Externally Viewable Hard Disk Indicator Board
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic devices with multiple hard drives require multiple complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs) for status indication, increasing costs and making it difficult to view the status indicators from outside the device.
Innovation Solution
An externally visible display board with a CPLD and LED units is slidably mounted to the device, allowing users to view the status of multiple hard disks by pulling it out, which receives and decodes SGPIO signals from the hard disk controller to display the status using specific LED patterns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple CPLDs are used for each hard disk backplane to display status, then the status indication function is achieved, but the device cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple CPLD status indication functions into a single shared CPLD unit. Instead of having separate CPLDs for each hard disk backplane, one CPLD is shared across multiple backplanes, reducing component quantity and overall device cost while maintaining the status indication function for all hard disks.
Solution Approach 2:
The shared CPLD is designed to perform multiple functions across different hard disk backplanes. It can decode SGPIO signals from multiple hard disks and control status indicators on multiple backplanes simultaneously, making a single component serve universal purposes that previously required multiple dedicated components.
2Reliability
If status indicators are placed on the internal backplane, then the status can be monitored by the system, but the indicators cannot be seen from outside the electronic device
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the status indication from the internal dimension to the external dimension by adding LED indicators on the device housing. These external LEDs provide the same status information as the internal backplane indicators but are visible from outside the device, allowing users to monitor hard disk status without opening the device casing.
Solution Approach 2:
The external LED indicators act as intermediaries between the internal hard disk status and the external user. The shared CPLD controls both internal and external LEDs, using the external LEDs as a mediator to convey status information to users who need to monitor from outside the device.
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
This solution reduces the need for multiple CPLDs, lowers costs, and allows convenient external monitoring of hard disk statuses, enhancing visibility and management of the devices.
Implementation Method 1
a displaying module (34), the displaying module (34) communicates with the complex programmable logic device (CPLD 32), and receives the control signal from the complex programmable logic device (CPLD 32)
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device providing visible indications as to the status of each hard disk in an internal hard disk module includes a housing, a display board, and hard disk controller. The display board displays the operating status of each disk of a plurality of hard disks. The housing defines a first mounting area and a second mounting area. The first mounting area and the second mounting area are spaced apart to form a slot, and the viewable display board is slidably mounted to the slot.