Patent ID: 7496747

Claim:
An input/output (I/O) controller link card comprising: a plurality of first connectors removably insertable in a plurality of matching first connectors, wherein the plurality of the matching first connectors are located in a first predefined slot of a plurality of primary I/O slots and provide an electrical coupling to a first I/O controller input and a first I/O controller output; a plurality of second connectors removably insertable in a plurality of matching second connectors, wherein the plurality of the matching second connectors are located in a second predefined slot of a plurality of secondary I/O slots and provide an electrical coupling to a second I/O controller input and a second I/O controller output, and wherein the first predefined slot and the second predefined slot are adjacently disposed to each other; and a plurality of traces electrically coupling each one of the plurality of first connectors to a predefined one of the plurality of second connectors such that the insertion of the plurality of first connectors into the plurality of matching first connectors and the insertion of the plurality of second connectors into the plurality of matching second connectors electrically couples the first I/O controller input to the second I/O controller output and electrically couples the second I/O controller input to the first I/O controller output.