Patent Publication Number: US-2015087166-A1

Title: Network adapter card having two switchable network connectors

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to network adapter cards, and particularly to a network adapter card having a peripheral component interface express (PCIe) male connector selectively connected to a small form factor pluggable (SFP+) female connector or a RJ-45 female connector. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Network adapter cards include a PCIe male connector and a network female connector. In use, the network adapter card can couple a network cable having a network male connector engaged with the network female connector to a motherboard having a PCIe female computer engaged with the PCIe female connector. If a type of the network female connector is not corresponding to a type of the network male connector, the network adapter card will not be connected between the PCIe female connector and the network male connector, which decreases a versatility of the network adapter card. 
     Therefore, it is desirable to provide a network adapter card that can overcome the limitations described. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a functional block diagram of a network adapter card in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a functional block diagram of a main card connected to a first secondary card of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a functional block diagram of a main card connected to a second secondary card of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments of the disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. 
       FIGS. 1-3  show a network adapter card  100 , according to an exemplary embodiment. The network adapter card  100  is used to connect a PCIe female connector on a motherboard (not shown) to a network male connector (not shown) on a network cable. The network adapter card  100  includes a main card  10 , a first secondary card  20 , and a second secondary card  30 . In the embodiment, the network adapter card  100  is used in an electronic device (not shown). 
     The main card  10  includes a main circuit board  11 , a PCIe male connector  12 , an adapter female connector  13 , and a first chip group  14 . The PCIe male connector  12 , the adapter female connector  13 , and the first chip group  14  are mounted on the main circuit board  11 . The first chip group  14  is connected between the PCIe male connector  12  and the adapter female connector  13 . The first chip group  14  is configured for converting a PCIe signal received from the PCIe male connector  12  to a SFP+ high speed serial electrical interface (SFI) signal. The PCIe signal is converted to the SFI signal in a network layer by the first chip group  14 . 
     In the embodiment, the PCIe male connector  12  has a number of pins corresponding to a PCIe female connector (not shown). The adapter female connector  13  is a standard SFI connector. 
     The first secondary card  20  includes a first secondary circuit board  21 , a first adapter male connector  22 , and a SFP+ female connector  23 . The first adapter male connector  22  and the SFP+ female connector  23  are mounted on the first secondary circuit board  21 . The first adapter male connector  22  is connected to the SFP+ female connector  23 . The SFI signal received by the first adapter male connector  22  outputs from the SFP+ female connector  23  as a SFP signal. A format of the SFI signal is the same as a format of the SFP signal. 
     In the embodiment, the first secondary card  20  includes two SFP+ female connectors  23 . The SFP+ female connector  23  has a number of pins corresponding to an optical fiber connector (not shown). The first adapter male connector  22  is a standard SFI connector. 
     The second secondary card  30  includes a second secondary circuit board  31 , a second adapter male connector  32 , a RJ-45 female connector  33 , and a second chip group  34 . The second adapter male connector  32 , the RJ-45 female connector  33 , and the second chip group  34  are mounted on the second secondary circuit board  31 . The second chip group  34  is connected between the second adapter male connector  32  and the RJ-45 female connector  33 . The second chip group  34  is configured for converting the SFI signal received from the second adapter male connector  32  to a RJ-45 signal. The SFI signal is converted to the RJ-45 signal in a physical layer by the second chip group  34 . 
     In the embodiment, the second secondary card  30  includes two RJ-45 female connectors  33 . The RJ-45 female connector  33  has a number of pins corresponding to an optical fiber connector (not shown). The second adapter male connector  32  has the same structure with the first adapter connector  22 , and is a standard SFI connector. 
     In use, the main card  10  is connected to the PCIe female connector of a main board. When the electronic device is used in an area just having optical fibers, the first secondary card  20  is connected to the main card  10  via the first adapter male connector  22  plugged into the adapter female connector  13 . The network male connector is plugged into the SFP+ female connectors  23 . Therefore, the electronic device is connected to the optical fibers. 
     When the electronic device is used in an area just having twisted pairs, the second secondary card  30  is connected to the main card  10  via the second adapter male connector  32  plugged into the adapter female connector  13 . The network male connector is plugged into the RJ-45 female connectors  33 . Therefore, the electronic device is connected to the twisted pairs. 
     In the embodiment, the first secondary card  20  or the second secondary card  30  can be plugged to be connected to the main card  10 , therefore the network adapter card  100  has the SFP+ female connectors  23  or the RJ-45 female connectors  33  connected to the PCIe female connector. Therefore, the network adapter card  100  is able to selectively connect to the optical fibers or the twisted pairs. 
     Particular embodiments are shown and described by way of illustration only. The principles and the features of the present disclosure may be employed in various and numerous embodiments thereof without departing from the scope of the disclosure as claimed. The above-described embodiments illustrate the scope of the disclosure but do not restrict the scope of the disclosure.