Expandable Motherboard Layout for Multi-Chassis Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motherboards are designed for specific chassis sizes, limiting their flexibility and increasing manufacturing costs due to the need for dedicated designs for each size, which affects their usage flexibility.
Innovation Solution
A circuit board with a substrate, processor socket, DRAM socket, PCI-E socket, and connection sockets that can be expanded with an extending circuit board, allowing installation in both smaller and larger chassis types, enhancing flexibility and reducing manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a dedicated motherboard is designed for each chassis size, then the motherboard can be optimized for that specific chassis, but the development cost increases and usage flexibility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The motherboard is divided into a base circuit board and an extending circuit board that can be separately manufactured and then assembled together. The base board contains essential components and connection sockets, while the extending board provides additional functionality. This segmentation allows the same base board to be used across different chassis sizes, reducing development costs while maintaining adaptability through the optional extending board configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The base circuit board is designed with universal compatibility for multiple chassis sizes by incorporating standardized connection sockets and component layouts. The same base board can be installed in different chassis configurations, and the extending circuit board can be added or removed based on specific requirements, making the motherboard design universally applicable across product lines.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a larger circuit board is designed to fit all chassis sizes, then usage flexibility improves, but the area and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of creating one large circuit board, the design segments the motherboard into a compact base board that fits all chassis sizes, with an optional extending board that adds functionality when needed. The base board contains essential components in a space-efficient layout, and the extending board is only used when additional space is available in larger chassis.
Solution Approach 2:
The motherboard configuration becomes dynamic rather than static. The base board remains constant across all chassis sizes, while the extending board is selectively added or removed based on the specific chassis configuration and functional requirements, allowing the system to adapt its physical configuration rather than requiring a fixed large-size board for all scenarios.
Data Source
AI summary
A circuit board includes a substrate, a processor socket, at least one dynamic random access memory socket, at least one peripheral component interconnect express socket, and a first connection socket. The first connection socket is provided on the substrate and is configured to electrically connect an extending circuit board. The circuit board is suitable for the first-type chassis specification. An assembly of the circuit board and the extending circuit board connected to each other and arranged on a same plane is suitable for a second-type chassis specification.