Abstract:
A lane jumper for transmitting at least one lane from a first interface to a second interface is disclosed. The at least one lane is connected with the first interface. The first interface defines a first pin group and a second pin group, and the second interface defines a third pin group connected with the second pin group. The lane jumper includes a fourth pin group and a fifth pin group, wherein the fourth pin group and the fifth pin group of the lane jumper are configured for being respectively connected with the first pin group and the second pin group. The at least one lane is transmitted from the first interface to the second interface sequentially through the first pin group, the fourth pin group, the fifth pin group, the second pin group, and the third pin group.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to a lane jumper, and particularly, to a lane jumper for an electrical interface. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Motherboard slots, such as PCI-E (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express), are electrical interfaces used for data transmission between a computer and an expansion card, such as a graphics card. Lanes provided by a chipset on the motherboard are distributed to slots on the motherboard, however, the lane number of lanes is limited in accordance with the capability of the chipset, and the lanes distributed to a particular slot cannot be used by another slot even when the particular slot is not in use. 
     Therefore, what is needed is a lane jumper for redirecting lanes between different slots. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of a lane jumper. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of a mainboard, a first expansion card, and a first jumper board in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the first jumper board of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an isometric, assembled view of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is an isometric view of the mainboard, the first jumper board, and a first expansion board in accordance with another exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is an isometric view of the mainboard, a second jumper board, and an second expansion board in accordance with another exemplary embodiment 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded, isometric view of the mainboard, the first expansion card, a second expansion card, and a third jumper board in accordance with another exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  is a side view of the third jumper board of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is an isometric, assembled view of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 9  is an exploded, isometric view of a fourth jumper board in accordance with another exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 10  is an assembled view of a fourth jumper board of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 11  is an isometric, assembled view of the fourth jumper board in operation. 
         FIG. 12  is a jumper card in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, including a mainboard  10 , a first jumper board  20 , and a first expansion card  50 . A first slot  30  and a second slot  31  are installed on the mainboard  10  and respectively correspond to the first jumper board  20  and the first expansion card  50 . In the present embodiment, the first slot  30  and the second slot  31  are standard PCI-E x16 slots, and the first expansion card  50  is a PCI-E x16 add-on card. 
     Standard PCI-E slots can include up to 32 PCI-E lanes, termed x1, x4, x16, x32 in respect to the number of physical or electronic lanes, and each lane consists of 4 pins. In relation to the physical lanes of the slots, the electronic lanes are provided by a chipset on a motherboard. A standard PCI-E expansion card can fit into a standard PCI-E slot with more physical lanes, but can not be fitted into another standard PCI-E slot with less physical lanes, therefore, larger PCI-E slots are sometimes preferred for installation on the motherboard for receiving larger PCI-E expansion cards while the electronic lanes actually connected to the slot are less than the physical lanes of the slot. For example, when a motherboard capable of providing 20 PCI-E lanes is equipped with a PCI-E x4 slot, a PCI-E x8 slot, and a PCI-E x16 slot, the PCI-E x16 slot can only acquire 8 electronic lanes for data transmission while the PCI-E x4 slot and the PCI-E x8 slot are respectively set up with 4 and 8 electronic lanes, and thus limit the bandwidth of the PCI-E x16 slot. 
     The standard PCI-E slot includes a side A and a side B, having a number of pins respectively corresponding to the physical lanes. A standard PCI-E x1 slot has 18 pins on side A , called A 1 -A 18 , and 18 pins on side B, called B 1 -B 18 , and the first 13 pins on both side (A 1 -A 13  and B 1 -B 13 ) are for generic usage, such as power and clocking while the other 5 pins (A 14 -A 18  and B 14 -B 18 ) correspond to a lane called lane 0 for signal transmission. A standard PCI-E x4 slot has 15 more pins (on both sides), called A 19 -A 32  and B 19 -B 32 , than the standard PCI-E x1 slot, and the 15 pins correspond to lanes 1 (A 19 -A 22  and B 19 -B 22 ), lane 2 (A 23 -A 26  and B 23 -B 26 ), and lane 3 (A 27 -A 32  and B 27 -B 32 ). A standard PCI-E x8 slot has 17 more pins (on both sides), called A 33 -A 49  and B 33 -B 49 , than the standard PCI-E x4 slot, and the 17 pins correspond to lanes 4 (A 33 -A 36  and B 33 -B 36 ), lane 5 (A 37 -A 40  and B 37 -B 40 ), lane 6 (A 41 -A 44  and B 41 -B 44 ), and lane 7 (A 45 -A 49  and B 45 -B 49 ). A standard PCI-E x16 slot has 33 more pins (on both sides), called A 50 -A 82  and B 50 -B 82 , than the standard PCI-E x8 slot, and the 33 pins correspond to lanes 8 (A 50 -A 53  and B 50 -B 53 ), lane 9 (A 54 -A 57  and B 54 -B 57 ), lane 10 (A 58 -A 61  and B 58 -B 61 ), lane 11 (A 62 -A 65  and B 62 -B 65 ), lanes 12 (A 66 -A 69  and B 66 -B 69 ), lane 13 (A 70 -A 73  and B 70 -B 73 ), lane 14 (A 74 -A 77  and B 74 -B 77 ), and lane 15 (A 78 -A 82  and B 78 -B 82 ). 
     The mainboard  10  has a chipset (not shown) capable of providing 16 electronic lanes. The first slot  30  and the second slot  31  allow only 8 electronic lanes from the chipset, and the first slot  30  and the second slot  31  can be used as PCI-E x8 slots only because the physical lanes A 50 -A 82  and B 50 -B 82  of the first slot  30  and the second slot  31  are unusable. In the PCI-E standard, the physical lanes 8-15 (A 50 -A 82  and B 50 -B 82 ) of the first slot  30  are respectively connected to the physical lanes 8-15 (A 50 -A 82  and B 50 -B 82 ) of the second slot  31 , for example, A 50  of the first slot  30  is connected to A 50  of the second slot  31 . The first jumper board  20  includes a side C and a side D. Referring to  FIG. 2 , each of the two sides of the first jumper board  20  has pins (C 14 -C 82  and D 14 -D 82 ) capable of being connected to physical lanes 0-15 (A 14 -A 82  and B 14 -B 82 ) when plugged into a standard PCI-E x16 slot. The pins of the first jumper board  20  can be divided into a first pin group, which includes C 14 -C 49  and D 14 -D 49 , and a second pin group, which includes C 50 -C- 82  and D 50 -D 82 . Each pin of the first pin group is respectively connected to a pin of the second pin group, for example, D 14  is connected to D 50 , and D 27  is connected to D 62 . The first jumper board  20  can therefore connect the physical lanes 0-7 of a standard PCI-E x16 slot to the physical lanes 8-15 of the standard PCI-E x16 slot, in a corresponding fashion. The connection relationships of the first jumper board  20  are listed below: 
     
       
         
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 From 
                 To 
                 From 
                 To 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 D14 
                 D50 
                 C14 
                 C50 
               
               
                   
                 D15 
                 D51 
                 C15 
                 C51 
               
               
                   
                 D16 
                 D52 
                 C16 
                 C52 
               
               
                   
                 D17 
                 X 
                 C17 
                 C53 
               
               
                   
                 D18 
                 D53 
                 C18 
                 C54 
               
               
                   
                 D19 
                 D54 
                 C19 
                 X 
               
               
                   
                 D20 
                 D55 
                 C20 
                 C55 
               
               
                   
                 D21 
                 D56 
                 C21 
                 C56 
               
               
                   
                 D22 
                 D57 
                 C22 
                 C57 
               
               
                   
                 D23 
                 D58 
                 C23 
                 C58 
               
               
                   
                 D24 
                 D59 
                 C24 
                 C59 
               
               
                   
                 D25 
                 D60 
                 C25 
                 C60 
               
               
                   
                 D26 
                 D61 
                 C26 
                 C61 
               
               
                   
                 D27 
                 D62 
                 C27 
                 C62 
               
               
                   
                 D28 
                 D63 
                 C28 
                 C63 
               
               
                   
                 D29 
                 D64 
                 C29 
                 C64 
               
               
                   
                 D30 
                 X 
                 C30 
                 C65 
               
               
                   
                 D31 
                 X 
                 C31 
                 C66 
               
               
                   
                 D32 
                 D65 
                 C32 
                 X 
               
               
                   
                 D33 
                 D66 
                 C33 
                 X 
               
               
                   
                 D34 
                 D67 
                 C34 
                 C67 
               
               
                   
                 D35 
                 D68 
                 C35 
                 C68 
               
               
                   
                 D36 
                 D69 
                 C36 
                 C69 
               
               
                   
                 D37 
                 D70 
                 C37 
                 C70 
               
               
                   
                 D38 
                 D71 
                 C38 
                 C71 
               
               
                   
                 D39 
                 D72 
                 C39 
                 C72 
               
               
                   
                 D40 
                 D73 
                 C40 
                 C73 
               
               
                   
                 D41 
                 D74 
                 C41 
                 C74 
               
               
                   
                 D42 
                 D75 
                 C42 
                 C75 
               
               
                   
                 D43 
                 D76 
                 C43 
                 C76 
               
               
                   
                 D44 
                 D77 
                 C44 
                 C77 
               
               
                   
                 D45 
                 D78 
                 C45 
                 C78 
               
               
                   
                 D46 
                 D79 
                 C46 
                 C79 
               
               
                   
                 D47 
                 D80 
                 C47 
                 C80 
               
               
                   
                 D48 
                 D81 
                 C48 
                 C81 
               
               
                   
                 D49 
                 D82 
                 C49 
                 C82 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     According to the PCI-E standard, D 17 , D 30 , D 31 , C 19 , C 32 , C 33  do not perform signal transmission, and thus are not connected with any pin. In other embodiments, the first pin group and the second pin group can be connected in other way to connect the physical lanes 0-7 of a standard PCI-E x16 slot with the physical lanes 8-15 of the standard PCI-E x16 slot. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , when the first jumper board  20  and the first expansion card  50  are respectively plugged into the first slot  30  and the second slot  31 , the first pin group (C 14 -C 49  and D 14 -D 49 ) and the second pin group (C 50 -C 82  and D 50 -D 82 ) of the first jumper board  20  are respectively connected to the lanes 0-7 (A 14 -A 49  and B 14 -B 49 ) and the lanes 8-15 (A 50 -A 82  and B 50 -B 82 ) of the first slot  30 . The lanes 0-7 of the first slot  30  are connected to the lanes 8-15 of the first slot  30  sequentially through the first pin group and the second pin group of the first jumper board  20 , and are further connected to the lanes 8-15 of the second slot  31  because the lanes 8-15 of the first slot  30  and the second slot  31  are connected. Therefore, the lanes 8-15 of the second slot  31  can be connected to the electronic lanes potentially available by virtue of the chipset of the mainboard  10  sequentially through the lanes 8-15 of the first slot  30 , the second pin group and the first pin group of the first jumper board  20 , and the lanes 0-7 of the first slot  30  to allow the first expansion card  50  to use 16 lanes rather than only 8 lanes from the chipset. In another embodiment, when the first expansion card  50  is plugged into the second slot  31 , the jumper board can be plugged into the first slot  30  to achieve the same result. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , in another embodiment, a first expansion board  60  is used to change the direction of the first expansion card  50  (not shown in  FIG. 4 ) while a third slot  32  is installed on the first expansion board  60  to receive the first expansion card  50 . The first jumper board  20  and a first expansion board  60  are respectively plugged into the first slot  30  and the second slot  31 , and the first expansion card  50  can get 8 an additional PCI-E lanes from the chipset sequentially through the lanes 8-15 of the second slot  31 , the lanes 8-15 of the first slot  30 , the second pin group and the first pin group of the first jumper board  20 , and the lanes 0-7 of the first slot  30 . Therefore, when plugged into the third slot  32 , the first expansion board  32  can use 16 electronic lanes in communication with the chipset. In the present embodiment, the first expansion card  50  is a PCI-E x16 riser card, and the third slot  32  is a PCI-E x16 slot. 
       FIG. 5  shows another embodiment of the present disclosure, which includes a second expansion board  61  and a second jumper board  21 . The first slot  30 , the second slot  31 , and a fourth slot  33  are installed on the mainboard  10 , and a fifth slot  34  and a sixth slot  35  are installed on the second expansion board  61 . In the present embodiment, the fourth slot  33  and the fifth slot  34  are PCI-E x8 slots, and the sixth slot  35  is a PCI-E x16 slot. The second expansion board  61  is plugged into the second slot  31  and the fourth slot  33  to take the benefit of 16 electronic lanes from the chipset, that is, 8 through the second slot  31  and 8 through the fourth slot  33 , and the fifth slot  34  and the sixth slot  35  both offer 8 PCI-E lanes. In the present embodiment, the second jumper board  21  can be plugged into the fifth slot  34  to allow the sixth slot  35  to connect to 4 more lanes from the fifth slot  34 . 
       FIG. 6  shows another embodiment of the present disclosure, including the first slot  30 , the second slot  31 , the first expansion card  50 , a second expansion card  52 , and a third jumper board  23 . In the present embodiment, the second expansion card  52  is a PCI-E x4 add-on card. The third jumper board  23  and the second expansion card  52  can be simultaneously plugged into the first slot  30 , and respectively correspond to the lanes 0-3 and the lanes 4-15 of the first slot  30 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7-8 , the third jumper board  23  has a third pin group (E 33 -E 49  and F 33 -F 49 ) and a fourth pin group (E 66 -E 82  and F 66 -F 82 ), which correspond to the lanes 4-7 and the lanes 12-15 of the first slot  30 . The third pin group is connected to the fourth pin group to connect the lanes 4-7 of the first slot  30  to the lanes 12-15 of the first slot  30 . For example, F 33  is connected to F 66 . The connections relationship of the first jumper board  20  is listed below: 
     
       
         
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 From 
                 To 
                 From 
                 To 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 F33 
                 F66 
                 E33 
                 F65 
               
               
                   
                 F34 
                 F67 
                 E34 
                 E67 
               
               
                   
                 F35 
                 F68 
                 E35 
                 E68 
               
               
                   
                 F36 
                 F69 
                 E36 
                 E69 
               
               
                   
                 F37 
                 F70 
                 E37 
                 E70 
               
               
                   
                 F38 
                 F71 
                 E38 
                 E71 
               
               
                   
                 F39 
                 F72 
                 E39 
                 E72 
               
               
                   
                 F40 
                 F73 
                 E40 
                 E73 
               
               
                   
                 F41 
                 F74 
                 E41 
                 E74 
               
               
                   
                 F42 
                 F75 
                 E42 
                 E75 
               
               
                   
                 F43 
                 F76 
                 E43 
                 E76 
               
               
                   
                 F44 
                 F77 
                 E44 
                 E77 
               
               
                   
                 F45 
                 F78 
                 E45 
                 E78 
               
               
                   
                 F46 
                 F79 
                 E46 
                 E79 
               
               
                   
                 F47 
                 F80 
                 E47 
                 E80 
               
               
                   
                 F48 
                 F81 
                 E48 
                 E81 
               
               
                   
                 F49 
                 F82 
                 E49 
                 E82 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     The lanes 12-15 of the second slot  31  can be connected to the chipset of the mainboard  10  sequentially through the lane 12-15 of the first slot  30 , the fourth pin group of the third jumper board  23 , the third pin group of the third jumper board  23 , and the lanes 4-7 of the first slot  30  to allow the first expansion card  50  to use an additional four electronic lanes from the chipset while the first expansion card  50  and the second expansion card  52  are respectively plugged into the second slot  31  and the first slot  30 . 
     In the PCI-E standard, each lane of the PCI-E slot is surrounded by ground pins to ensure signal quality. However the ground pin B 32  which is adjacent to the lane 4 of the first slot  30  is occupied by the second expansion card  52  and the lane 4 of the third jumper board  23  is left unprotected. In the present embodiment, a reserved pin E 33  surrounding the lane 4 of the third jumper board  23  is connected to another ground pin F 65  to ensure the lane 4 is surrounded by ground pins. In another embodiment, other usable pins can be connected to other ground pin to ensure the signal quality of each of the lanes. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 9-11 , a fourth jumper board  22  defines two ditches  227  thereon, and each ditch  227  corresponds to a jumper holder  229 . The jumper holder  229  can be a thin sheet of plastic with one end penetrating through the ditch  227  and adhering to the other end of itself, and pulling the holder  229  can enable the easy removal of the fourth jumper board  22 . The fourth jumper board  22  further defines a first hole  226  on one end, and a second hole  225  and a third hole  223  on the other end. A first block  230  having a first pin  2306  can be mounted to the fourth jumper board  22  by mounting the first pin  2306  in the first hole  226  of the fourth jumper board  22 . A trough is defined on the first block  230  to accommodate the insertion of an expansion card when the fourth jumper board  22  and the expansion card are simultaneously plugged into the same slot. A second pin  2406  and a third pin  2408  of a second block  240  can be used to mount the second block  240  to the other end of the fourth jumper board  22  utilizing the second hole  225  and the third hole  223  of the fourth jumper board  22 . The presence of the second block  240  prevents the incorrect insertion of the fourth jumper board  22 . The attachment of first block  230  and the second block  240  provide assistance in pulling out the fourth jumper board  22  from the slot. 
     Referring to  FIG. 12 , in another embodiment, the second expansion card  52  and the third jumper board  23  in  FIG. 8  can be integrated into a jumper card  70 . The pins on the jumper card  70  are divided into a P group for signal transmission and a Q group for lane transmission. 
     Although the present disclosure has been specifically described on the basis of this exemplary embodiment, the disclosure is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various changes or modifications may be made to the embodiment without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure.