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  Configurable circuit board and fabrication methodUSPTO Application #: 20070195510Title: Configurable circuit board and fabrication method Abstract: Circuit boards (36) capable of receiving different sets of electrical devices are fabricated from raw boards of the same type by forming (102) respective networks of electrically conductive traces (52) with a common layout on the raw boards, including open circuits (58) within the networks. Electrical device receivers (42,44,46,48,50) and controllers (38,40) are then loaded on the boards, and some of the open circuits are closed such that some of the boards have different patterns (104,106,108,110) of closed circuits and thereby different interconnections. Some of the receivers can accommodate two different types of electrical devices (60,64), with some of the boards configured to support one type and the others another type. The loading of receivers and controllers, and the closing of open circuits, can be performed simultaneously with the placement of zero ohm resistors (R) used for circuit closings. Numerous different circuit board configurations can thus be supported from a common supply (100) of raw boards. (end of abstract)
Agent: Hewlett-packard Company Intellectual Property Administration - Fort Collins, CO, US Inventors: Michael A. Kotson, Robert A. Kubo USPTO Applicaton #: 20070195510 - Class: 361760000 (USPTO) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070195510. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 10/659,212, filed Sep. 9, 2003. BACKGROUND [0002] Local buses have been developed so that the system buses of a computer system can be accessed at speeds close to that of the microprocessor. Of these, the PCI local bus is now the most widely accepted and implemented expansion system. This local bus is a high performance 32-bit or 64-bit bus with multiplexed address and data lines, and is intended for use as an interconnect mechanism between highly integrated peripheral controller components, peripheral add-in cards and processor/memory systems. The bus allows burst mode data transfer and bus mastering, and is usable with many different kinds of add-in cards, such as graphical user interfaces, modems, network cards, sound, video capture and SCSI cards. Some of the cards are 32-bit, operating at 33 MHz, while others are 64-bit, operating at either 100 MHz or 133 MHz. The 32-bit bus is designated PCI, while the 64-bit is designated PCI-X. A different controller is required for each bus, such as the ICH4 32-bit controller and P64H2 64-bit controller by Intel Corporation. [0003] Personal computer (PC) mother boards can have numerous different configurations, depending upon the type of circuit cards they are set up to receive. For example, if all of the cards for which the system is designed are 32-bit cards, then a number of receivers (commonly called "slots"), each designed to receive the 120 edge pins of a 32-bit card, would be provided on the pins of a 32-bit card, would be provided on the board, along with an ICH4 controller connected to each of the slots in parallel. If, on the other hand, only 64-bit cards need to be accommodated, a different board with slots for the 368 edge pin 64-bit cards would be used, together with an appropriate number of P64H2 controllers (in general, one P64H2 controller is required for each two 64-bit cards operated at 100 MHz, and an individual controller for each 64-bit card operated at 133 MHz). [0004] If, as is frequently the case, some combination of 32-bit and 64-bit cards are to be accommodated, separate boards with appropriate arrays of 32-bit and 64-bit slots and controllers are provided for each different combination. In general, each different board design is considered as a separate part, with separate order and fabrication sequences. Thus, it may be necessary for a manufacturer to inventory a large number of different boards, each with a different combination of slots and controllers, and to order new raw boards separately for each different design. The separate board designs can lead to a relatively large number of orders for relatively low volumes of boards each, which does not offer the opportunity to maximize volume discounts. [0005] Different types of mother boards have conventionally been characterized by different numbers of circuit card slots associated with the ICH4 and P64H2 controllers, and also by the number of P64H2 controllers and whether their associated slots are intended for 133 MHz or 100 MHz operation. This type of characterization has resulted in a proliferation of different types of circuit boards, with separate inventories of raw boards for each type. New raw boards are generally acquired only when the stock of raw boards for one particular type of mother board needs to be replenished. Thus, while the collective number of raw circuit boards purchased for all types of mother boards over a given period of time may be large, the number of boards purchased with each individual order will generally be much smaller, with a corresponding loss of volume discounts and economies of scale. Mother boards with different configurations of slots controlled by the ICH4 and P64H2 controllers require different interconnection networks between the controllers and slots; the different interconnection networks emphasize the tendency to consider each different combination of slots as a separate part requiring a separate board inventory and fabrication process. SUMMARY [0006] The invention includes a method of fabricating a plurality of circuit boards for receiving different sets of electrical devices from a plurality of raw boards of the same type. The method comprises forming respective networks of electrically conductive traces with a common layout on the raw boards, said networks each comprising a plurality of open circuits; loading respective pluralities of electrical device receivers on the boards; loading respective electrical device controllers on the boards; and closing some of the open circuits, such that some of the boards have different patterns of closed circuits and thereby different interconnections between their respective receivers and controllers. [0007] In one embodiment, each of the networks comprises a common plurality of open circuit resistor terminal pairs. Respective pluralities of pin receptacle arrays and controllers are loaded in a common pattern on the board. Zero ohm resistors are loaded across respective terminal pairs on at least some of the boards simultaneously with the loading of the pin receptacle arrays and controllers, such that some of the boards have different patterns of zero ohm resistors, and thereby different interconnections between their respective arrays and controllers. [0008] The invention also contemplates a configurable circuit board comprising a substrate; a plurality of electrical device receivers configured to receive a selectable one of multiple different electrical devices having different respective interfaces with the receivers; a plurality of controllers on the substrate for the receivers; and an electrically conductive interconnection network on the substrate interconnecting the controllers with the receivers, said network comprising sets of zero ohm resistor terminals that enable at least some of the receivers to be connected to different controllers, depending upon a pattern of zero ohm resistors connected across the terminals. [0009] These and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, taken together with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0010] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a PC mother board to which the invention is applicable; [0011] FIGS. 2a and 2b are plan views of pin arrays in conventional receivers for 32-bit and 64-bit circuit cards, respectively; [0012] FIG. 3 is a plan view of a simplified board layout in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, prior to configuration for a specific application; [0013] FIGS. 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d are plan views illustrating the board layout of FIG. 3 configured for circuit card combinations comprising one 133 MHz, two 100 MHz and two 33 MHz circuit cards; one 100 MHz and four 33 MHz circuit cards; five 33 MHz circuit cards; and three 100 MHz and two 33 MHz circuit cards, respectively; [0014] FIGS. 5 and 6 are schematic diagrams of 32-bit and 64-bit cards, respectively, showing connections relevant to the invention with conventional PCI nomenclature; [0015] FIGS. 7 and 8 are schematic diagrams of ICH4 and P64H2 controllers, respectively, showing connections relevant to the invention with conventional PCI nomenclature; and [0016] FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of a circuit board fabrication process in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION [0017] FIG. 1 illustrates a PC mother board 2 to which the invention is applicable. The heart of the computer is the north bridge 4, which is an industry term for a central controller for functions such as memory and graphics, and high speed interfaces to other controllers on the board. In this particular illustration, the north bridge 4 is shown having high speed interfaces with the computer's microprocessor 6, an ICH4 PCI controller 8 (conventionally referred to as a "south bridge"), and a P64H2 PCI controller 10. The north bridge is also shown as controlling a series of memory slots 12, an accelerated graphics port (AGP) 14 which is normally internal to the north bridge and controls an off-board monitor 16, and an off-board hard drive 17. The ICH4 controller 8 interconnects with a number of slots 18 which are configures to receive 32-bit circuit cards, while the P64H2 controller 10 interconnects with a number of slots 20 that are configured to receive 64-bit circuit cards. The ICH4 controller 8 is also illustrated as controlling a supervisory input/output controller 22 for an off-board keyboard 24 and mouse 26. Although specific 32-bit and 64-bit controllers are referred to in this description, controllers from other sources could also be used. [0018] FIG. 2a shows the standardized array 28 of pin receptacles 30 used to receive a 32-bit PCI circuit card; the edge pins on the card would have a matching pattern. FIG. 2b shows the standardized array 32 of pin receptacles 34 for a 64-bit PCI circuit card. The 32-bit pin pattern 28 is incorporated as part of the overall 64-bit pin pattern. In this respect, the 32-bit pin pattern can be considered as a "core" array that is common to both 32-bit and 64-bit receivers. This feature enables the use of a common circuit board layout as a source for circuit boards with numerous different configurations of 32-bit receivers, 64-bit receivers and corresponding controllers. [0019] FIG. 3 illustrates one example of a circuit board 36 with a layout that can be configured to receive and control various combinations of 32-bit and 64-bit circuit cards. Only elements of a PC mother board that are directly pertinent to the invention are shown; other elements such as the microprocessor, memory slots and accelerated graphics port would normally also be present. The board functions as a substrate to carry a first controller 38, which may be an ICH4 south bridge and is designated Controller 1, and a P64H2 controller 40 which is implemented as two separate controller segments designated Controllers 2 and 3. Continue reading... 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