delamination and cracking.

[0079] In this embodiment, the variation of insertion loss of flexible circuit boards of different sizes with frequency can be shown as follows: Figure 8 As shown, from Figure 8 It can be seen that when the frequency is 26.5GHz, the insertion loss (IL_4inch) of the 4-inch flexible circuit board is about -2.217dB, and the insertion loss (IL_11inch) of the 11-inch flexible circuit board is about -5.607dB. When the frequency is 53.1GHz, the insertion loss of the 4-inch flexible circuit board is about -3.895dB, and the insertion loss of the 11-inch flexible circuit board is about -9.039dB. The loss at the 53GHz frequency is about 0.73dB / inch without the connector, which is about 30% lower than the loss of traditional rigid PCB.

[0080] Specifically, the method disclosed in the present invention of using FPC as a connection channel to connect the switching chip and the HSIO port can be applied not only to switches with traditional horizontal line card architectures, but also to switches with vertical line card architectures. The structures of switches with different architectures are specifically described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0081] In the first example, if Figures 9 to 11 As shown, the switch is a switch with a vertical line card architecture, the switching network card is a horizontal mainboard, and the switch also includes an interface board 200 .

[0082] Specifically, the first connector is arranged on the interface board 200, and the first connector is a vertical line card (Vertical Line Card, VLC) connector, that is, the plugging and unplugging direction of the socket of the first connector is perpendicular to the interface board 200, and the surface of the interface board 200 where the first connector is arranged and the surface of the switching network board 142 where the switching chip 141 is arranged are arranged vertically.

[0083] In this embodiment, if Fig.10 As shown, one end of the flexible circuit board 250 is connected to the second connector 230 , and the other end is connected to the HSIO port 130 through the first connector.

[0084] In other embodiments, Fig.11As shown, the switch also includes a third connector 260, which can be arranged on a side surface of the interface board 200 away from the first connector (HSIO port 130). The third connector 260 is electrically connected to the first connector through a conductive line on the interface board 200. After the flexible circuit board 250 is connected to the second connector 230, it is connected to the first connector through the third connector 260, thereby indirectly connecting the HSIO port and the switching chip.

[0085] Specifically, Fig.11 As shown, the third connector 260 can be arranged on one side (such as the right side) of the interface board through a ball grid array, and the first connector can be arranged on the other side (such as the left side) of the interface board through the same ball grid array.

[0086] In this embodiment, the third connector uses the same ball grid array as the first connector, which can implement a via waveguide, reduce discontinuities, and make the connection path between the third connector and the first connector shorter, thereby reducing signal transmission loss.

[0087] In the second example, if Figure 12 to Figure 14 As shown, the switch is a switch with a vertical line card architecture, the switching network card is a vertical mainboard, and the switch also includes an interface board 200 .

[0088] Specifically, Fig.13 As shown, the first connector is arranged on the interface board 200, and the first connector is a vertical line card (VLC) connector. The surface of the interface board 200 where the first connector is arranged is parallel to the surface of the switching network board 142 where the switching chip 141 is arranged.

[0089] In some embodiments, one end of the flexible circuit board 250 is connected to the second connector 230 , and the other end may be connected to the HSIO port 130 through the first connector.

[0090] In other embodiments, Fig.13 As shown, the switch further includes a third connector 260, which can be disposed on a side surface of the interface board 200 away from the first connector (HSIO port 130), and the flexible circuit board 250 is connected to the first connector through the third connector, thereby connecting to the HSIO port.

[0091] like Fig.13 As shown, the switching chip 141 and the second connector 230 can be arranged on the same surface of the switching network board 142, such as Fig.14 As shown, the switching chip 141 and the second connector 230 may also be respectively disposed on two opposite surfaces of the switching network board 142 .

[0092] For example, Fig.15As shown, the second connector 230 is arranged on the first surface of the switching network board 142 through the first ball grid array 231, and the switching chip 141 is arranged on the second surface of the switching network board 142 through the second ball grid array 1411. The first surface and the second surface are arranged oppositely, and the first ball grid array and the second ball grid array have the same size. Fig.15 In a side view, the first surface may be a lower surface, and the second surface may be an upper surface.

[0093] In this embodiment, the second connector uses the same ball grid array as the switching chip 141, which can implement via waveguide, reduce discontinuities, and make the connection path between the second connector and the switching chip shorter, thereby reducing signal transmission loss and improving signal quality.

[0094] In the third example, if Fig.16 and Fig.17 As shown, the switch is a switch with a horizontal line card architecture, and the switching network card is a horizontal motherboard.

[0095] Specifically, the first connector may be disposed on a side edge of the switching network board 142 , and the first connector may be a horizontal connector, that is, the plugging and unplugging direction of the socket of the first connector is parallel to the switching network board 142 .

[0096] In this embodiment, if Fig.16 As shown, all first connectors can be connected to the second connector through the flexible circuit board 250, so that the HSIO port is connected to the switch chip. Alternatively, all first connectors are connected to the second connector through the third connector and the flexible circuit board 250, so that the HSIO port is connected to the switch chip.

[0097] In other embodiments, Fig.17 As shown, a portion of the first connector is connected to the second connector 230 through the conductive line of the switching network board, and another portion of the first connector is connected to the second connector through the flexible circuit board, so that the HSIO port 130 is connected to the switching chip 141. That is, a portion of the HSIO ports are connected to the switching chip through the conductive line of the switching network board, and another portion of the HSIO ports are connected to the switching chip 141 through the flexible circuit board 250.

[0098] Exemplarily, there are multiple first connectors, second connectors, third connectors and flexible circuit boards. When the first connector and the second connector are connected through the flexible circuit board, or the second connector and the third connector are connected through the flexible circuit board, the connection angles of different flexible circuit boards and different first connectors are different, and the connection angles of different flexible circuit boards and different second connectors are different, and the angles of the corresponding connectors are adapted to the angles of the flexible circuit boards.

[0099] For example, Fig.18As shown, the connector can be placed horizontally, vertically or tilted, depending on the connection angle.

[0100] The present disclosure also provides a communication device, which includes at least one switch provided by the above embodiment.

[0101] Exemplarily, the communication device also includes multiple servers and optical modules, and the servers are connected via switches.

[0102] In the description of this specification, the description of reference terms such as "this embodiment", "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, those skilled in the art can combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of different embodiments or examples without contradiction. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present disclosure, the meaning of "multiple" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0103] In the above description, the technical details of the patterning and etching of each layer are not described in detail. However, those skilled in the art should understand that various technical means can be used to form layers, regions, etc. of desired shapes. In addition, in order to form the same structure, those skilled in the art can also design methods that are not completely the same as the methods described above. In addition, although the various embodiments are described above separately, this does not mean that the measures in the various embodiments cannot be used in combination to advantage.

[0104] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and the technical principles used. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, and that various obvious changes, readjustments, combinations and substitutions can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of the present disclosure. Therefore, although the present disclosure is described in more detail through the above embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and may include more other equivalent embodiments without departing from the concept of the present disclosure, and the scope of protection of the present disclosure is determined by the scope of the attached claims.

Claims

1. A switch, characterized in that: The switch includes a first connector, a second connector, a switching network board, a switching chip and a flexible circuit board; The first connector is provided with a socket, and the socket is used to plug in the optical module; The second connector and the switching chip are arranged on the switching network board, the second connector is electrically connected to the switching chip through the switching network board, and the second connector is also connected to the first connector through the flexible circuit board.

2. The switch according to claim 1, characterized in that: Gold fingers are provided at both ends of the flexible circuit board, the first connector is provided with a first gold finger slot, the second connector is provided with a second gold finger slot, the gold finger at one end of the flexible circuit board is fixedly arranged in the first gold finger slot, and the gold finger at the other end of the flexible circuit board is fixedly arranged in the second gold finger slot.

3. The switch according to claim 1, characterized in that: The switch further includes a third connector, the third connector being electrically connected to the first connector; Gold fingers are provided at both ends of the flexible circuit board, the second connector is provided with a second gold finger slot, the third connector is provided with a third gold finger slot, the gold finger at one end of the flexible circuit board is fixedly arranged in the third gold finger slot, and the gold finger at the other end of the flexible circuit board is fixedly arranged in the second gold finger slot.

4. The switch according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The number of the first connector and the number of the second connector are both multiple, and multiple gold fingers are set at at least one end of the flexible circuit board. The multiple gold fingers are connected to the multiple first gold finger slots in a one-to-one correspondence, or the multiple gold fingers are connected to the multiple second gold finger slots in a one-to-one correspondence, or the multiple gold fingers are connected to the multiple third gold finger slots in a one-to-one correspondence.

5. The switch according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The flexible circuit board includes a stacked structure, the stacked structure includes a first ground layer, a first insulating layer, an adhesive layer, a signal layer, a second insulating layer, and a second ground layer stacked from bottom to top, and the flexible circuit board includes a bending area and connection areas at both ends of the bending area; The number of the stacked structure is one, and a support structure is provided in the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer located in the connection area; Alternatively, there are multiple stacking structures, and the supporting structure is disposed between two adjacent stacking structures in the connection area.

6. The switch according to claim 5, characterized in that: The material of the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer includes polytetrafluoroethylene.

7. The switch according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The switch also includes an interface board; The first connector is arranged on the interface board, the plugging and unplugging direction of the socket is perpendicular to the interface board, and the surface of the interface board where the first connector is arranged and the surface of the switching network board where the switching chip is arranged are arranged vertically or parallel.

8. The switch according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The first connector is arranged at one side edge of the switching network board, and the plugging and unplugging direction of the socket is parallel to the switching network board.

9. The switch according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The second connector is arranged on the first surface of the switching network board through a first ball grid array, and the switching chip is arranged on the second surface of the switching network board through a second ball grid array. The first surface and the second surface are arranged opposite to each other, and the first ball grid array and the second ball grid array have the same size.

10. The switch according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: There are multiple first connectors, multiple second connectors and multiple flexible circuit boards, and different flexible circuit boards have different connection angles with different first connectors, and different flexible circuit boards have different connection angles with different second connectors.

11. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device comprises at least one switch according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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