Pinout adjustment responsive to system orientation
US9367106B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 6, 2012 |
| Grant date | Jun 14, 2016 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 23, 2034 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F1/184
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A unit of information technology equipment (ITE), such as a compute node or a network switch, comprises a system board in communication with network connectors that selectively connect to a network interconnect, a gravity sensor for detecting a first orientation and a second orientation of the system board, and a basic input/output system (BIOS) in communication with the gravity sensor to receive a signal identifying whether the system board is in the first or second orientation. The ITE further comprises a network ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) that inverts the pinout of transmit and receive signals in the network connectors in response to a command from the BIOS indicating that the system board is in the second orientation. A system may comprise a first ITE in a first orientation that interlocks with a second ITE in a second orientation that is inverted 180 degrees from the first orientation.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.