Computing devices using extremely high frequency (ehf) electromagnetic communication

Abstract

A system, such as a server rack, includes rack mountable devices that communicate using one or more extremely high frequency (EHF) communication devices. A rack mountable device includes a rack mountable chassis including multiple sides, and a circuit board along a side of the rack mountable chassis, the circuit board having a surface. The EHF communication devices are positioned along the side of the rack mountable chassis and attached to the surface of the circuit board. Each of the EHF communication devices is configured to convert between an EHF electromagnetic signal and an electrical data signal. The EHF communication devices form EHF communication channels with other EHF communication devices in other rack mountable devices, or in the server rack to provide high bandwidth data transfer utilizing space on the sides of the rack mountable device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system, comprising:
 a rack frame including bays;   a wired communication channel extending across the bays of the rack frame;   a first extremely high frequency (EHF) communication device located along a side of a first bay of the rack frame and coupled to the wired communication channel; and   a rack mountable device in the first bay, comprising:
 a rack mountable chassis including a plurality of sides; and 
 a second EHF communication device disposed along a side of the rack mountable chassis facing the side of the first bay, the first EHF communication device configured to form an EHF electromagnetic communication channel with the second EHF communication device to transfer data between the rack mountable device and the wired communication channel. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the rack mountable device includes a circuit board having a surface extending along the side of the rack mountable chassis, the second EHF communication device being attached to the surface of the circuit board. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the rack mountable device includes a cover panel at the side of the rack mountable chassis, the cover panel including an opening through which an EHF electromagnetic signal is transmitted via the EHF electromagnetic communication channel. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the rack mountable device includes a waveguide extending from the second EHF communication device into the opening of the cover panel. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the rack mountable device includes a radiation absorbing shield surrounding the second EHF communication device. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the rack mountable device further includes:
 a main board in the rack mountable chassis and having a connector;   a connector board inserted into the connector; and   a cable connecting the connector board to the circuit board,   wherein data from the main board is provided to the second EHF communication device via the connector board and the cable.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second EHF communication devices includes:
 an integrated circuit;   an antenna connected to the integrated circuit; and   an encapsulating material over the integrated circuit and the antenna.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the rack mountable device further includes:
 a plurality of second EHF communication devices including the second EHF communication device;   a circuit board having a surface extending along the side of the rack mountable chassis, the second EHF communication devices being attached to the surface;   a main board in the rack mountable chassis, the main board connected with the second EHF communication devices via the circuit board; and   a data aggregator device attached to the circuit board, the aggregator device configured to:
 receive electrical data signals from the plurality of second EHF communication devices, each electrical data signal including first data at a first data rate, 
 generate second data at a second data rate by combining the first data outputted from the second EHF communication devices; and 
 output the second data. 
   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second data rate is higher than the first data rate. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a rack switch in a second bay of the rack frame, the rack switch configured to communicate data with the rack mountable device via the wired communication channel and the EHF electromagnetic communication channel. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising a third EHF communication device located along a side of the second bay and coupled to the wired communication channel, and wherein the rack switch includes a fourth EHF communication device configured to form a second EHF electromagnetic communication channel with the third EHF communication device. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising a second rack mountable device in a third bay connected to the rack mountable device via the rack switch. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the rack mountable device includes compute servers and the second rack mountable device includes storage servers. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the rack mountable device includes compute servers and the second rack mountable device includes memory servers. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the rack mountable device includes a hot storage device, the second rack mountable device includes a standby storage device, and the system further includes a third rack mountable device in a third bay, the third rack mountable device connected to the rack mountable device and the second rack mountable device via the rack switch, the third rack mountable device includes a cold storage device. 
     
     
         16 . A method, comprising:
 converting a first electrical data signal into an extremely high frequency (EHF) electromagnetic signal;   transmitting the EHF electromagnetic signal from a first EHF communication device of a first rack mountable device in a first bay of a rack frame to a second EHF communication device located along a side of the first bay, the second EHF communication device coupled to a wired communication channel extending across bays of the rack frame; and   converting the EHF electromagnetic signal transmitted to the second EHF communication device into a second electrical data signal; and   sending the second electrical data signal to a second rack mountable device in a second bay of the rack frame via the wired communication channel.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 receiving, by a plurality of first EHF communication devices of the first rack mountable device, second EHF electromagnetic signals from a plurality of second EHF communication devices located along the side of the first bay;   converting, by the first rack mountable device, the second EHF electromagnetic signals into third electrical data signals, each third electrical data signal including first data at a first data rate; and   generating second data at a second data rate by combining the first data of the third electrical data signals.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the second rack mountable device includes a rack switch. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein sending the second electrical data signal to the second rack mountable device in the second bay of the rack frame via the wired communication channel includes:
 converting the second electrical data signal into a second EHF electromagnetic signal;   transmitting the second EHF electromagnetic signal from a third EHF communication device located along a side of the second bay to a fourth EHF communication device of the second rack mountable device.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first rack mountable device includes:
 a cover panel including an opening through which the EHF electromagnetic signal is transmitted;   a waveguide extending from the first EHF communication device into the opening of the cover panel; and   a radiation absorbing shield surrounding the first EHF communication device.