Switching device

Abstract

The application provides a switching device, and relates to the technical field of device control, wherein the device comprises a shell, a male head interface arranged at one end of the shell and a female seat interface arranged at the other end of the shell, a signal conversion module and a signal mapping module arranged in the shell; the male head interface is connected with the female seat interface in sequence through the signal conversion module and the signal mapping module; and the female seat interface is further used for being connected with a second port of a to-be-controlled device through a standard wire harness. The switching device sequentially arranges the signal conversion module and the signal mapping module between the male head interface and the female seat interface, converts a signal sent by a control device into an asynchronous logic level signal, maps the asynchronous logic level signal to a preset pin of the female seat interface, and then transmits the asynchronous logic level signal to a corresponding port of the to-be-controlled device through a common wire harness such as a standard network cable, so that the dependence of a data center, a server room device, a network communication device and the like on a special wire harness in daily maintenance and management is reduced, and work efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of equipment control technology, and in particular to a switching device. Background Technology

[0002] In the daily maintenance and management of data center, server room equipment and network communication equipment (such as switches, routers, firewalls, etc.), technicians usually need to perform out-of-band management, initial configuration, firmware upgrades or fault diagnosis of the above-mentioned data center, server room equipment and network communication equipment through the console port.

[0003] The current connection solution between computers and console ports mainly uses a dedicated USB to RJ45 console cable. One end of this USB to RJ45 console cable is a USB plug that connects to the computer's USB port, and the other end is an RJ45 plug that connects to the console port of data center, server room equipment, and network communication equipment, so that technicians can maintain and manage these devices through the computer.

[0004] However, with the current connection scheme for computers and console ports, technicians need to carry at least one dedicated USB to RJ45 console cable. This cable looks similar to a standard network cable and is easily confused in complex tool kits. It is difficult to retrieve it in a timely and accurate manner when needed. Furthermore, if the cable is forgotten or lost, technicians are not likely to notice it quickly. Consequently, they are unable to perform routine maintenance and management of data center, server room, and network communication equipment. Therefore, using a dedicated USB to RJ45 console cable to connect computers and console ports results in excessively specialized cable harnesses, easy confusion, and low work efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0005] The main purpose of this invention is to provide a switching device to reduce the reliance on dedicated wiring harnesses in the daily maintenance and management of data centers, server room equipment, and network communication equipment, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides an adapter, comprising: a housing, a male connector disposed at one end of the housing, a female connector disposed at the other end of the housing, a signal conversion module and a signal mapping module disposed within the housing; The male connector is used to connect to the first port of the control device; the input of the signal conversion module is connected to the male connector to convert the first signal from the first port into an asynchronous logic level signal; the output of the signal conversion module is connected to the signal mapping module; the signal mapping module is also connected to the female connector to map the asynchronous logic level signal to a preset pin of the female connector; the female connector is also used to connect to the second port of the device to be controlled via a standard wiring harness.

[0007] In an optional implementation, the signal mapping module includes: a level conversion circuit and a pin mapping circuit; The input terminal of the level conversion circuit is connected to the output terminal of the signal conversion module to convert the level of the asynchronous logic level signal into a serial communication level; the output terminal of the level conversion circuit is connected to the pin mapping circuit to map the serial communication level to a preset pin of the female interface.

[0008] In an optional implementation, the level conversion circuit includes: a level conversion chip, or a resistor divider circuit.

[0009] In an optional implementation, the output of the level conversion circuit is a serial communication standard interface, the input of the pin mapping circuit is connected to the transmit pin, receive pin and ground pin of the serial communication standard interface respectively, and the output of the pin mapping circuit is connected to the first pin, second pin and third pin of the female interface respectively. The pin mapping circuit is used to map the level of the transmit pin in the serial communication level to the first pin of the female interface, the level of the receive pin to the second pin of the female interface, and the level of the ground pin to the third pin of the female interface.

[0010] In an optional implementation, the signal conversion module includes a signal conversion chip.

[0011] In an optional implementation, the male connector, the female connector, the signal conversion module, and the signal mapping module are integrated on the same circuit board.

[0012] In an optional implementation, the male connector is a serial communication bus USB male connector, and the first port is a USB female connector.

[0013] In an optional implementation, the female connector is a standard network cable interface, the second port is a configuration console interface, and the standard cable harness is a standard network cable.

[0014] In an optional implementation, the male connector is integrated with the housing.

[0015] In an optional embodiment, the housing is a rectangular or cylindrical sealed insulating shell.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this utility model are: The adapter provided in this application includes: a housing, a male connector at one end of the housing, a female connector at the other end of the housing, a signal conversion module and a signal mapping module disposed within the housing; the male connector is used to connect to a first port of a control device; the input end of the signal conversion module is connected to the male connector and is used to convert a first signal from the first port into an asynchronous logic signal; the output end of the signal conversion module is connected to the signal mapping module; the signal mapping module is also connected to the female connector to map the asynchronous logic level signal to a preset pin of the female connector; the female connector is also used to connect to a second port of the device to be controlled via a standard wiring harness. This adapter, by sequentially placing a signal conversion module and a signal mapping module between the male and female connectors located at opposite ends of the housing, converts signals emitted by the control device into asynchronous logic level signals and maps them to preset pins on the female connector. Then, using standard network cables or other common wiring harnesses found in data centers and server rooms, the asynchronous logic level signals from the preset pins of the female connector can be transmitted to the corresponding ports of the device under control. This avoids the need for dedicated wiring harnesses to connect the control device and the device under control, thereby reducing the reliance on dedicated wiring harnesses in the daily maintenance and management of data center, server room, and network communication equipment, and improving work efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the adapter structure provided in one embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal connection structure of the adapter provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an application scenario of the adapter provided in one embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the pin mapping circuit structure and connection provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0019] Reference numerals: 100-Adapter; 101-Housing; 102-Male connector; 103-Female connector; 104-Signal conversion module; 105-Signal mapping module; 1051-Level conversion circuit; 1052-Pin mapping circuit; 106-Circuit board; 201-Standard wiring harness; 202-Control device; 203-First port; 204-Device to be controlled; 205-Second port; 301-Transmit pin; 302-Receive pin; 303-Ground pin; 304-First pin; 305-Second pin; 306-Third pin. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of this application described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0021] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed application, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0022] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0023] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0024] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship that the product of this application is usually placed in. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0025] In the description of this application, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set" and "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0026] The following detailed description of some embodiments of this application is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.

[0027] Current connection solutions for console ports on computers, data center equipment, server room equipment, and network communication equipment primarily utilize dedicated USB-to-RJ45 console cables. One end of this cable is a USB connector for the computer's USB port, and the other end is an RJ45 connector for the console port of the data center, server room equipment, or network communication equipment. This allows technicians to maintain and manage these devices via computer. However, with this current connection method, technicians need to carry at least one dedicated USB-to-RJ45 console cable. This cable resembles a standard network cable and is easily confused in complex toolkits, making it difficult to retrieve accurately and promptly. Furthermore, if the cable is forgotten or lost, technicians are unlikely to notice quickly, hindering routine maintenance and management of data center, server room, and network communication equipment. Therefore, using dedicated USB-to-RJ45 console cables for computer and console port connections results in excessively specialized cable configurations, easy confusion, and low work efficiency.

[0028] To address the aforementioned issues, the main objective of this application is to propose a switching device that reduces the reliance on dedicated wiring harnesses in the daily maintenance and management of data center, server room equipment, and network communication equipment, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the adapter structure provided in one embodiment of this application. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal connection structure of the adapter provided in one embodiment of this application. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an application scenario of the adapter provided in one embodiment of this application. Please refer to... Figures 1-3 The aforementioned adapter 100 includes: a housing 101, a male connector 102 disposed at one end of the housing 101, a female connector 103 disposed at the other end of the housing 101, a signal conversion module 104 disposed within the housing 101, and a signal mapping module 105 disposed within the housing 101.

[0030] The aforementioned male connector 102 is used to connect to the first port 203 of the control device 202. The input terminal of the aforementioned signal conversion module 104 is connected to the aforementioned male connector 102, used to convert the first signal from the aforementioned first port 203 into an asynchronous logic level signal. The output terminal of the aforementioned signal conversion module 104 is connected to the aforementioned signal mapping module 105, and the aforementioned signal mapping module 105 is also connected to the aforementioned female connector 103 to map the aforementioned asynchronous logic level signal to a preset pin of the aforementioned female connector 103. The aforementioned female connector 103 is also used to connect to the second port 205 of the device to be controlled 204 via a standard wiring harness 201.

[0031] For example, the control device 202 can be a computer or other device with computing capabilities. Specifically, it can be a laptop carried by a technician, but it is not limited thereto. The type and model of the control device 202 can be determined so that the technician can send control commands or configuration data to the device to be controlled 204 through the control device 202. The device to be controlled 204 can be a data center, server room equipment, or network communication equipment, but it is not limited thereto.

[0032] The first port 203 of the aforementioned control device 202 may be, for example, a port including but not limited to, a USB port. For example, if the first port 203 of the aforementioned control device 202 is a USB port, then the aforementioned male connector 102 may be a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface (or USB male connector, specifically a USB-A type male connector, but not limited to). Of course, if the first port 203 of the aforementioned control device 202 is another type of port, then the aforementioned male connector 102 may also be another type of interface, and is not limited to the USB port or USB interface mentioned in the above example.

[0033] The second port 205 of the device to be controlled 204 can be, for example, a port including but not limited to a Console (configuration) port, but is not limited thereto. Taking the second port 205 of the device to be controlled 204 as a Console port as an example, the female interface 103 can be, for example, an RJ45 interface (i.e., a standard 8-bit modular interface). Of course, if the second port 205 of the device to be controlled 204 is another type of port, the female interface 103 can also be another type of interface, and is not limited to the Console port or RJ45 interface mentioned above.

[0034] The aforementioned signal conversion module 104 may include, for example, a chip or circuit with signal conversion function. Taking the first port 203 of the aforementioned control device 202 as a USB port as an example, the signal conversion module 104 converts the first signal from the aforementioned first port 203 into an asynchronous logic level signal. For example, it may refer to converting the USB protocol signal into a UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter) serial signal at the TTL (Transistor-Transistor Logic) level, but it is not limited to this.

[0035] The aforementioned standard cable harness 201 can refer, for example, to a standard network cable found in data centers or server rooms. This standard network cable is readily available, and using it to connect the female connector 103 to the second port 205 of the device to be controlled 204 eliminates the need for specialized cable harnesses such as USB-to-RJ45 console cables, thus simplifying the connection process. Figure 3 As shown, the aforementioned adapter 100 can, for example, be used in conjunction with the aforementioned standard wiring harness 201 to achieve a connection between the first port 203 of the control device 202 and the second port 205 of the device to be controlled 204.

[0036] The adapter 100 provided in this application embodiment includes: a housing 101, a male connector 102 disposed at one end of the housing 101, a female connector 103 disposed at the other end of the housing 101, a signal conversion module 104 and a signal mapping module 105 disposed within the housing 101. The male connector 102 is used to connect to a first port 203 of a control device 202. The input terminal of the signal conversion module 104 is connected to the male connector 102, used to convert a first signal from the first port 203 into an asynchronous logic signal. The output terminal of the signal conversion module 104 is connected to the signal mapping module 105, and the signal mapping module 105 is also connected to the female connector 103 to map the asynchronous logic level signal to a preset pin of the female connector 103. The female connector 103 is also used to connect to a second port 205 of the device to be controlled 204 via a standard wiring harness 201. The adapter 100, by sequentially arranging a signal conversion module 104 and a signal mapping module 105 between the male connector 102 and the female connector 103 located at both ends of the housing 101, converts the signal emitted by the control device 202 into an asynchronous logic level signal and maps it to a preset pin of the female connector 103. Then, the asynchronous logic level signal of the preset pin of the female connector 103 can be transmitted to the corresponding port of the device to be controlled 204 through common wiring harnesses in data centers and server rooms, such as standard network cables. This avoids the need to use dedicated wiring harnesses to connect the control device 202 and the device to be controlled 204, thereby reducing the reliance on dedicated wiring harnesses in the daily maintenance and management of data center, server room equipment, and network communication equipment, and improving work efficiency.

[0037] Alternatively, please continue to refer to Figure 2 Based on the above embodiments, the signal mapping module 105 may include a level conversion circuit 1051 and a pin mapping circuit 1052.

[0038] The input terminal of the level conversion circuit 1051 is connected to the output terminal of the signal conversion module 104 to convert the level of the asynchronous logic level signal into a serial communication level. The output terminal of the level conversion circuit 1051 is connected to the pin mapping circuit 1052 to map the serial communication level to a preset pin of the female interface 103.

[0039] For example, the level conversion circuit 1051 converts the asynchronous logic level signal into a serial communication level. This can be because, after the signal conversion module 104 converts the first signal from the first port 203 into an asynchronous logic level signal, this asynchronous logic level signal does not match the second port 205 of the device to be controlled 204. Therefore, the level conversion circuit 1051 needs to convert the asynchronous logic level signal into a serial communication level that matches the second port 205 of the device to be controlled 204. Then, it is mapped by the pin mapping circuit 1052 to a preset pin of the female interface 103, and subsequently reaches the second port 205 of the device to be controlled 204 via standard cabling such as standard network cables in data centers and server rooms, thus enabling control and data updates of the device to be controlled 204. Of course, the above is only one possible example and does not constitute a limitation on the function of the level conversion circuit 1051.

[0040] For example, after the signal conversion module 104 converts the USB protocol signal into a TTL level UART serial signal, the converted TTL level UART serial signal is a 3.3V TTL level UART serial signal. However, the second port 205 of the device to be controlled 204 needs to use RS-232 level or other specific voltage TTL level. In this case, the level conversion circuit 1051 converts the 3.3V TTL level UART serial signal into the RS-232 level or other specific voltage TTL level UART serial signal, which is the UART serial signal with serial communication level. Of course, the specific conversion method when converting the asynchronous logic level signal to the serial communication level can be determined according to the actual situation and is not limited to the above content.

[0041] Furthermore, based on the above embodiments, the level conversion circuit 1051 may include: a level conversion chip, or a resistor voltage divider circuit.

[0042] For example, the level conversion chip mentioned above can be a MAX3232 chip, but it is not limited thereto. The level conversion chip mentioned above, or the resistor voltage divider circuit, can be used to convert the level of the asynchronous logic level signal to a serial communication level to match the second port 205 of the device to be controlled 204. However, the specific type and model of the level conversion chip and the structure of the resistor voltage divider circuit can be adjusted and determined according to the actual situation, and no specific restrictions are imposed here.

[0043] Figure 4 Please refer to the schematic diagram of the pin mapping circuit 1052 structure and connection provided in one embodiment of this application. Figure 4Based on the aforementioned embodiments, the output terminal of the level conversion circuit 1051 is a serial communication standard interface, the input terminal of the pin mapping circuit 1052 is connected to the transmit pin 301, receive pin 302 and ground pin 303 of the serial communication standard interface, and the output terminal of the pin mapping circuit 1052 is connected to the first pin 304, the second pin 305 and the third pin 306 of the female interface 103.

[0044] The pin mapping circuit 1052 is used to map the level of the transmit pin 301 in the serial communication level to the first pin 304 of the female interface 103, map the level of the receive pin 302 to the second pin 305 of the female interface 103, and map the level of the ground pin 303 to the third pin 306 of the female interface 103.

[0045] For example, taking the MAX3232 chip as the level conversion chip mentioned above, the transmit pin 301 can refer to the RS-232 TXD (Transmit Data) pin, the receive pin 302 can refer to the RS-232 RXD (Received Data) pin, and the ground pin 303 can refer to the GND (Ground) pin. Taking the female interface 103 as an RJ45 interface as an example, the first pin 304 can be the RJ45 Pin 3 pin, the second pin 305 can be the RJ45 Pin 6 pin, and the third pin 306 can be the RJ45 Pin 5 pin. Figure 4 As shown, the pin mapping circuit 1052 described above can, for example, include at least 3 lines (i.e., Figure 4 The three wire bundles (black, green, and red) are used to map the aforementioned transmit pin 301 to RJ45 Pin 3, the aforementioned receive pin 302 to RJ45 Pin 6, and the aforementioned ground pin 303 to RJ45 Pin 5. It can be understood that when the aforementioned female connector 103 is an RJ45 interface, it can have 8 pins, namely RJ45 Pin 1 to RJ45 Pin 8. Except for the aforementioned RJ45 Pin 3, RJ45 Pin 6, and RJ45 Pin 5 connections, the other pins can be left floating. Of course, the above is only one possible example; the actual pin types and connection relationships are not limited to the above example.

[0046] The structure and connection of the aforementioned pin mapping circuit 1052 are designed in such a way that the mapped signal conforms to the Console line sequence, and is thus successfully sent to the second port 205 of the device to be controlled 204.

[0047] Optionally, based on the foregoing embodiments, the signal conversion module 104 may include a signal conversion chip.

[0048] For example, the signal conversion chip can be an FT232RL chip. It is understood that, in addition to the signal conversion chip, the signal conversion module 104 may also include necessary peripheral circuits (such as crystal oscillators, filter capacitors, voltage regulators, etc.), and there are no specific limitations here.

[0049] Furthermore, based on the aforementioned embodiments, the male connector 102, the female connector 103, the signal conversion module 104, and the signal mapping module 105 are integrated on the same circuit board 106.

[0050] For example, the circuit board 106 can refer to a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) board, which integrates the male connector 102, the female connector 103, the signal conversion module 104 and the signal mapping module 105 on the same circuit board 106. This can reduce the space occupied by the male connector 102, the female connector 103, the signal conversion module 104 and the signal mapping module 105, and reduce the size of the conversion device.

[0051] In addition, based on the above embodiments, the male connector 102 can be a serial communication bus USB male connector 102, that is, the USB interface in the above embodiments, specifically, it can be a USB-A male connector, and the first port 203 can be a USB female connector, that is, the USB port in the above embodiments, but is not limited thereto.

[0052] Optionally, based on the above embodiments, the female connector 103 is a standard network cable interface, i.e., an RJ45 interface, the second port 205 is a configuration console interface, and the standard cable harness 201 is a standard network cable. It should be noted that the pin definitions of the female connector 103 can be the same as those of the console interface, but not the same as those of the standard network cable, in order to successfully convert the asynchronous logic level signal (level converted to serial communication level) to the second port 205.

[0053] In addition, based on the above embodiments, the male connector 102 can be integrated with the housing 101.

[0054] For example, the male connector 102 is integrated with the housing 101, for example, to better fix the male connector, improve the sealing and stability of the adapter 100, and extend the service life of the adapter 100. In addition, the female connector 103 can also be integrated with the housing 101.

[0055] Optionally, based on the above embodiments, the housing 101 is a rectangular or cylindrical sealed insulating shell.

[0056] For example, the material of the housing 101 can be plastic, but it is not limited thereto, and the specific size of the housing 101 can be adjusted and determined according to the actual situation.

[0057] It is understood that the above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and does not limit the patent scope of the present utility model. All equivalent structural transformations made under the inventive concept of the present utility model using the contents of the present utility model specification and drawings, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A switching device, characterized in that, include: The housing, a male connector at one end of the housing, a female connector at the other end of the housing, and a signal conversion module and a signal mapping module disposed within the housing; The male connector is used to connect to the first port of the control device; the input of the signal conversion module is connected to the male connector to convert the first signal from the first port into an asynchronous logic level signal; the output of the signal conversion module is connected to the signal mapping module; the signal mapping module is also connected to the female connector to map the asynchronous logic level signal to a preset pin of the female connector; the female connector is also used to connect to the second port of the device to be controlled via a standard wiring harness.

2. The adapter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The signal mapping module includes: a level conversion circuit and a pin mapping circuit; The input terminal of the level conversion circuit is connected to the output terminal of the signal conversion module to convert the level of the asynchronous logic level signal into a serial communication level; the output terminal of the level conversion circuit is connected to the pin mapping circuit to map the serial communication level to a preset pin of the female interface.

3. The adapter according to claim 2, characterized in that, The level conversion circuit includes: a level conversion chip, or a resistor voltage divider circuit.

4. The adapter according to claim 2, characterized in that, The output of the level conversion circuit is a serial communication standard interface. The input of the pin mapping circuit is connected to the transmit pin, receive pin and ground pin of the serial communication standard interface, respectively. The output of the pin mapping circuit is connected to the first pin, second pin and third pin of the female interface, respectively. The pin mapping circuit is used to map the level of the transmit pin in the serial communication level to the first pin of the female interface, the level of the receive pin to the second pin of the female interface, and the level of the ground pin to the third pin of the female interface.

5. The adapter according to claim 3, characterized in that, The signal conversion module includes a signal conversion chip.

6. The adapter according to claim 2, characterized in that, The male connector, the female connector, the signal conversion module, and the signal mapping module are integrated on the same circuit board.

7. The adapter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The male connector is a serial communication bus USB male connector, and the first port is a USB female connector.

8. The adapter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The female connector is a standard network cable interface, the second port is a configuration console interface, and the standard cable harness is a standard network cable.

9. The adapter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The male connector is integrated with the housing.

10. The adapter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing is a rectangular or cylindrical sealed insulating shell.

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