Method for directing power to a hot swapped circuit board

Abstract

Method for controlling power and communications between to an electronic circuit board. A chassis includes a first electronic circuit board with a first connector and a cassette includes a second electronic circuit board with a second connector. When the cassette is received by the chassis, chassis flex circuitry and cassette flex circuitry come into contact to complete a circuit between the components. Closing the circuit indicates to a controller that the cassette is properly secured to the chassis and that a user is not attempting removal of the cassette. The controller instructs a power source to provide power to the second electronic circuit board through the first connector. When the circuit is broken by a user, the controller causes the completion of operations on the second electronic circuit board and causes the power source to stop supplying power to the second electronic circuit board.

1 . A method comprising:
 forming a circuit between cassette flex circuitry and chassis flex circuitry whenever a cassette including the cassette flex circuitry is placed in an operable position relative to the chassis including chassis flex circuitry;   using the circuit to detect whether a user is handling the cassette:   providing power from the chassis to the cassette in response to detecting that the cassette is simultaneously in the operable position and a user is not handling the cassette; and   allowing the assignment of processing jobs to an electronic component within the cassette when the cassette is provided with power.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 allowing the electronic component within the cassette to complete any existing processing jobs and disallowing the assignment of new processing jobs to the electronic component in response to detecting that a user is handling the cassette; and   halting power provided from the chassis to the cassette in response to detecting that the electronic component has no more processing jobs.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 selectively opening or closing the cassette flex circuitry.   
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the cassette flex circuitry is selectively opened or closed with a switch. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the switch is in a closed condition unless a user has actuated a switch trigger on a cassette handle. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 insulating the switch trigger to prevent electrical shock to a user.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 closing an access cover to prevent the cassette from being removed from a chassis.   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the access cover may activate a switch that is physically adjacent the access cover and electronically in series within the chassis flex circuitry. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 ignoring changes in the flex circuit when the access door is indicated as being closed.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , independently controlling power from each of a plurality of bays to each of a plurality of cassettes. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 informing a user that the electronic component within the cassette is quiescent.   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the user is informed through use of a visual indicator light. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the visual indicator light is a light emitting diode (LED).