Abstract:
In one embodiment of the invention, the apparatus includes a socket connector. In one embodiment of the invention, the socket connector is to connect to a circuit board. The socket connector includes a housing to contain contacts, a socket disposed within the housing to receive an add-in card, and a retaining tab coupled to the housing to retain the add-in card in the socket. The retaining tab includes a lobe to mate with a retaining notch of the add-in card.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
   1. Field 
   Embodiments of the invention relate to the field of add-in cards, more specifically, to add-in card connectors. 
   2. Background 
   Add-in cards, such as peripheral component interconnect (PCI) cards and accelerated graphics port (AGP) cards, are often connected to circuit boards with various types of card-edge connectors. Card-edge connectors connect to a circuit board and typically include a socket that receives an add-in card. For card-edge connectors to work properly, the card-edge connector&#39;s signal and/or ground contacts must be in tight contact with the add-in card&#39;s signal and/or ground contacts. Sometimes, during transit and/or use, add-in cards can be jarred, bumped, or otherwise unsettled from a card-edge connector. Such jarring can cause the add-in card to lose electrical contact with the socket or even completely dislodge the add-in card from the card-edge connector socket. 
   Various mechanisms have been used to affix add-in cards to card-edge connectors. One such retention mechanism is shown in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 1  illustrates a memory connector including a mechanism for securing a memory module in a memory socket. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the memory connector  100  includes clips  102  for holding the memory module  104  in the socket  106 . The clips  102  are hinged at the base of the socket  106 . When the clips are closed, they rest on the notches of the memory module  104 , holding it in the socket  106 . One disadvantage of this retention mechanism is that it will not work when the memory module  104  is wider than the connector  100 . 
   Another mechanism used to retain add-in cards is shown in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 2  illustrates a mechanism for retaining a PCI card in a card-edge connector socket. As shown in  FIG. 2 , a PCI card  202  is plugged into a card-edge connector  204 . The card-edge connector  204  is connected to a circuit board (not shown). The PCI card  202  includes a mounting bracket  206  and screw  208 , which are used to fasten the add-in card to a chassis or frame (not shown). One disadvantage of this retention mechanism is that it only secures one side of the PCI card  202 . For relatively large and bulky add-in cards, a single screw  208  on one side of the PCI card may not adequately secure it in the card-edge connector  204 . 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention may best be understood by referring to the following description and accompanying drawings that are used to illustrate embodiments of the invention. In the drawings: 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a memory connector including a mechanism for securing a memory module in a memory socket; 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a mechanism for retaining a PCI card in a card-edge connector socket; 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a socket connector, according to embodiments of the invention. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates an add-in card, according to embodiments of the invention. 
       FIG. 5A  illustrates an add-in card including a retaining notch coupled with a socket connector including a retaining tab, according to embodiments of the invention. 
       FIG. 5B  illustrates movements of an add-in card and socket connector, according to embodiments of the invention. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates an exemplary system comprising a socket connector and add-in card, according to embodiments of the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth. However, it is understood that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known circuits, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure the understanding of this description. 
     FIG. 3  illustrates a socket connector, according to embodiments of the invention. The socket connector  300  facilitates an electrical connection between an add-in card or other printed circuit board and a backplane, motherboard, or other circuit board. In one embodiment of the invention, the socket connector  300  is to be mounted on a motherboard. In alternative embodiments of the invention, the socket connector  300  is mounted on a backplane or other circuit board. For example, the socket connector  300  can be surfaced mounted to a motherboard. More specifically, contacts (described below) within the socket connector  300  can be soldered to motherboard mounting pads. A motherboard mounting pad is an exposed metal surface of the motherboard (e.g., a section of the motherboard where solder mask has been etched away to expose a metal surface) with suitable finishing for solderability. 
   As shown in  FIG. 3 , the socket connector  300  includes a housing  302 . In one embodiment of the invention, the housing  302  is formed from molded plastics. For example, in one embodiment of the invention, the housing  302  is formed using injection molding, while alternative embodiments of the invention are formed using other suitable molding techniques. In one embodiment of the invention, the housing  302  contains a number of contacts (not shown) for transmitting and receiving signals to and from an add-in card or printed circuit board. 
   As shown in  FIG. 3  the socket connector  300  includes a socket  304 . The socket  304  is a cavity that receives an add-in card or other electrical device (e.g., a printed circuit board). Typically, when an add-in card or other electrical device is inserted into the cavity, contacts on the add-in card will mate with the corresponding contacts contained within the housing  302 . In other words, when an add-in card is inserted into the socket  304 , an electrical connection between the various contacts is formed. 
   The socket connector  300  also includes a retaining tab  306 , which is used to hold the add-in card firmly in the socket  304 . The retaining tab  306  includes a lobe  308 , which is used to mate with a retaining notch, as described in more detail below, with reference to  FIGS. 4 and 5 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the retaining tab  306  is positioned on a lateral end of the housing  302 . In one embodiment of the invention, the lobe  308  is positioned over the body of the housing  302 , on the top end of the retaining tab  306 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 3 , the lobe  308  is cylindrically shaped. However, according to alternative embodiments of the invention, the lobe  308  can be spherically shaped, shaped like an hourglass, or of any other suitable shape. In yet another alternative embodiment of the invention, the lobe  308  is cylindrically shaped with retaining disks on the circular ends of the lobe  308 . In such an embodiment of the invention, the body of the lobe  308  is to mate with a retention notch of the add-in card. 
   In one embodiment of the invention, the retaining tab  306  and the housing  302  are formed from one piece of injection molded plastics. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the retaining tab  306  can be fastened to the housing  302 . For example, the retaining tab can be riveted to the housing  302 . Alternatively, the retaining tab  306  can be screwed, glued, or otherwise fastened to the housing. In one embodiment of the invention, the retaining tab  306  is movable about a pivot point located at the base of the housing  302 . Alternative embodiments of the invention called for other suitable ranges of motion. 
     FIG. 4  illustrates an add-in card, according to embodiments of the invention.  FIG. 4  will be described with reference to the exemplary socket connector shown in  FIG. 3 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the add-in card  400  includes a component area  402 . Various microelectronic semiconductor devices including application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), random access memories (RAMs), and/or other similar integrated circuits can be mounted on the component area  402  of add-in card  400 . The add-in card  400  also includes a row of contacts  404 , which transmit signals from components mounted on the component area  402  to another electronic device (e.g., a motherboard or backplane). 
   As shown in  FIG. 4 , the add-in card  400  includes a mounting bracket  406  and mounting screw  408 . The mounting bracket  406  includes a mounting tail  410 . In one embodiment of the invention, the mounting bracket  406  is to be fastened to a frame or chassis. For example, the add-in card  400  may be connected to a motherboard, which is contained in a metal chassis. After the add-in card  400  is plugged into a socket connector  300 , the mounting tail  410  is fastened to the chassis with the mounting screw  408 . In alternative embodiments of the invention, the mounting tail  410  is fastened to the chassis with other suitable fasteners (e.g., clips, rivets, bolts, adhesive connectors, etc.). 
   The add-in card  400  also includes a retaining notch  412 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the retaining notch  412  is a semicircular cutout of the add-in card  400 . In one embodiment, the retaining notch  412  is located adjacent to the card-edge finger on which the contacts  404  are mounted. Alternatively, the retaining notch could be located elsewhere on the add-in card  400 . For example, it could be located on the main body of the add-in card  400  (e.g., it could be a cut-out of the component area  402 , with the opening facing downward). In one embodiment of the invention, the radius of the retaining notch  412  is approximately equal to the radius of the cylindrically shaped lobe  308  of the retaining tab  306 . In alternative embodiments of the invention, where the lobe  308  is not cylindrically shaped (e.g., when the lobe  308  is shaped like an hourglass), the retention notch  412  is contoured to form a tight-fitting connection with the retention tab  306 . 
   While the description of  FIGS. 3 and 4  discussed the components of the socket connector  300  and the add-in card  400 , the discussion of  FIGS. 5 and 6  will describe the mating of the retaining tab  306  with the retaining notch  412 . 
     FIG. 5A  illustrates an add-in card including a retaining notch coupled with a socket connector including a retaining tab, according to embodiments of the invention. When the add-in card  400  is plugged into the socket connector  300 , the retaining tab  306  forms a tight fit with the retaining notch  412 . 
     FIG. 5A  also includes a close-up view of the retaining tab  306  and retaining notch  412 , according to embodiments of the invention. In the close-up view, the tight fit is not shown to clearly illustrate the spatial relationship between the retaining tab  306  and retaining notch  412 . For embodiments of the invention wherein the lobe  308  is shaped differently than that shown in  FIG. 5A  (see above), the retaining notch  412  is appropriately contoured to tightly fit around the lobe  308 . 
     FIG. 5B  illustrates movements of an add-in card and socket connector, according to embodiments of the invention. In  FIG. 5B , the larger arrows represent forces applied to various parts of the add-in card. When the add-in card  400  is inserted into the socket connector  300 , the retaining tab  306  is oriented so that downward force exerted on the add-in card  400  bends the retaining tab  306  away from the socket  304 . As the add-in card slides into the socket  304 , tension in the retaining tab  306  causes the lobe  308  to reorient into its original position (e.g., it springs back into its original upright position); thus mating with the retaining notch  412 . After the add-in card  400  has been inserted into the socket connector  300 , the mounting bracket  406  is fastened to a chassis (not shown) with the mounting screw  408 . 
   When the add-in card  400  is removed from the socket connector  300 , the mounting bracket  406  should first be unfastened from the chassis. For example, in one embodiment of the invention, the mounting screw  408  must be unthreaded from the chassis and mounting bracket  406 . After removing the mounting screw  408 , applying an upward force to the mounting bracket  406  or other suitable location on the add-in card  400  can remove the add-in card  400  from the socket connector  300 . When an upward force is exerted on the add-in card  400 , the force (if sufficiently strong) will bend the retaining tab  306  away from the socket  304 , freeing the lobe  304  from the retaining notch  412 . After freeing the lobe  308  from the retaining notch  412 , the add-in card  400  can be lifted from the socket  304 . In one embodiment of the invention, applying a rotational force to the add-in card  400  helps to free the lobe  304  from the retaining notch  412 . 
     FIG. 6  illustrates an exemplary system comprising a socket connector and add-in card, according to embodiments of the invention. Although described in the context of system  600 , the present invention may be implemented in any suitable computer system comprising one or more integrated circuits. 
   As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , computer system  600  comprises a circuit board  601 , on which the following components are arranged. The computer system includes processor(s)  602 . Computer system  600  also includes a memory  632 , processor bus  610  and input/output controller hub (ICH)  640 . The processor(s)  602 , memory  632  and ICH  640  are coupled to the processor bus  610 . The processor(s)  602  may comprise any suitable processor architecture and for one embodiment of the invention comprise an Intel® Architecture used, for example, in the Pentium® family of processors available from Intel® Corporation of Santa Clara, Calif. For other embodiments of the invention, computer system  600  may comprise one, two, three, or more processors, any of which may execute a set of instructions that are in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
   The memory  632  stores data (e.g., image data) and/or instructions, and may comprise any suitable memory, such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), for example. A graphics controller  634  controls the display of information display device  636 . 
   The input/output controller hub (ICH)  640  provides an interface to I/O devices or peripheral components for computer system  600 . The ICH  640  may comprise any suitable interface controllers to provide for any suitable communication link to the processor(s)  602 , memory  632  and/or to any suitable device or component in communication with the ICH  640 . For one embodiment of the invention, the ICH  640  provides suitable arbitration and buffering for each interface. The ICH  640  is also connected to an add-in card  600 . In one embodiment of the invention, the add-in card  600  is connected to the circuit board  601  with a socket connector  300 . 
   For one embodiment of the invention, the ICH  640  provides an interface to one or more suitable integrated drive electronics (IDE) drives  642 , such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or compact disc read only memory (CD ROM) drive for example, to store data and/or instructions for example, one or more suitable universal serial bus (USB) devices through one or more USB ports  644 . For one embodiment of the invention, the ICH  640  also provides an interface to a keyboard  651 , a mouse  652 , a floppy disk drive  655 , one or more suitable devices through one or more parallel ports  653  (e.g., a printer), and one or more suitable devices through one or more serial ports  654 . 
   Thus an add-in card retention mechanism has been described. While the invention has been described in terms of several embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described, can be practiced with modification and alteration within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The description is thus to be regarded as illustrative instead of limiting.