US7475175B2 — Multi-processor module

Claim 1

Independent Claim 83 words

An apparatus comprising: a plurality of logically independent processors; a processor bus; a power board; a heat spreader; and a cache control and bus bridge device in communication with the plurality of processors such that it is logically interposed between the processors and the processor bus, and wherein the processors and cache control and bus bridge device and power board and heat spreader are disposed in a module form factor such that the apparatus is a drop-in replacement for a standard single-processor module.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 83 words

An apparatus comprising: a plurality of logically independent processors; a processor bus; a power board; a heat spreader; and a cache control and bus bridge device in communication with the plurality of processors such that it is logically interposed between the processors and the processor bus, and wherein the processors and cache control and bus bridge device and power board and heat spreader are disposed in a module form factor such that the apparatus is a drop-in replacement for a standard single-processor module.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 12 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processors are IPF packaged processors.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 26 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a volume of the module form factor is less than or equal to a volume of a standard single-processor module.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 15 words

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the standard single-processor module is an ITANIUM 2 module.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 42 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processors and cache control and bus bridge device are disposed on a processor board, and wherein the heat spreader is piggybacked onto the power board and the power board is piggybacked onto the processor board.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 69 words

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the power board is disposed between the processor board and the heat spreader and wherein a plurality of pedestals on the heat spreader extend through a plurality of holes in the power board thereby contacting one or more of the processor packages and cache control and bus bridge device such that both the processor board and the power board contact the heat spreader.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 14 words

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the pedestals each comprise a variable-gap thermal interface.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 20 words

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein at least one variable gap thermal interface is a piston and spring thermal interface.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 19 words

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein at least one variable gap thermal interface has a tolerance of 60 mils.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 67 words

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a power board disposed in the module form factor, wherein the processors and cache control and bus bridge device are disposed on a processor board, and wherein the power board is piggybacked onto the processor board, and wherein a plurality of components of both the power board and processor board are arranged in a complementary skyline and interleaved component fashion.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 13 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the power board utilizes power limiting architecture.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 18 words

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising flexible power cable routing within a volume of the form factor.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 26 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is included in a computing device comprising a plurality of similar apparatuses in communication with a system bus.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 75 words

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a power board and a processor board, wherein the processors and cache control and bus bridge device are disposed on the processor board, and wherein the power and processor boards employ micro-vias, accommodated within areas of one or more conductive pads, to provide high current capacity, low impedance paths from surfaces of those boards to a plurality of buried vias and traces in underlying layers of those boards.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 18 words

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of multi-processor modules in communication with said system bus.

Claim 17

Independent Claim 105 words

A method comprising: connecting on a local bus a plurality of processors such that the processors are logically independent; logically interposing between the local bus and a processor bus an in-line cache control and bus bridge device; disposing in a module conforming to a standard single-processor module form factor the plurality of processors, the local bus, and the in-line cache control and bus bridge device, said module comprising a piggyback power supply and a heat spreader; and operating the plurality of processors and the in-line cache control and bus bridge device such that data input to each of the processors is processed independently and simultaneously.

Claim 18

Independent Claim 105 words

A method comprising: connecting on a local bus a plurality of processors such that the processors are logically independent; logically interposing between the local bus and a processor bus an in-line cache control and bus bridge device; disposing in a module conforming to a standard single-processor module form factor the plurality of processors, the local bus, and the in-line cache control and bus bridge device, said module comprising a piggyback power supply and a heat spreader; and operating the plurality of processors and the in-line cache control and bus bridge device such that data input to each of the processors is processed independently and simultaneously.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 95 words

The method of claim 16 wherein the operating the plurality of processors comprises: connecting the module to a system board through an interface compatible with a standard single-processor module; interfacing the system board to a computer system platform; inputting data to the module from the system board via a system bus; processing the data by a plurality of processors such that each processor processes some of the data independently and simultaneously to the other processors of the plurality; and receiving by components in the system board processed data from the module via the system bus.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 35 words

The method of claim 16 wherein the power supply comprises a board on which is disposed a plurality of components packed more densely than power components in a power board associated with a single-processor module.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 31 words

The method of claim 16 further comprising managing a power consumption of the module at a rate equal to or less than a power consumption of a standard single processor module.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 22 words

The method of claim 19 wherein managing comprises changing a state of the processors from a multi-issue mode to a single-issue mode.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 43 words

The method of claim 19 wherein managing comprises lowering an operating frequency of the processors while maintaining a performance of each of the processors such that the processors together produce a performance equal to or better than that of a standard single-processor module.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 21 words

The method of claim 19 wherein the processors together produce a performance of 1.5-2.0 times that of a standard single-processor module.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 19 words

The method of claim 19 wherein a unit performance per Watt is kept at a maximum for the processors.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 53 words

The method of claim 16 wherein operating the plurality of processors comprises exchanging data between the processors and a plurality of system components adapted to communicate with a single processor module such that the system components communicate with the plurality of processors as if the system components were communicating with a single-processor module.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 43 words

The method of claim 16 wherein conforming to a standard single-processor module form factor comprises having a footprint of an area not greater than that of a standard single-processor module and having a volume not greater than that of a standard single-processor module.

Claim 28

Independent Claim 125 words

A system comprising: a plurality of processors mounted onto a processor board; a power board; a heat spreader disposed with the plurality of processors and the power board in a first module conforming to a standard single-processor module footprint, wherein the power board is piggybacked with regard to the processor board, wherein the heat spreader is piggybacked with regard to the power board, and wherein the heat spreader thermally contacts the power board and the processor board; a computer system; and a system board adapted to communicate with the computer system and comprising an interface adapted to communicate with a standard single-processor module, wherein the first module is coupled to the system board and is in communication with the system board and the computer system.

Claim 29

Independent Claim 125 words

A system comprising: a plurality of processors mounted onto a processor board; a power board; a heat spreader disposed with the plurality of processors and the power board in a first module conforming to a standard single-processor module footprint, wherein the power board is piggybacked with regard to the processor board, wherein the heat spreader is piggybacked with regard to the power board, and wherein the heat spreader thermally contacts the power board and the processor board; a computer system; and a system board adapted to communicate with the computer system and comprising an interface adapted to communicate with a standard single-processor module, wherein the first module is coupled to the system board and is in communication with the system board and the computer system.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 12 words

The system of claim 26 wherein the computer system is a server.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 34 words

The system of claim 26 wherein the processor board comprise an in-line cache control and bus bridge device and a fourth level external cache coupled to the in-line cache control and bus bridge device.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 17 words

The system of claim 26 wherein the first module is a drop-in replacement for a single-processor module.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 19 words

The system of claim 26 wherein the first module is coupled to the system board by a wedgelock device.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 24 words

The system of claim 26 further comprising a cooling strap, wherein the cooling strap and the heat spreader comprise a common interface thermal solution.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 30 words

The system of claim 26 , wherein said processors are in communication with a cache control and bus bridge device that is interposed between said processors and a system bus.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 95 words

A multi-processor module comprising: a plurality of processors; a piggybacked power board; a heat spreader; and a cache control and bus bridge device that controls access to a common cache by the plurality of processors and electrically isolates the processors from a system bus, said cache control and bus bridge device being adapted to exchange data between the processors and a plurality of system components adapted to communicate with a single processor module such that the system components communicate with the plurality of processors as if the system components were communicating with a single-processor module.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 95 words

A multi-processor module comprising: a plurality of processors; a piggybacked power board; a heat spreader; and a cache control and bus bridge device that controls access to a common cache by the plurality of processors and electrically isolates the processors from a system bus, said cache control and bus bridge device being adapted to exchange data between the processors and a plurality of system components adapted to communicate with a single processor module such that the system components communicate with the plurality of processors as if the system components were communicating with a single-processor module.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 16 words

The multi-processor module of claim 33 wherein the module is compatible with a single-processor module interface.

Claim 39

Dependent Claim 14 words

The multi-processor module of claim 33 , wherein the processors are IPF packaged processors.

Claim 40

Dependent Claim 19 words

The multi-processor module of claim 33 , wherein said first module is a drop-in replacement for a single-processor module.

Claim 41

Independent Claim 89 words

An apparatus comprising a processor module including: a processor board; plural processor packages mounted on said processor board; a bridge device for communicatively coupling said processor packages with a system bus, said bridge device being communicatively coupled to said processor packages; a power board fixed to said processor board; one or more power converters mounted on said power board; and one or more connectors for attaching said processor board to a system board incorporating said system bus so that said system bus is communicatively coupled to said bridge device.

Claim 42

Independent Claim 89 words

An apparatus comprising a processor module including: a processor board; plural processor packages mounted on said processor board; a bridge device for communicatively coupling said processor packages with a system bus, said bridge device being communicatively coupled to said processor packages; a power board fixed to said processor board; one or more power converters mounted on said power board; and one or more connectors for attaching said processor board to a system board incorporating said system bus so that said system bus is communicatively coupled to said bridge device.

Claim 43

Dependent Claim 49 words

A processor module as recited in claim 37 wherein said processor board, said power board, said processor packages, said one or more power converters, said bridge device, and said one or more connectors are arranged so as to conform to a form factor associated with a standard single-processor module.

Claim 44

Dependent Claim 19 words

An apparatus as recited in claim 37 wherein the number of power converters exceeds the number of processor packages.

Claim 45

Dependent Claim 45 words

An apparatus as recited in claim 37 further comprising said system board and one or more additional processor modules attached to said system board, each of said modules including one or more processor packages, said processor modules communicating with each other via said system bus.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2012-01-06	2012-07-07	2013-01-06	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2016-01-06	2016-07-07	2017-01-06	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2020-01-06	2020-07-07	2021-01-06	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Multi-processor module

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