PCIe communication module with expansion function

Abstract

The invention discloses a PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) communication module with an expansion function, which comprises a PCIe main card, an expansion card and a communication connection module, and the PCIe main card comprises a processor, a first communication interface, an edge connector and a first connector adjacent to the processor. The expansion card comprises a second communication interface, and the second communication interface, the communication connection module and the first connector form a high-speed communication signal channel. The high-speed communication signal channel is configured to transmit a communication signal provided by the second communication interface to the processor, and the processor processes the communication signal and then transmits the communication signal to the outside through the edge connector.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a PCIe communication module with expansion capabilities, and more particularly to a PCIe communication module with expansion capabilities and low signal transmission loss. Background Technology

[0002] In large data processing systems such as server hosts, multiple bus standards are typically used, and a single standard may have multiple revisions to allow newer versions to support higher performance (such as transfer rates). For example, a common bus standard today is the PCIe or PCI-e standard. This standard has multiple updated versions to support higher speeds; for instance, the PCIe 3.0 standard supports high-speed transfers at 8GT / s (8 gigatransfers per second), while the PCIe 4.0 standard supports high-speed transfers up to 16GT / s. Its advantage lies in its ability to use multiple I / O ports to transfer data.

[0003] Therefore, PCIe communication modules are commonly used in large data processing systems such as server hosts for data transmission. Furthermore, due to the demand for high-speed transmission, configuring a single PCIe communication module with more than eight I / O ports requires a PCIe master card and an additional expansion card. However, the higher the signal transmission rate, the more prone to errors. Especially when the expansion card's signal needs to be transmitted to the PCIe master card for processing, the longer signal transmission path results in greater signal loss. Therefore, there is a higher risk of signal transmission distortion.

[0004] Therefore, how to design a PCIe communication module with expansion capabilities to minimize the risk of signal distortion due to path loss during signal transmission is a major research topic of this invention. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention provides a PCIe communication module with expansion capabilities to overcome the limitations of prior art. Therefore, the PCIe communication module of this invention includes a PCIe master card, an expansion card, and a communication connection module. The PCIe master card includes a processor, a first communication interface, an edge connector, and a first connector adjacent to the processor, with both the first communication interface and the first connector electrically connected to the processor for signal transmission. The communication connection module includes a second connector located at one end of a cable connected to the first connector, and a connection component located at the other end electrically connected to the second communication interface. The expansion card includes a second communication interface, and the PCIe master card transmits power to the expansion card through the first connector and the communication connection module. The second communication interface, the communication connection module, and the first connector form a high-speed communication signal path, configured to transmit the communication signal provided by the second communication interface to the processor for processing.

[0006] The main objective and benefit of this invention is that the PCIe communication module connects the PCIe master card and the expansion card via a communication connection module, enabling the second communication interface, the communication connection module, and the first connector to form a high-speed communication signal path. Therefore, in addition to high-speed transmission of communication signals via this high-speed communication signal path, this path also features low signal transmission loss. Thus, the risk of signal distortion due to path loss can be minimized.

[0007] To gain a deeper understanding of the techniques, means, and effects employed by this invention to achieve its intended purpose, please refer to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. It is believed that the purpose, features, and characteristics of this invention can be understood in a thorough and specific manner from these drawings. However, the drawings are provided for reference and illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of this invention. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the PCIe master card of the PCIe communication module of the present invention;

[0009] Figure 2A This is a schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the communication connection module of the PCIe communication module of the present invention;

[0010] Figure 2B This is a schematic diagram of the second embodiment of the communication connection module of the PCIe communication module of the present invention;

[0011] Figure 3A This is a schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the expansion card for the PCIe communication module of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 3BThis is a schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the second embodiment of the expansion card of the PCIe communication module of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the combined structure of the PCIe master card, communication connection module and expansion card of the present invention;

[0014] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the combined structure of the first embodiment of the PCIe communication module of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the combined structure of the second embodiment of the PCIe communication module of the present invention; and

[0016] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the combined structure of the third embodiment of the PCIe communication module of the present invention.

[0017] In the attached figures, the following labels are used:

[0018] 100: PCIe communication module;

[0019] 1: PCIe primary card;

[0020] 12: First circuit board;

[0021] 12-1: First page;

[0022] 12-2: Second page;

[0023] 14: Processor;

[0024] 16: First communication interface;

[0025] 162: Main I / O module;

[0026] 164: Management I / O module;

[0027] 18: Edge connector;

[0028] 20: First connector;

[0029] 3: Communication connection module;

[0030] 32: Cable;

[0031] 34: Second connector;

[0032] 36: Connecting components;

[0033] 362: Limiting component;

[0034] L1~Ln: Connecting lines;

[0035] 4: Expansion card;

[0036] 42: Second circuit board;

[0037] 42-1: First page;

[0038] 42-2: Second page;

[0039] 44: Second communication interface;

[0040] 442: Expand I / O modules;

[0041] 442A: Power supply pin;

[0042] 442B: Signal pin;

[0043] 46: Fourth connector;

[0044] 50: Full-calorie;

[0045] 52: Short baffle;

[0046] 54: Double-width card;

[0047] 200-1: First external device;

[0048] 200-2: Second external device;

[0049] 200-3: Third external device;

[0050] Sc1: First communication signal;

[0051] Sc2: Second communication signal;

[0052] X, Y: Axis lines. Detailed Implementation

[0053] The technical content and detailed description of the present invention are explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0054] Please see Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the PCIe master card structure of the PCIe communication module of the present invention. The PCIe communication module includes a PCIe master card 1, and the PCIe master card 1 can be, for example, but not limited to, a vDU accelerator card. Further, the PCIe master card 1 includes a first circuit board 12, a processor 14, a first communication interface 16, an edge connector 18, and a first connector 20, and the processor 14, the first communication interface 16, and the first connector 20 are disposed on a first side 12-1 of the first circuit board 12 or on a second side 12-2 opposite to the first side 12-1. The edge connector 18 is formed on any unoccupied side of the first circuit board 12, and the edge connector 18 can generally be connected to a first external device 200-1 (e.g., but not limited to a board with a CPU, GPU, or other processor) by plugging in, or connected to the first external device 200-1 by plugging in an adapter board (not shown) to receive power supplied by the first external device 200-1, and can transmit signals (e.g., but not limited to, packet-based data, control signals, etc.) with the first external device 200-1. The edge connector 18 can generally be a gold finger, but it is not excluded that it can be configured as other types of connectors on any empty side of the first surface 12-1, the second surface 12-2, or the first circuit board 12.

[0055] In one embodiment, the first surface 12-1 can be used to configure the processor 14 and the first communication interface 16, and the first connector 20 is configured on the second surface 12-2 of the first circuit board, but is not limited thereto. The first connector 20 is configured on the opposite side of the processor 14 (i.e., the second surface 12-2). The first connector 20 is configured on the side adjacent to the processor 14, for example, but not limited to, on the same side as the processor 14 (i.e., the first surface 12-1), and adjacent to the side of the processor 14. Preferably, it is configured on the second surface 12-2, and on the side adjacent to the frame, to be as close as possible to the side of the processor 14. Furthermore, since the PCIe master card 1 is primarily used for data processing and high-speed transmission, the processor 14 may include multiple high-speed signal pins (e.g., but not limited to Tx, Rx, etc., pins used for high-speed signal transmission). Therefore, the first connector 20 is preferably configured on the side adjacent to the high-speed signal pins of the processor 14.

[0056] The first communication interface 16 may include multiple main I / O modules 162, and may include at least one management I / O module 164. Figure 1For example, the first communication interface 16 includes four main I / O modules 162 and one management I / O module 164. Both the main I / O modules 162 and the management I / O module 164 include power pins and at least one signal pin (not shown), and these pins are plugged into the first circuit board 12 and electrically connected to the first circuit board 12 by means of soldering or other methods. Furthermore, the processor 14 can electrically connect these pins to the edge connector 18 via multiple traces on the first circuit board 12 for signal processing and transmission. Among these, in Figure 1 The main I / O module 162 and management I / O module 164 shown primarily use Ethernet network ports as signal input / output ports, but this is not a limitation. Any connection port that can be used as a high-speed signal input / output port should be included in the scope of this embodiment.

[0057] Furthermore, the power supply for the processor 14 and the first communication interface 16 can be provided by the edge connector 18. That is, the edge connector 18 can transmit the power required for the processor 14 to operate normally. Moreover, the power provided by the edge connector 18 can also be transmitted to the power pins of the main I / O module 162 and the management I / O module 164, enabling the main I / O module 162 and the management I / O module 164 to operate normally.

[0058] After the main I / O module 162, management I / O module 164, and processor 14 are operating normally, the main I / O module 162 can be coupled to the second external device 200-2 via a connection cable (not shown) to enable high-speed signal transmission with the second external device 200-2 (e.g., but not limited to routers, terminal devices, etc.). Furthermore, the management I / O module 164 can be coupled to the second external device 200-2 or a different management device (not shown) via another connection cable (not shown) to transmit management or control signals and control the PCIe communication module (which can be controlled by the first external device 200-1 or the second external device 200-2). Therefore, the processor 14 can receive the first communication signal Sc1 provided by the first communication interface 16, process the first communication signal Sc1, and transmit it to the edge connector 18, so that the processed first communication signal Sc1 can be transmitted to the first external device 200-1 via the edge connector 18. Conversely, the transmission direction is reversed, which will not be elaborated further here.

[0059] On the other hand, the PCIe master card 1 of this invention is mainly used in half-length cards (typically 167.65mm). In a half-length card, since the size of the first circuit board 12 is only half that of a full-length card (typically 312mm), the range of configurable components and traces is significantly reduced. Therefore, the number of I / O modules that can be used in the PCIe master card 1 is insufficient; generally, only single-wide full-height cards (typically 111.15mm) can be used, and the number of I / O modules is limited to a maximum of 8 (i.e., PCIe*8). However, if the I / O modules are network port-sized, then generally only 5 or fewer I / O modules can be accommodated. The main reason for this, besides the size of the I / O modules, is that the trace and component configuration has already reached a high density. Therefore, expanding the number of I / O modules usually requires providing an additional PCIe master card 1 to operate in conjunction with it, and also requires providing power to the additional PCIe master card 1 to operate independently. As a result, it occupies the effective channels of the first circuit board 12, and the circuit cost increases several times over.

[0060] Please see Figure 2A This is a schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the communication connection module of the PCIe communication module of the present invention, in conjunction with the following references. Figure 1 The communication connection module 3 is a flexible cable and includes a cable 32, a second connector 34, and a connection assembly 36. The second connector 34 is located at one end of the cable 32 and is used to connect to the first connector 20. (See also...) Figure 2A The connecting component 36 includes multiple connecting lines L1 to Ln, and optionally includes a limiting member 362. Preferably, the connecting lines L1 to Ln can be soldered to the pads of the circuit board, and the limiting member 362 limits the cable 32 to the circuit board to protect the relatively small connecting lines L1 to Ln, which are relatively fragile in connection with the circuit board.

[0061] The second connector 34 is preferably a CABLINE-LINE series connector with a length, width, and height of 8.2 mm, 30.95 mm, and 1.14 mm, respectively. Furthermore, since the PCIe communication module needs to be plugged into a specific location on the host system (not shown) via the edge connector 18, and due to the need for miniaturization and high power density, the space available for accommodating the PCIe communication module in the host system is generally severely limited. Therefore, if the second connector 34 uses a larger connector, especially a taller connector (e.g., but not limited to 5.6 mm), the PCIe communication module may easily obstruct other devices, lines, or components of the host system during assembly, making it less compatible with host systems of different sizes. Therefore, this invention significantly improves the installation compatibility of the PCIe communication module by limiting the height of the second connector 34 to less than 2 mm (preferably less than 1.2 mm).

[0062] Cable 32 can be a communication signal transmission cable with a shielding layer, and cable 32 can be a low-signal-loss cable such as coaxial cable or twinaxial cable. For example, but not limited to, cable 32 can use micro-coax cable, whose main feature is low signal transmission loss, making it particularly suitable for high-speed signal transmission. Furthermore, the shorter the length and the thicker the wire diameter of cable 32, the lower the loss. However, the length and wire diameter of cable 32 affect the construction cost and signal transmission loss of the PCIe communication module. Therefore, in addition to using micro-coax cable, the cable 32 of this invention is further limited to a wire diameter of 38 American gauge (AWG) and a length of less than 150mm. In this way, the signal transmission loss of the communication connection module 3 can be limited to below 5.1dB (i.e., signal attenuation intensity > -5.1dB), and the excessive signal transmission loss can be avoided while minimizing the construction cost of the communication connection module 3, thus ensuring good signal transmission quality in low-cost applications. Preferably, the cable 32 of this invention is a 32-38AWG cable, which limits the line to 100 ohms (Ethernet solution) or 85 ohms (PCIe solution). It should be noted that although signal attenuation intensity is commonly expressed in negative decibels (minus dB) in this technical field, positive numbers are used to express the signal attenuation intensity value for ease of reading herein.

[0063] Please see Figure 2B This is a schematic diagram of the second embodiment of the communication connection module of the PCIe communication module of the present invention. Figure 2B In the middle, connecting component 36 is the third connector. The third connector is mainly used for supplying... Figure 2AThe connecting lines L1 to Ln electrically connect to the corresponding pins to form a modular connector that can be easily plugged in and replaced. Furthermore, since the third connector already has a modular connection structure, it is not necessary to use... Figure 2A The limiting member 362 shown is used to limit the cable 32.

[0064] Please see Figure 3A This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the expansion card of the PCIe communication module of the present invention in the first embodiment. Figure 3B This is a schematic diagram of the second embodiment of the expansion card for the PCIe communication module of the present invention, for reference only. Figures 1-2B And refer to repeatedly Figures 3A-3B The PCIe communication module further includes an expansion card 4, which may be, but is not limited to, an SFP28 module. More specifically, the expansion card 4 includes a second circuit board 42 and a second communication interface 44, with the second communication interface 44 disposed on a first side 42-1 of the second circuit board 42. Similar to the first communication interface 16, the second communication interface 44 may include multiple expansion I / O modules 442, and... Figures 3A-3B For example, the second communication interface 44 includes four expansion I / O modules 442.

[0065] Each expansion I / O module 442 includes a power pin 442A and at least one signal pin 442B, and these pins are plugged into the second circuit board 42 and electrically connected to the second circuit board 42 by means of soldering or other methods. Similar to the first communication interface 16, in Figures 3A-3B The expansion I / O module 442 shown mainly uses the network port as a signal input / output port, but it is not limited to this. Any connection port that can be used as a high-speed signal input / output port should be included in the scope of this embodiment.

[0066] Furthermore, the expansion I / O module 442 can also be coupled to a second external device 200-3 via a connection cable, enabling high-speed signal transmission through the second external device 200-3 (e.g., but not limited to routers, terminal devices, etc.). Additionally, the expansion card 4 may optionally include a fourth connector 46 (see attached diagram). Figure 3B ), with the corresponding connection component 36 of the communication connection module 3 (see reference). Figure 2A , 3B Specifically, in Figure 3A In this configuration, expansion card 4 does not include a fourth connector 46, and power pin 442A and signal pin 442B pass through the second circuit board 42 and are soldered to the second side 42-2. Alternatively, power pin 442A and signal pin 442B are soldered to the first side 42-1 and electrically connected to the pads on the second side 42-2 via vias. Therefore, with Figure 3A In terms of circuit structure, it is more suitable for application Figure 2A The connecting component 36 is electrically connected.

[0067] This means that the multiple connecting lines L1 to Ln of the connecting component 36 can be directly soldered to the pads on the second surface 42-2, so that the power pins 442A and signal pins 442B of the expansion I / O module 442 are in contact or nearly in contact with the connecting lines L1 to Ln (i.e., the distance is less than the height of the second circuit board 42), thereby minimizing the loss of low-signal transmission. Furthermore, the power pins 442A and signal pins 442B of the expansion I / O module 442 can also be electrically connected to the corresponding pins of the second connector 34 through direct soldering of the connecting lines L1 to Ln.

[0068] Conversely, with Figure 3B In terms of circuit structure, it is more suitable for application Figure 2B The connection component 36 is electrically connected. That is, the connection component 36, as the third connector, can be plugged into the fourth connector 46 to electrically connect the power pin 442A and signal pin 442B of the expansion I / O module 442 to the corresponding pins of the second connector 34. Furthermore, the fourth connector 46 can be disposed on the first side 42-1 or the second side 42-2 of the second circuit board 42, just like the first connector 20. Moreover, in order to reduce signal transmission loss, it is preferable to place the fourth connector 46 as close as possible to the expansion I / O module 442, mainly to shorten the length of the circuit board trace between the fourth connector 46 and the signal pin 442B.

[0069] Furthermore, since the second side 42-2 contains fewer circuit components, the connection between the fourth connector 46 and the signal pin 442B of the expansion I / O module 442 is less likely to be obstructed by circuit components (e.g., but not limited to the expansion I / O module 442). This allows the length of the line between the signal pin 442B and the fourth connector 46 (collectively referred to as the second shortest path line) to be shortened as much as possible, thereby reducing signal transmission loss. Therefore, the communication connection module 3 can electrically connect to the signal pin 442B by electrically connecting multiple second shortest path lines of the second side 42-2, thereby achieving the effect of reducing signal transmission loss. On the other hand, the power pin 442A can be configured according to the actual circuit requirements and is not limited to or required to be implemented using the shortest path line.

[0070] The first connector 20 is similar to the fourth connector 46. Since the second side 12-2 has fewer configuration circuit elements, the connection between the first connector 20 and the processor 14 is less obstructed by circuit elements (e.g., but not limited to, the processor 14's heatsink). This allows the length of the line from the signal pins to the first connector 20 (collectively referred to as the first shortest path line) to be shortened as much as possible, reducing signal transmission loss. Therefore, the communication connection module 3 can be electrically connected to the processor 14 (e.g., but not limited to, electrically connected to the processor 14's high-speed signal pins) via multiple first shortest path lines formed on the second side 12-2 of the first circuit board 12 of the PCIe main card 1. The "shortest path" primarily refers to the shortest distance between each corresponding solder pad under the circuit board (PCB) routing rules. It is preferably a straight line, but when there is a bend, the angle of the trace is generally around 135 degrees, but it must not be a right angle or an acute angle.

[0071] On the other hand, let's compare the differences in operation between PCIe master card 1 and expansion card 4. PCIe master card 1, including processor 14 and edge connector 18, and possessing a complete set of first communication interfaces 16, can operate as an independent device. When expansion card 4 is electrically connected to PCIe master card 1 via communication connection module 3, the combined PCIe communication module will have multiple I / O modules composed of the first communication interface 16 and the second communication interface 44. However, expansion card 4 lacks a processor and edge connector. Therefore, the I / O modules of expansion card 4 cannot operate independently without PCIe master card 1 and the connection module.

[0072] Please see Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the combined structure of the PCIe primary card, communication connection module, and expansion card of the present invention, and can be further referenced. Figures 1-3B .exist Figure 4 The PCIe communication module 100 in the middle is mainly shown Figure 2A This is an illustrative example of how the communication connection module 3 combines the PCIe master card 1 and the expansion card 4. Specifically, the second connector 34 of the communication connection module 3 is electrically connected to the first connector 20 of the PCIe master card 1, and the connection component 36 of the communication connection module 3 is electrically connected to the second communication interface 44 (the detailed connection method can be referred to in conjunction with the following). Figure 2A , 3A Therefore, the power supplied by the edge connector 18 can be transmitted to the power pin 442A of the expansion I / O module 442 through the path from the first connector 20 to the communication connection module 3, so that the expansion I / O module 442 can operate normally.

[0073] After the expansion I / O module 442 is functioning normally, it can be coupled to the second external device 200-2 or a third external device 200-3 (illustrated as the third external device 200-3) via a connecting cable (not shown) to enable high-speed signal transmission with the third external device 200-3 (e.g., but not limited to routers, terminal devices, etc.). Therefore, the processor 14 can receive the second communication signal Sc2 provided by the second communication interface 44, process the second communication signal Sc2, and transmit it to the edge connector 18, so that the processed second communication signal Sc2 can be transmitted to the first external device 200-1 via the edge connector 18. Conversely, the transmission direction is reversed, which will not be elaborated further here.

[0074] Furthermore, see accompanying references Figure 1 , 2A 3A. The second communication interface 44, the communication connection module 3, and the first connector 20 can form a high-speed communication signal path, which is mainly formed by the second communication interface 44, connecting lines L1 to Ln, cable 32, second connector 34, and first connector 20. This high-speed communication signal path is mainly used to transmit the second communication signal Sc2 provided by the second communication interface 44 to the processor 14. Since the first connector 20 is electrically connected to the processor 14 via the first shortest path, and the connecting lines L1 to Ln of the connection component 36 are directly soldered to the pads of the second surface 42-2, the power pins 442A and signal pins 442B of the expansion I / O module 442 are in contact or nearly in contact with the connecting lines L1 to Ln.

[0075] Furthermore, with the PCIe main card 1 being a half-length card, the expansion card 4 is electrically connected via cable 32, ensuring that the total number of I / O ports formed by the expansion I / O module 442 and the main I / O module 162 is greater than or equal to 8. In addition, due to the micro-coax cable characteristics of cable 32 and the connection relationship of the high-speed communication signal path, the high-speed communication signal path not only enables high-speed transmission of the second communication signal Sc2 but also features low signal transmission loss. Especially in actual testing, the signal transmission loss of the high-speed communication signal path can be lower than 7dB (i.e., signal attenuation strength > -7dB) (from the first connector 20 to the solder pads of the second side 42-2), minimizing the risk of signal distortion due to path loss during signal transmission.

[0076] On the other hand Figure 2B The communication connection module 3 can be used Figure 2A , 4 In the example described, based on the common knowledge of those skilled in the art, its specific structure and corresponding description are not presented here. Furthermore, please refer to the accompanying references. Figure 1 , 2B 3B. The high-speed communication signal path can be mainly formed by the second communication interface 44, the fourth connector 46, the third connector, the cable 32, the second connector 34, and the first connector 20. Furthermore, the high-speed communication signal path formed by the fourth connector 46 and the third connector also includes the characteristic of low signal transmission loss in addition to transmitting the second communication signal Sc2.

[0077] Please see Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the combined structure of the first embodiment of the PCIe communication module of the present invention, in conjunction with the following references. Figures 1-4 .exist Figure 5 In this design, the PCIe communication module 100's PCIe master card 1 primarily uses a full-height card 50, which can be fixed to the first circuit board 12. The PCIe communication module 100's expansion card 4 uses a low-profile baffle 52, which can be fixed to the second circuit board 42. Since the communication connection module 3 is a flexible cable, the full-height card 50 of the PCIe master card 1 and the low-profile baffle 52 of the expansion card 4 can be arranged linearly along the X-axis. Therefore, it can be applied to main systems with relatively wide single-slot widths (not shown in the figure).

[0078] Please see Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the combined structure of the second embodiment of the PCIe communication module of the present invention, in conjunction with the following references. Figures 1-5 .exist Figure 6 In this configuration, the PCIe communication module 100's PCIe master card 1 and expansion card 4 share a double-wide card 54, with the lower layer of the double-wide card 54 being full-height and the upper layer being half-height, allowing the PCIe master card 1 and expansion card 4 to be fixed to the upper and lower layers of the double-wide card 54 respectively. Similarly, since the communication connection module 3 is a flexible cable, the PCIe master card 1 and expansion card 4 can be stacked along the Y-axis. Therefore, it can be applied to a main system with double-wide slots (not shown in the figure).

[0079] Please see Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the combined structure of the third embodiment of the PCIe communication module of the present invention, in conjunction with the following references. Figures 1-6 . Figure 7 Structure and Figure 5 Similar to the PCIe communication module 100, the expansion card 4 uses a full-height card 50, which is longer than the short baffle 52. All other structural features are the same. Figure 5 The same applies, so I won't repeat it here. Therefore, Figure 7 and Figure 5 The structure can be adapted to the specifications of the main system (not shown in the figure).

[0080] Furthermore, please refer to the following: Figures 5-7Because the PCIe communication module 100 of the present invention can separate an expansion card 4 from the PCIe main card 1, the expansion card 4 can be installed independently in a single-width slot. Therefore, the PCIe communication module 100 of the present invention is not limited to the design of a dual-width card 54 and is not forced to be adapted only to a main system with a dual-width slot.

[0081] The above description is merely a detailed explanation and illustration of preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the features of the present invention are not limited thereto and are not intended to limit the present invention. The scope of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the patent application of the present invention. All embodiments that conform to the spirit of the patent application of the present invention and similar variations thereof should be included in the scope of the present invention. Any variations or modifications that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the field of the present invention can be covered by the patent scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A PCIe communication module with expansion capabilities, characterized in that, include: A PCIe master card includes a processor, a first communication interface, an edge connector, and a first connector adjacent to the processor, wherein the first communication interface and the first connector are electrically connected to the processor for signal transmission. An expansion card, including a second communication interface; A communication connection module includes a second connector located at one end of a cable and connected to the first connector, and a connection component located at the other end and electrically connected to the second communication interface, wherein the PCIe master card transmits power to the expansion card through the first connector and the communication connection module; The second communication interface, the communication connection module, and the first connector form a high-speed communication signal path. The high-speed communication signal path is configured to transmit a communication signal provided by the second communication interface to the processor, so that the processor can process the communication signal.

2. The PCIe communication module according to claim 1, characterized in that, One side of a first circuit board of the PCIe master card is used to configure the processor and the first communication interface, and the first connector is configured on the other side of the first circuit board adjacent to the processor side, so as to be electrically connected to a plurality of high-speed signal pins of the processor through a plurality of first shortest path lines formed on the first circuit board.

3. The PCIe communication module as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The height of the first connector is less than 2 millimeters.

4. The PCIe communication module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second communication interface includes multiple expansion I / O modules, and each of these expansion I / O modules includes a power pin and a signal pin. The connection component electrically connects the power pin and the signal pin of the expansion I / O modules.

5. The PCIe communication module according to claim 4, characterized in that, The connection component is a third connector, and the expansion card includes a fourth connector that electrically connects the power pins and signal pins of the expansion I / O modules, the fourth connector forming the high-speed communication signal path by electrically connecting to the third connector.

6. The PCIe communication module according to claim 5, characterized in that, The communication connection module is electrically connected to these signal pins via multiple second shortest path lines formed on a second circuit board of the expansion card.

7. The PCIe communication module according to claim 4, characterized in that, The connection component includes multiple connection lines, and these connection lines form the high-speed communication signal path by being electrically connected to the signal pins of these expanded I / O modules.

8. The PCIe communication module according to claim 4, characterized in that, The PCIe master card is a half-length card with a specification of 167.65mm, and the first communication interface includes multiple master I / O modules. The total number of I / O ports formed by these expansion I / O modules and these master I / O modules is greater than or equal to 8.

9. The PCIe communication module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cable has a diameter of 38 US gauge and a length of less than 150 mm.

10. The PCIe communication module according to claim 9, characterized in that, The signal transmission loss of the high-speed communication signal path is less than 7dB.

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