Claims
- 1. A computer system including one or more processors having a plurality of contacts for electrically coupling the one or more processors to a circuit board, the computer system comprising:a first contact isolated from a plurality of ground contacts within a processor socket on the circuit board, the ground contacts coupled to a ground circuit of the circuit board; and a circuit coupled to the isolated first contact for generating a signal indicating a one of the one or more processors has been installed in the processor socket of the circuit board, the circuit responsive to the isolated first contact being coupled to a corresponding ground contact of the one of the one or more processors.
- 2. A computer system comprising:a circuit board; and a VRM coupled to the circuit board, the VRM for providing voltage regulation to a processor, the VRM having a voltage sense line coupled to a contact on the circuit board; wherein the contact is isolated from a plurality of contacts on the circuit board, the plurality of contacts for providing a voltage supply to the processor, wherein a connection is established through the processor between the isolated contact and the plurality of contacts to provide improved voltage regulation of the voltage supply.
- 3. A method for condition sensing in a computer system, the computer system including one or more processors having a plurality of contacts for electrically coupling the one or more processors to a circuit board, the method comprising the steps of:isolating a first contact from a plurality of ground contacts within a processor socket on the circuit board, the ground contacts coupled to a ground circuit of the circuit board; and generating a signal using the isolated first contact, the signal for indicating a one of the one or more processors has been installed in the processor socket of the circuit board, the signal being responsive to the isolated first contact being coupled to a corresponding ground contact of the one of the one or more processors.
- 4. A computer system including one or more processors having a plurality of contacts for electrically coupling the one or more processors to a circuit board, the computer system comprising:a first contact isolated from a plurality of ground contacts within a processor socket on the circuit board, the ground contacts coupled to a ground circuit of the circuit board; and a first means coupled to the isolated first contact for indicating a one of the one or more processors has been installed in the processor socket of the circuit board, the first means responsive to the isolated first contact being coupled to a corresponding ground contact of the one of the one or more processors.
- 5. A circuit board comprising:at least one socket having a plurality of contacts electrically coupling the at least one socket to the circuit board, the plurality of contacts including a plurality of ground contacts, one of the plurality of ground contacts being isolated from the remaining plurality of ground contacts; and a signal generating circuit electrically coupled to the one of the plurality of ground contacts, the signal generating circuit delivering a signal in response to an object being placed in the at least one socket.
- 6. A circuit board comprising:at least one socket having a plurality of contacts electrically coupled to the circuit board, the plurality of contacts including at least one plurality of voltage supply contacts, at least one of the at least one plurality of voltage supply contacts being isolated from the remaining plurality of voltage supply contacts; and at least one voltage regulation module having at least one sense contact electrically coupled to the at least one isolated voltage supply contact and having at least one supply contact electrically coupled to the at least one plurality of voltage supply contacts.
- 7. A motherboard comprising:a plurality of sockets electrically coupled to the motherboard; at least one processor having at least one plurality of contacts electrically coupled to at least one of the plurality of sockets, the at least one plurality of contacts having at least one plurality of ground contacts; at least one contact isolated from the at least one plurality of ground contacts; and at least one signal generating circuit electrically coupled to the at least one isolated ground contact, the at least one signal generating circuit delivering a signal in response to the at least one processor being placed in at least one of the plurality of sockets.
- 8. A base comprising:a motherboard comprising at least one processor socket electrically coupled to the motherboard, the at least one processor socket having at least one plurality of ground contacts; at least one contact isolated from the at least one plurality of ground contacts; at least one signal generating circuit electrically coupled to the at least one isolated contact, the at least one signal generating circuit delivering a signal in response to at least one processor being placed in the at least one processor socket; at least one drive; a power supply; and at least one input device coupled to the base.
- 9. A method for manufacturing a circuit board comprising:electrically coupling at least one socket having a plurality of contacts to the circuit board, the plurality of contacts including a plurality of ground contacts; isolating one of the plurality of ground contacts from the remaining plurality of ground contacts; constructing a signal generating circuit, the signal generating circuit delivering a signal in response to an object being placed in the at least one socket; and electrically coupling the signal generating circuit to the one of the plurality of ground contacts.
- 10. A circuit board that is adapted to have an integrated circuit disposed thereon, the circuit board comprising:a ground plane; a signal trace that is adapted to become connected to the ground plane through the integrated circuit if the integrated circuit is disposed on the circuit board; and a signal generator that generates a signal indicating the presence of the integrated circuit if the integrated circuit is disposed on the circuit board.
- 11. The circuit board of claim 10 wherein the integrated circuit is a processor.
- 12. The circuit board of claim 10 wherein the signal trace is resistively coupled to a supply voltage.
- 13. The circuit board of claim 10 wherein a voltage level of the signal trace is used as a signal to indicate the presence or absence of the integrated circuit.
- 14. The circuit board of claim 10 wherein the signal trace is capacitively coupled to the ground plane.
- 15. A computer system comprising:a circuit board that is adapted to have a processor disposed thereon, the circuit board comprising: a ground plane; a signal trace that is adapted to become connected to the ground plane through the integrated circuit if the integrated circuit is disposed on the circuit board; and a signal generator that generates a signal indicating the presence of the integrated circuit if the integrated circuit is disposed on the circuit board.
- 16. The computer system of claim 15 wherein the integrated circuit is a processor.
- 17. The computer system of claim 15 wherein the signal trace is resistively coupled to a supply voltage.
- 18. The computer system of claim 15 wherein a voltage level of the signal trace is used as a signal to indicate the presence or absence of the integrated circuit.
- 19. The computer system of claim 15 wherein the signal trace is capacitively coupled to the ground plane.
- 20. A method of detecting the presence of an integrated circuit on a circuit board having a ground plane, the method comprising the acts of:connecting a signal trace to the ground plane through the integrated circuit if the integrated circuit is disposed on the circuit board; and generating a signal on the signal trace, the signal indicating the presence of the integrated circuit if the integrated circuit is disposed on the circuit board.
- 21. A sensing circuit comprising:a voltage source; a signal trace that is adapted to become connected to the voltage source through an integrated circuit wherein the signal trace senses a level of the voltage source at the integrated circuit; and a signal generator that generates a signal indicating the presence of the integrated circuit if the integrated circuit is disposed on the circuit board.
- 22. The sensing circuit of claim 21 herein the integrated circuit is a processor.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/881,423, filed Jun. 14, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,502,153, issued on Dec. 31, 2002, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/249,184, filed Feb. 12, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,263,386, issued Jul. 17, 2001.
US Referenced Citations (14)
Continuations (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/881423 |
Jun 2001 |
US |
Child |
10/224842 |
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US |
Parent |
09/249184 |
Feb 1999 |
US |
Child |
09/881423 |
|
US |