Controlling redundant power supplies in an information handling system

• US 10,069,309 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2015
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Muccini, Mark A., Wang, Lei
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yeshaw, Esayas
• Application Number:
  US14/922,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20170117715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,046 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/102 being switching converters H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/106 for load balancing, symmetrisation, or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence

Abstract

A power supply system comprises a first power supply including a first converter for providing a first output voltage and a first micro-controller coupled to a first switch. The first switch is coupled to a common share bus. A second power supply includes a second converter for providing a second output voltage and a second micro-controller coupled to a second switch. The second switch is also coupled to the common share bus. The first micro-controller is configured to receive a first control signal designating the first power supply to be either a master power supply or a slave power supply and the second micro-controller is configured to receive a second control signal designating the second power supply to be either the master power supply or the slave power supply.

Claims

1. A power supply system comprising:

a first power supply including;

a first converter for providing a first output voltage; and

a first micro-controller coupled to a first switch, the first switch further coupled to a common share bus;

a second power supply including;

a second converter for providing a second output voltage; and

a second micro-controller coupled to a second switch, the second switch further coupled to the common share bus;

wherein the first micro-controller is configured to receive a first control signal designating the first power supply to be either a master power supply or a slave power supply and the second micro-controller is configured to receive a second control signal designating the second power supply to be either the master power supply or the slave power supply; and

a first control circuit coupled between the first micro-controller and a common hardware signal bus, the first control circuit comprising;

a first resistor having a first end coupled to ground and a second end coupled to both a first current source and the first micro-controller; and

a diode having a cathode coupled to the first micro-controller and an anode coupled to the common hardware signal bus, and the first control circuit generating the first control signal.

2. The power supply system of claim 1, wherein:

the first micro-controller turns on the first switch when the first control signal designates the first power supply as the master power supply, such that the first power supply sets the voltage on the common share bus, while the second power supply is designated as the slave power supply and the second switch remains in the off position; and

the second micro-controller turns on the second switch when the second control signal indicates that the second power supply is to be the master power supply, such that the second power supply sets the voltage on the common share bus, while the first power supply is designated as the slave power supply and the first switch remains in the off position.

3. The power supply system of claim 1, further comprising:

a management controller coupled to the first and second micro-controllers, the management controller selecting the first and second control signals such that the management controller selects which among the first power supply and the second power supply is set as the master and slave power supplies, respectively.

4. The power supply system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second control circuit coupled between the second micro-controller and the common hardware signal bus, the second control circuit generating the second control signal; and

wherein the first micro-controller compares a first control signal voltage to a common hardware signal bus voltage in order to determine if the first power supply is the master or slave power supply.

5. The power supply system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first precision rectifier coupled between the first micro-controller and the first switch; and

a second precision rectifier coupled between the second micro-controller and the second switch.

6. The power supply system of claim 5, wherein the first switch comprises one of a gate and a base coupled to the first micro-controller, one of a source and a collector coupled to the first precision rectifier and one of a drain and an emitter coupled to the common share bus.

7. An information handling system (IHS) comprising:

at least one processing node, the processing node having at least one central processing unit (CPU);

a first power supply including a first converter for providing power to the at least one processing node and a first micro-controller coupled to a first switch, the first switch further coupled to a common share bus;

a second power supply including a second converter for providing power to the at least one processing node and a second micro-controller coupled to a second switch, the second switch further coupled to the common share bus;

wherein the first micro-controller is configured to receive a first control signal designating the first power supply to be either a master power supply or a slave power supply and the second micro-controller is configured to receive a second control signal designating the second power supply to be either the master power supply or the slave power supply; and

a first control circuit coupled between the first micro-controller and a common hardware signal bus, the first control circuit comprising;

a first resistor having a first end coupled to ground and a second end coupled to both a first current source and the first micro-controller; and

a diode having a cathode coupled to the first micro-controller and an anode coupled to the common hardware signal bus, and the first control circuit generating the first control signal.

8. The information handling system of claim 7, wherein:

the first micro-controller turns on the first switch when the first control signal designates the first power supply as the master power supply, such that the first power supply sets the voltage on the common share bus, while the second power supply is designated as the slave power supply and the second switch remains in the off position; and

the second micro-controller turns on the second switch when the second control signal indicates that the second power supply is to be the master power supply, such that the second power supply sets the voltage on the common share bus, while the first power supply is designated as the slave power supply and the first switch remains in the off position.

9. The information handling system of claim 7, further comprising:

a management controller coupled to the first and second micro-controllers, the management controller selecting the first and second control signals such that the management controller selects which among the first power supply and the second power supply is set as the master and slave power supplies, respectively.

10. The information handling system of claim 7, further comprising:

a second control circuit coupled between the second micro-controller and the common hardware signal bus, the second control circuit generating the second control signal; and

wherein the first micro-controller compares a first control signal voltage to a common hardware signal bus voltage in order to determine if the first power supply is the master or slave power supply.

11. The information handling system of claim 7, further comprising:

a first precision rectifier coupled between the first micro-controller and the first switch; and

a second precision rectifier coupled between the second micro-controller and the second switch.

12. The information handling system of claim 7, wherein the first switch comprises one of a gate and a base coupled to the first micro-controller, one of a source and a collector coupled to the first precision rectifier and one of a drain and an emitter coupled to the common share bus.

13. A method of providing power to a device via a power supply system, the method comprising:

receiving, from a first control circuit, a first control signal at a first micro-controller of a first power supply of the power supply system, the power supply system having the first power supply and a second power supply, the first power supply including a first converter for providing a first output voltage, a first micro-controller coupled to a first switch that is further coupled to a common share bus, and the first control circuit coupled between the first micro-controller and a common hardware signal bus, the first control circuit comprising;

a first resistor having a first end coupled to ground and a second end coupled to both a first current source and the first micro-controller; and

a diode having a cathode coupled to the first micro-controller and an anode coupled to the common hardware signal bus, and the first control circuit generating the first control signal;

determining if the first control signal identifies the first power supply as a master power supply, wherein the first micro-controller is configured to receive the first control signal designating the first power supply to be either a master power supply or a slave power supply;

in response to determining that the first control signal has identified the first power supply as the master power supply, turning on a first switch coupled between the first micro-controller and a common share bus such that the first power supply is configured as a master power supply that sets the voltage on the common share bus.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

in response to determining that the first control signal has not identified the first power supply as the master power supply, turning off the first switch coupled between the first micro-controller and the common share bus such that the first power supply is configured as a slave power supply.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first control signal is received from a management controller.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the first control signal is received from a first control circuit that is coupled between the first micro-controller and a common hardware signal bus.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

comparing a value of the first control signal to a value of a common hardware signal;

determining if the first control signal value is less than the common hardware signal value;

in response to determining that the first control signal value is not less than the common hardware signal value, identifying the first power supply as the master power supply.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

in response to determining that the first control signal value is less than the common hardware signal value, identifying the first power supply as the slave power supply.