Angled Rackmount Optical Module Layout for Server Thermal Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing I/O capacities of electronic processing chips exceed the limitations of electrical signals in a practical chip package size, necessitating effective heat removal and efficient signal transmission in data processing servers.
Innovation Solution
A system design incorporating a housing with angled circuit boards, co-packaged optical modules, heat sinks, and strategically positioned inlet fans to enhance heat dissipation and signal conversion efficiency, utilizing optical signals for higher input/output capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If electrical signals are used for data transmission in chip packages, then the package size can be kept practical, but the I/O capacity is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electrical signal transmission with optical signal transmission using optical fibers. Optical signals can carry much higher data rates and I/O capacity compared to electrical signals, directly resolving the limitation of electrical signal-based chip packages while maintaining practical packaging through integrated optical modules.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental transmission medium from electrical to optical domain. By using optical fibers and optical modules, the system achieves higher bandwidth and I/O capacity without being constrained by the electrical signal limitations that restrict chip package size and I/O scalability.
2Productivity
If data processing chips operate at high capacity, then signal transmission capability increases, but heat generation becomes a significant problem
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the optical module from the traditional electrical packaging and creates a separate co-packaged optical module. This modular approach allows independent thermal management of the optical conversion components, separating heat generation sources and enabling more effective cooling strategies for high-capacity data processing chips.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces optical fibers as an intermediary medium between data processing chips. Optical signal transmission generates less heat than electrical signal transmission at equivalent data rates, and the optical module acts as a thermal buffer, converting optical signals to electrical signals while managing heat dissipation separately from the main processing chip.
3Productivity
If optical modules are integrated closer to data processors, then signal conversion efficiency improves, but thermal management becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested structure where the optical module is co-packaged within or adjacent to the data processing chip package. This nested arrangement minimizes the physical distance between optical and electrical components, improving signal conversion efficiency while allowing the larger package structure to accommodate enhanced thermal management solutions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from traditional planar chip packaging to a three-dimensional co-packaged architecture. By stacking or positioning optical modules in vertical or adjacent spatial arrangements rather than flat integration, the system achieves close proximity for efficient signal conversion while creating additional thermal pathways and cooling surface area in the third dimension.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively manages heat dissipation and increases signal transmission capacity by leveraging optical signals, improving the operational efficiency of data processing servers.
Implementation Method 1
at least one heat sink thermally coupled to the at least one data processor and configured to remove heat from the at least one data processor during operation
Implementation Method 2
at least one fan configured to cause air to be blown towards the at least one heat sink
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus includes a rackmount device, in which the rackmount device includes a housing configured to be installed in a server rack, in which the housing has a width in a range from 16 to 20 inches and a height in a range from 1 to 12 inches, the housing includes a front panel, a rear panel, and a bottom surface. The rackmount device includes a first circuit board or substrate having a first surface that defines a length and a width of the first circuit board or substrate, in which the first circuit board or substrate is positioned relative to the housing such that the first surface of the first circuit board or substrate is at an angle relative to the bottom surface of the housing, and the angle is in a range from 45° to 90°. At least one of (i) the front panel of the housing is formed at least in part by the first circuit board or substrate, (ii) the first circuit board or substrate is attached to the front panel of the housing, or (iii) the first circuit board or substrate is substantially parallel to the front panel of the housing. The rackmount device includes at least one data processor electrically coupled to the first circuit board or substrate and configured to process data; and at least one optical/electrical communication interface coupled to the first circuit board or substrate and configured to convert received optical signals to electrical signals that are provide to the at least one data processor. The rackmount device includes at least one of (i) at least one inlet fan attached to the front panel of the housing, or (ii) at least one fan positioned near the front panel in which at least a portion of a fan blade of the at least one fan is within a first distance from the front panel for at least some time period during operation of the at least one fan, and the first distance is less than one-fourth of a second distance between the front panel and the rear panel.