Patent ID: 7471512
Filing Date: 2008-12-30
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A storage system assembly, comprising: an enclosure having an end opening; a midplane circuit board in the enclosure, the midplane circuit board having first and second mounting locations and circuit traces extending therebetween; a storage processor module disposed in the enclosure between the end opening of the enclosure and the first mounting location of the midplane circuit board, the storage processor module including (i) a storage processor, (ii) a plurality of first input/output (I/O) interface modules at the end opening of the enclosure, and (iii) circuit traces of a plurality of high-speed serial data links, the circuit traces including first circuit traces and second circuit traces, the first circuit traces interconnecting the storage processor with respective ones of the first I/O interface modules, the second circuit traces interconnecting the storage processor with the circuit traces of the midplane circuit board; and an I/O expansion module disposed in the enclosure between the end opening of the enclosure and the second mounting location of the midplane circuit board, the I/O expansion module including a (i) a plurality of second I/O interface modules at the end opening of the enclosure, (ii) a set of repeater amplifiers, and (iii) circuit traces of the high-speed serial data links, the circuit traces including third circuit traces and fourth circuit traces, the third circuit traces interconnecting the repeater amplifiers with respective ones of the second I/O interface modules, the fourth circuit traces interconnecting the repeater amplifiers with the circuit traces of the midplane circuit board, such that the second, third and fourth circuit traces along with the circuit traces of the midplane circuit board interconnect the storage processor with the second I/O interface modules via the repeater amplifiers, the repeater amplifiers performing electrical regeneration of high-speed binary data signals between the third and fourth circuit traces.