Integrated circuit device/circuit board connection apparatus

Abstract

In a computer system two integrated circuit devices are operatively mounted on the main system board using a pair of interstitial circuit boards sandwiched between the integrated circuit devices and the system board and having substantially smaller footprints than the system board. Each interstitial board has a series of terminating components, representatively resistors, interposed in its circuitry which interconnects the associated integrated circuit board with system board circuitry that, in turn, operatively couples the two integrated circuit boards. The incorporation of the terminating components in the interstitial boards instead of in the system board reduces the circuit complexity of the system board and the required number of layers therein, thereby reducing the cost of the system board and substantially simplifying its signal trace routing design.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An interstitial circuit board, comprising: 
 a integrated circuit device interface adapted to contact first circuitry of an integrated circuit device;    a circuit board interface adapted to contact second circuitry of a circuit board; and    interstitial circuitry comprising a plurality of traces having termination components between the integrated circuit device interface and the circuit board interface.    
     
     
         2 . The interstitial circuit board of  claim 1 , wherein the termination components are adapted to reduce signal degradation of signals passing through the plurality of traces.  
     
     
         3 . The interstitial circuit board of  claim 1 , wherein the termination components comprise a resistor.  
     
     
         4 . The interstitial circuit board of  claim 1 , wherein the termination components comprise a capacitor.  
     
     
         5 . The interstitial circuit board of  claim 1 , wherein the termination components comprise an inductor.  
     
     
         6 . The interstitial circuit board of  claim 1 , wherein the termination components comprise a diode.  
     
     
         7 . The interstitial circuit board of  claim 1 , wherein the interstitial circuitry comprises multiple layers.  
     
     
         8 . The interstitial circuit board of  claim 7 , wherein at least some of the terminating components are disposed in different layers of the multiple layers.  
     
     
         9 . The interstitial circuit board of  claim 7 , wherein the multiple layers comprise power and ground planes.  
     
     
         10 . A circuit board, comprising: 
 a substrate comprising circuitry traces extending to an interstitial circuit board interface adapted to receive an interstitial circuit board having a plurality of termination components and traces for connection with an integrated circuit device, wherein the circuitry traces comprise a desired configuration at least partially free of termination components.    
     
     
         11 . The circuit board of  claim 10 , comprising the interstitial circuit board mounted to the interstitial circuit board interface.  
     
     
         12 . The circuit board of  claim 11 , wherein the interstitial circuit board has a relatively smaller footprint than the circuit board.  
     
     
         13 . The circuit board of  claim 10 , wherein the termination components are adapted to reduce signal degradation.  
     
     
         14 . The circuit board of  claim 10 , wherein the termination components comprise a resistor.  
     
     
         15 . A system for connecting an integrated circuit device, comprising: 
 a circuit board, comprising: 
 a first set of traces at least partially free of termination components; and  
 a first interface coupled to the first set of traces; and  
   an interstitial circuit board, comprising: 
 a second interface coupled to the first interface;  
 a second set of traces coupled to the second interface and having a plurality of termination components; and  
 a third interface coupled to the second set of traces, wherein the third interface is adapted to couple with the integrated circuit device.  
   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , comprising the integrated circuit device, which comprises a processor.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , comprising the integrated circuit device, which comprises a memory controller.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , comprising the integrated circuit device, which comprises an input/output controller.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , comprising the integrated circuit device, which comprises an application specific integrated circuit.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the system comprises a computer system.  
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the circuit board comprises a computer motherboard.  
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of termination components are disposed in multiple levels of the interstitial circuit board.  
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the multiple levels comprise power and ground planes.  
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the interstitial circuit board has a substantially smaller footprint than the circuit board.  
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of termination components comprise a resistor.  
     
     
         26 . A system, comprising: 
 a first circuit board comprising first traces leading to a first electrical interface;    a second circuit board comprising a second electrical interface mounted to the first electrical interface and second traces extending from the second electoral interface to a third electrical interface for an integrated circuit device wherein the second traces comprise means for reducing signal degradation.    
     
     
         27 . A method of manufacturing a circuit-based device, comprising: 
 providing an interstitial circuit board having an integrated circuit device interface, a circuit board interface, and interstitial circuitry comprising a plurality of traces having termination components between the integrated circuit device interface and the circuit board interface.    
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein providing the interstitial circuit board comprises placing the termination components on multiple layers.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein providing the interstitial circuit board comprises forming multiple circuitry layers comprising a least one power plane and at least one ground plane.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 27 , comprising providing a circuit board having an interface mateable with the circuit board interface.  
     
     
         31 . A method of manufacturing a circuit-based device, comprising: 
 mounting to a circuit board an interstitial circuit board comprising a plurality of traces having termination components adapted to reduce signal degradation; and    mounting an integrated circuit device to the interstitial circuit board.    
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein mounting to the circuit board comprises coupling the interstitial circuit board to a computer motherboard.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein mounting the integrated circuit device comprises coupling a processor to the interstitial circuit board.  
     
     
         34 . A system for connecting a device to a circuit board, comprising: 
 an integrated circuit device having a first interface; and    an interstitial circuit board, comprising: 
 a second interface coupled to the first interface;  
 a set of traces coupled to the second interface and having a plurality of termination components; and  
 a third interface coupled to the set of traces, wherein the third interface is adapted to couple with the circuit board.  
   
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 34 , comprising the circuit board, which comprises a plurality of traces at least partially free of termination components.  
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the integrated circuit device comprises a processor.  
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the plurality of termination components are disposed in multiple layers of the interstitial circuit board.  
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the multiple layers comprise power and ground planes.  
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the plurality of termination components are selected from a group consisting of a resistor, a capacitor, an inductor, and a diode.