Sequential connector

Patent 5268592 Issued on December 7, 1993. Estimated Expiration Date:

February 26, 2011. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

3710197

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Inventors

Application

No. 661283 filed on 02/26/1991

US Classes:

307/43, PLURAL SUPPLY CIRCUITS OR SOURCES361/58, Impedance insertion439/924.1CONTACTS ARRANGED FOR SEQUENTIAL CONNECTION

Examiners

Primary: Pellinen, A. D.
Assistant: Krishnan, Aditya

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Gonzalez; Floyd A., Kinnaman, Jr.; William A.

Foreign Patent References

402055 EP. 12/23/1990

International Class

H01R 009/09

Abstract

A circuit for facilitating hot plugging by limiting the inrush current when a card is plugged into a board having plural card-receiving slots. A single MOSFET charging circuit for all of the cards is provided on the board for each voltage level supplied to the cards. Each card connector half has a staggered set of pins so that, upon insertion of a card, the following events occur in sequence (1) the card ground is connected to the board ground through a high-resistance path; (2) the card ground is connected to board ground through a low-resistance path and the MOSFET source is coupled to the card components; (3) the MOSFET gate is coupled through a card jumper to a bias supply; (4) the normal connection is made between the voltage supply and the card components; and (5) the connection to the card components from the MOSFET source is broken.

Other References

IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, vol. 34, No. 4A, Sep. 1991, pp. 9-10, `Hot-Plug Circuit`
Ellis, "Replacing a Power Supply Under Microprocessor Control in an Operating System", IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin (IBM TDB), May 1985, pp. 7239.sub.]7241
Badaoui et al., "Circuit Allowing Card Hot Plugging and Unplugging", IBM TDB, Nov. 1988, pp. 125-127
Kisacky et al., "Charge Controller for Power-On Plugging and Unplugging of Electronic Components", IBM TDB, Aug. 1990, pp. 244-24