Patent ID: 8345439

Claim:
A modular packet network device comprising: a chassis; a plurality of logic cards located in the chassis; a plurality of power converter cards located in the chassis and converting a primary power to a logic power, each power converter card supplying the logic power to at least two of the plurality of logic cards; an electrical signaling backplane having front side signaling connectors to which the plurality of logic cards connect, the electrical signaling backplane distributing signaling between the plurality of logic cards; and a logic power distribution backplane connected to each of the plurality of power converter cards and each of the plurality of logic cards, the logic power distribution backplane having conductive paths to route power from the plurality of power converter cards to the plurality of logic cards such that power is not routed through the electrical signaling backplane, the logic power distribution backplane having, for each of the logic cards, conductive paths leading to that logic card from at least two of the power converter cards; and a primary power distribution backplane having primary power connectors, the primary power distribution backplane distributing the primary power to the plurality of power converter cards through the primary power connectors.