HK1024351A - Apparatus for communication by an electronic device and method for communicating between electronic devices - Google Patents

Description

Apparatus for communication using electronic device and method of communication between electronic devices

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to interconnections between electronic devices, and more particularly, to an apparatus for communicating with electronic devices and a method of communicating between electronic devices.

Background

Electronic devices (e.g., printed circuit boards, multichip integrated modules, electronic hybrids) and various component-scale devices (e.g., integrated circuits, passive components, and active components) are heat sources and require cooling during normal operation.

Two-phase spray cooling (Two-phase spray cooling) is characterized by the spray of atomized droplets directly or indirectly onto the surface of a heat source, such as an electronic device. When the droplets hit the surface of the device, a thin film of liquid forms on the device, and heat is removed from the surface of the device, mainly by evaporation of the liquid.

Although two-stage spray cooling is often the preferred method of heat removal, the enclosures of spray cooled equipment often require special seals. Generally, the maximum allowable leak rate of the housing is 10 per second at one atmosphere differential to ensure adequate fluid for proper system performance for 5 years^-6Cubic centimeters.

One advantage of spray cooling is the high degree of integration that can be achieved in electronic systems. However, the more integrated the system, the more and more complex the interconnections required for communication between the electronic devices, and the traditional methods of interconnection between electronic devices (such as physical connection of electrical conductors or optical fibers) do not completely prevent the loss of liquid from the sprayed cooling system, each physical, electrical, optical fiber lead through the outer perimeter of an enclosure causing a loss of liquid over time.

Although sealed connectors that prevent excessive fluid loss may be used, such seals are expensive and may contain assemblies of many parts (like sealing strips, set screws and clamps).

There is therefore a need for an apparatus and a method for performing communication between electronic devices that does not result in excessive liquid loss at the sealing edge and does not require a significant amount of sealing effort.

Summary of The Invention

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the aforementioned needs are met by an apparatus for communicating via an electronic device that includes a first housing defining a first chamber (chamber) sized to receive a next electronic device. The first housing has an inner surface and an outer surface, and at least a portion of the first housing is transparent. A light emitting device is disposed at least partially between the inner and outer surfaces of the transparent portion of the first housing. The light emitting device has a first end and a second end. The first terminal is responsive to an electrical signal and the second terminal is responsive to an optical signal. When the first electronic device is placed inside the first cavity, the first electronic device sends an electrical signal to the first end, and the second end converts the electrical signal to an optical signal and transmits the optical signal through the outer surface.

According to another aspect of the invention, a method of communicating between electronic devices comprises: providing a housing defining a cavity, the housing having an inner surface and an outer surface, and at least a portion of the housing being transparent; placing first and second electronic devices in the cavity; placing at least a portion of a light emitting device between the inner and outer surfaces of the transparent portion of the housing, the light emitting device having a first end and a second end, the first end responsive to the electrical signal and the second end responsive to the optical signal; providing an interface board responsive to the light emitting device, the interface board in communication with the transparent portion of the housing; transmitting the electrical signal to the first terminal through the first electronic device; converting the electrical signal into an optical signal; transmitting the optical signal to the interface board through the outer surface; communicating with the second electronic device through the interface board.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method of communicating between electronic devices comprises: providing a first housing defining a first cavity, the first housing having an inner surface and an outer surface, and at least a portion of the first housing being transparent; placing a first electronic device in the first cavity; placing at least a portion of a light emitting device between the inner and outer surfaces of the transparent portion of the first housing; the light emitting device has a first end and a second end, the first end being responsive to the electrical signal and the second end being responsive to the optical signal; providing a second housing defining a second chamber, at least a portion of the second housing being transparent; placing a second electronic device in the second cavity; and communicating between the first and second electronic devices through the light emitting device.

Advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, which is shown and described in an illustrative manner. It is to be understood that the invention may be otherwise embodied and that its details may be modified in various respects. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a fluid-tight enclosure having a light emitting device embedded therein according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of fig. 1 illustrating one method of positioning a light emitting device within a housing.

Fig. 3 illustrates a first alternative method of positioning a light emitting device within the housing shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 4 illustrates a second alternative method of positioning a light emitting device within the housing shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a fluid-tight enclosure containing electronic components interconnected by a central interface in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of two fluid-tight enclosures with electronic components therein, interconnected by a central interface as shown in fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of two fluid-tight enclosures with electronics interconnected in a line-of-sight fashion.

Fig. 8 is another perspective view of two fluid-tight enclosures with electronics interconnected in a line-of-sight fashion.

Description of The Preferred Embodiment

Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals refer to like elements, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fluid tight enclosure 10. The housing 10 is preferably plastic but could be other materials such as metal. As shown, the housing 10 has an inner surface 22 and an outer surface 24, with a cavity 26 and electronics 45, which may be a printed circuit board or the like. The housing 10 is preferably shaped to allow cooling of the electronics 45 using a typical spray cooling system.

A closed loop spray cooling system suitable for spray cooling electronics 45 may include a liquid pump 50, liquid pump 50 connected to liquid input port 46 by a tube 52, the liquid pump delivering cooling liquid to enclosure 10. The tube 52 may be connected to the liquid input port 46 by a barbed device 53, or by any other suitable means.

A nozzle (not shown) atomizes the cooling fluid according to known techniques and injects the atomized liquid onto the electronics 45 in the chamber 26. When the atomized liquid impinges on the electronic device 45, a thin film of liquid forms on the electronic device 45 and heat is removed primarily by evaporation of the liquid from the electronic device.

Excess liquid exits the housing 10 through the liquid drain 47. The condenser 53 is connected to the pump 50 through a pipe 54, to the liquid discharge port 47 through a pipe 56, and collects the liquid through the liquid discharge port 47. The tube 56 may be connected to the liquid discharge port 47 by a barbed means, or by any other suitable means. The condenser 53 releases heat from the liquid, reducing it to the original liquid phase. A fan (not shown) may be used to increase the cooling capacity of the condenser 53. The cooled liquid is supplied to the pump 50 by the condenser 53. A closed circuit circulation of the coolant is thus formed. It is to be understood that the cooling fluid may be a gas, a liquid, or a mixture of gas and liquid at any given point.

The coolant may be any non-conductive coolant, which is well known and widely used, or a conductive coolant such as water may be used in certain circumstances. For example, one suitable non-conductive coolant is Fluorinert from 3M corporation^TMThe order number is FC-72. Another Fluorinert similar to the 3M company^TMFluorocarbon non-conductive liquid prepared from Ausimont Galden^Provided by a company.

It is also contemplated that any conventional means of providing a flow of cooling fluid may be incorporated with the embodiments of the invention described herein, for example, that more than one housing 10 may be connected to a cooling source and that one or more cooling sources may be connected to a housing 10 for redundancy purposes. To better reduce liquid leakage, it is also contemplated to concentrate the pump and condenser assembly within the housing 10 so that there is no liquid feed extending beyond the edges of the housing 10.

The size of the liquid pump 50 and condenser 53 may be selected based on the heat rejection and liquid flow rate requirements. For example, to remove 500 to 1000 watts of heat, a typical closed loop liquid flow rate is 500 to 1000 milliliters per minute. Various sizes of pump and condenser packages are available from Isothermal Systems Research, Inc., and acceptable tubing and fixtures are available from Cole-Parmer, Inc. located in Vernon Hills, Illinois.

Referring to fig. 1, the housing 10 has a cover 12 that is at least partially transparent. The cover 12, like the housing 10, has an inner surface 22 and an outer surface 24. The material of the cap 12 may be a material that is transparent at a predetermined wavelength, such as optical grade polycarbonate (optical)al-Graded polycarbonate), or other optically transparent material. One suitable material for cover 12 is a molded polymer, such as Lexan^TMPolycarbonates, available from GE Plastics. The cover 12 may be attached and sealed to the housing 10 with a gasket 16, such as a gasket. There are various ways to seal or attach the cover 12 to the housing 10, such as by screws, ultrasonic welding, brazing or soldering, among other known methods.

A number of light emitting devices 14 are disposed in the cover 12. The light emitting device 14 enables the electronic device 45 to communicate with electronic devices outside the housing 10. An electronic signal on a conductive wire (discussed further below) connecting the electronics 45 is sent to the light emitting device 14, which excites a light source and converts the electronic signal into an optical signal 20. The optical signal 20 is transmitted through the cover 12 to a light receiving device (not shown). A light receiving device may also be disposed within the cover 12 so that two-way communication may be performed via the electronics 45.

The light emitting device 14 may be, for example, a semiconductor laser device such as a laser diode with an optical drive circuit, or other device that converts an electrical signal into an optical signal. BCP corporation has suitable light emitting devices and light receiving devices.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of fig. 1 illustrating one method of placing light emitting device 14 in cover 12. As shown, the light emitting device 14 is disposed entirely between the inner surface 22 and the outer surface 24 of the cover 12. Insert molding (insert molding) is a preferred method of positioning the light emitting device 14 in the cap 12, and other methods may be used. When the light emitting device 14 is insert molded into the cover 12, the conductive wires 18 connecting with the electronics 45 may also be insert molded into the inner surface 22 of the cover 12. Alternatively, the conductive termination may be implemented using an over-molded flex circuit (over-molded flex circuit) according to known techniques.

It will be appreciated that the method of positioning the light emitting device 14 within the cover 12 as shown in figure 2 uses a cooling fluid to cool the electronic device 45 to remain within the cavity 26 and to ensure that the optical signal 20 is free to travel outwardly without being distorted by the cooling fluid outside the housing 10. Minimizing distortion of the optical signal by the cooling fluid is important in high data rate applications. In addition, the cover 12 may focus the light signal generated by the light emitting device 14.

Fig. 3 illustrates a first alternative method of placing the light emitting device 14 in the cover 12. As shown, there is a recess 30 in the inner surface 22 of the cover 12. The lens 28 sealing the light emitting device 14 is tightly fixed in the recess 30. This configuration is effective when the cooling flow interferes with the transmission of the optical signal 20 to a relatively small degree, such as in low rate applications.

Fig. 4 illustrates a second alternative method of positioning the light emitting device within the housing 10. As shown, the light emitting device 14 is placed over the electronics 45 such that the optical signal 20 is transmitted through the inner surface 22 and the outer surface 24 of the cover 12.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the housing 10, the housing 10 containing a first spray cooled electronic device 45 and a second spray cooled electronic device 46. The housing 10 has a cover (not shown) containing light emitting and light receiving devices (not shown) in communication with the two electronic devices 45 and 46. The light emitting device and the light receiving device have the structures of the techniques illustrated in fig. 2, 3, and 4. The interface board 32 facilitates communication between the devices 45 and 46 and communication between the devices 45, 46 and external devices (not shown), which requires the light receiving device 16 to receive light signals from the light emitting device disposed within the housing 10 and the light emitting device 14 to transmit light signals to the light receiving device within the housing 10. The communication link between the electronic devices 45 and 46 may also be connected by a hardware link, as these devices are all within the housing 10.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of two liquid-tight enclosures 10 and 11 containing spray-cooled electronic devices 45 and 46, respectively. Both housings 10 and 11 have covers (not shown) in which light emitting devices and light receiving devices (not shown) are housed. The light emitting device and the light receiving device have the structures of the techniques illustrated in fig. 2, 3, and 4. The interface board facilitates communication between the electronic devices 45, 46 and external devices (not shown), as was described in the description of fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of two fluid-tight enclosures 10 and 11 containing electronics 45 and 46, respectively. Both housings 10 and 11 comprise a portion containing a light emitting device and a light receiving device (not shown) having the structure illustrated in fig. 2, 3, and 4. The light emitting device in the housing 10 is preferably aligned in line of sight with the light receiving device in the housing 11 and vice versa. In this manner, electronics 45 and 46 may not communicate between housings 10 and 11 through a common interface board.

Fig. 8 is another perspective view of two liquid-tight enclosures 10 and 11, which respectively house spray-cooled electronic components 45 and 46. The housings 10 and 11 have a cover 12 containing light emitting devices and light receiving devices (the light emitting device 14 and the light receiving device 16 in the cover 12 are visible in relation to the housing 11) having the structure illustrated in figures 2, 3 and 4. The light emitting device 14 in the housing 11 is preferably aligned in line of sight with the light receiving device in the housing 10, and vice versa. In this manner, the devices 45 and 46 may not communicate between the housings 10 and 11 over a common interface board.

The apparatus and methods described herein provide for a good enclosure that provides for reduced liquid loss while using and communicating between electronic components in a liquid cooled system, such as a spray cooled system. Because the interconnection between the electronic devices is not done mechanically, there are no dedicated conductors that could be easily damaged and protruding during transport or factory handling or field transport handling.

It is also contemplated that the entire housing or any portion thereof may be transparent; and the light emitting device and the light receiving device may be disposed in any part of or around the housing. It is also contemplated that the embodiments of the present invention now described are not limited to liquid cooled systems and may be applied to any system requiring communication between electronic modules.

It will be understood that other forms of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims and their equivalents, and it should be understood that this invention is in no way limited to the specific embodiments described above, but only by the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims (8)

1. An apparatus for communicating with an electronic device, comprising:

a first housing defining a first cavity sized to receive at least a portion of the electronic device, the first housing having an inner surface and an outer surface, and at least a portion of the first housing being transparent;

a light emitting device having at least a portion disposed between the inner surface and the outer surface of the transparent portion of the first housing, the light emitting device having first and second ends, the first end responsive to an electrical signal and the second end responsive to an optical signal,

wherein when the first electronic device has at least a portion disposed in the first cavity, the first electronic device sends an electrical signal to the first end, and the second end converts the electrical signal to an optical signal and transmits the optical signal through the outer surface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said light emitting device comprises a semiconductor laser.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first end comprises an electrical conductor.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first electronic device is in contact with the cooling fluid when the first electronic device is disposed in the first chamber.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a second housing defining a second cavity sized to receive the next electronic device, at least a portion of the second housing being transparent,

wherein the second electronic device is responsive to the optical signal when the second electronic device is disposed in the second cavity.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an interface board responsive to the optical signal.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the first housing comprises plastic.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light emitting device is insert molded into the first housing.