Patent ID: 8897030

Claim:
An expansion apparatus, comprising: a first expansion card comprising: a first circuit board; a first connector arranged on the first circuit board and connected to a corresponding connector of a motherboard, wherein the first connector comprising a plurality of first power pins and a plurality of first signal pins; a power circuit arranged on the first circuit board and connected to the plurality of first power pins of the first connector; a serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) expansion controller arranged on the first circuit board, and connected to the plurality of first signal pins of the first connector and the power circuit; a plurality of first control chips arranged on the first circuit board, and connected to the SATA expansion controller and the power circuit; a plurality of first storage chips arranged on the first circuit board, and connected to the plurality of first control chips and the power circuit; and a second connector arranged on the first circuit board, wherein the second connector comprises a plurality of second power pins connected to the power circuit and a plurality of second signal pins connected to the SATA expansion controller; and a second expansion card comprising: a second circuit board; a third connector arranged on the second circuit board and connected to the second connector, wherein the third connector comprises a plurality of third power pins corresponding to the plurality of second power pins, and a plurality of third signal pins corresponding to the plurality of second signal pins; a plurality of second control chips arranged on the second circuit board and connected to the plurality of third power pins and the plurality of third signal pins; and a plurality of second storage chips arranged on the second circuit board, and connected to the plurality of second control chips and the plurality of third power pins; wherein the first connector transmits a voltage received from the motherboard to the power circuit through the plurality of first power pins and transmits a SATA signal received from the motherboard to the SATA expansion controller through the plurality of first signal pins, the power circuit converts the received voltage and provides the converted voltage to the plurality of first control chips and the plurality of first storage chips, and also provides the converted voltage to the plurality of second control chips and the plurality of second storage chips through the plurality of second and third power pins, the SATA expansion controller divides the received SATA signal into a plurality of SATA signals and provides the plurality of SATA signals to the plurality of first control chips to control the plurality of first storage chips to store data, and also provides the plurality of SATA signals to the plurality of second control chips through the plurality of second and third signal pins to control the plurality of second storage chips to store data.