Configurable circuit board and fabrication method

Abstract

Circuit boards ( 36 ) capable of receiving different sets of electrical devices are fabricated from raw boards of the same type by forming ( 102 ) respective networks of electrically conductive traces ( 52 ) with a common layout on the raw boards, including open circuits ( 58 ) within the networks. Electrical device receivers ( 42,44,46,48,50 ) and controllers ( 38,40 ) are then loaded on the boards, and some of the open circuits are closed such that some of the boards have different patterns ( 104,106,108,110 ) of closed circuits and thereby different interconnections. Some of the receivers can accommodate two different types of electrical devices ( 60,64 ), with some of the boards configured to support one type and the others another type. The loading of receivers and controllers, and the closing of open circuits, can be performed simultaneously with the placement of zero ohm resistors (R) used for circuit closings. Numerous different circuit board configurations can thus be supported from a common supply ( 100 ) of raw boards.

1 . A method of fabricating a plurality of circuit boards for receiving different sets of electrical devices from a plurality of raw boards of the same type, comprising: 
 forming respective networks of electrically conductive traces with a common layout on said raw boards, said networks each comprising a plurality of open circuits;    loading respective pluralities of electrical device receivers on said boards;    loading respective electrical device controllers on said boards; and    closing some of said open circuits, such that some of said boards have different patterns of closed circuits and thereby different interconnections between their respective receivers and controllers.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said loading of electrical device receivers, said loading of electrical device controllers and said closing open circuits are performed simultaneously.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a common pattern of electrical device receivers is loaded onto each of said boards.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein each of said electrical device receivers is configured to receive a first type of. electrical device, selected receivers on each board are also configured to receive a second type of electrical device, at least one controller on each board is configured to control said first type of electrical device, and at least one controller on each board is configured to control said second type of device.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising loading electrical devices into the receivers of each board, with said second type of electrical device loaded into all of said selected receivers on some of said boards, and said first type of electrical device loaded into at least some of said selected receivers on others of said boards, wherein selected one of said open circuits are closed such that each of said electrical devices on each board is controlled through the network of traces on that board by a correspondingly configured controller.  
   
   
       6 . A method of fabricating a plurality of circuit boards for receiving different sets of circuit cards from a plurality of raw boards of the same type, comprising: 
 forming respective networks of electrically conductive traces with a common layout on said raw boards, each of said networks comprising a common plurality of open circuit resistor terminal pairs;    loading respective pluralities of pin receptacle arrays and controllers in a common pattern on said boards; and    loading zero ohm resistors across respective terminal pairs on at least some of said boards simultaneously with the loading of said pin receptacle arrays and controllers on said at least some boards, such that some of said boards have different patterns of zero ohm resistors, and thereby different interconnections between their respective arrays and controllers.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said pin receptacle arrays are each configured to receive a first type of circuit card, at least some of said arrays on each board are also configured to receive a second type of circuit card, at least one controller on each board is configured to control said first type of circuit cards, and at least one controller on each card is configured to control said second type of circuit card.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein at least some of said resistor terminal pairs are left open circuit.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein at least some of said resistor terminal pairs are provided between pin receptacle arrays on each board.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein at least some of said resistor terminal pairs are provided between controllers and pin receptacle arrays on each board.  
   
   
       11 . A configurable circuit board for interconnecting and controlling a plurality of different types of electrical devices having different respective connection interfaces, comprising: 
 a substrate;    a plurality of electrical device receivers on said substrate, at least some of said receivers having reception interfaces that are compatible with the different connection interfaces of at least two of said different types of electrical devices;    a plurality of controllers on said substrate; and    an electrically conductive interconnection network on said substrate interconnecting said controllers with said receivers, said network including a plurality of sets of zero ohm resistor terminals that are connectable by a first pattern of zero ohm resistors to establish a first interconnection pattern between said controllers and a first combination of electrical device types in said receivers, and by at least one different zero ohm resistor pattern to establish different respective interconnection patterns between said controllers and different respective combinations of electrical device types in said receivers, each of said different interconnection patterns being compatible with its respective combination of electrical device types.    
   
   
       12 . The configurable circuit board of  claim 11 , wherein the terminals of at least some of said sets are separated by open circuits.  
   
   
       13 . The configurable circuit board of  claim 11 , further comprising respective zero ohm resistors short circuiting the terminals of at least some of said sets.  
   
   
       14 . The configurable circuit board of  claim 13 , wherein the terminals of some of said sets are separated by open circuits.  
   
   
       15 . The configurable circuit board of  claim 11 , said receivers comprising respective arrays of pin receptacles.  
   
   
       16 . The configurable circuit board of  claim 15 , at least some of said receivers having different numbers of pin receptacles.  
   
   
       17 . The configurable circuit board of  claim 16 , wherein said receivers having different numbers of pin receptacles comprise a common core pin receptacle pattern.  
   
   
       18 . The configurable circuit board of  claim 11 , said circuit board comprising a computer mother board.