Memory power circuitry

• US 10,281,972 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2017
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Bemat, Mohamed Amin, Ba-Thunya, Ali Salem
• Primary Examiner(s): Abbaszadeh, Jaweed A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Desai, Sumil M
• Application Number:
  US15/652,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20190025902A1
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 713323
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/189 Power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3275 Power saving in memory, e.g. RAM, cache
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/04 Supports for storage elements , e.g. memory modules; Mounting or fixing of storage elements on such supports
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/147 Voltage reference generators, voltage or current regulators; Internally lowered supply levels; Compensation for voltage drops G11C5/141 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A computing device including a motherboard. The motherboard is coupled to a memory socket, a power rail, and a regulator controller. The memory socket is able to couple to a circuit board that includes memory circuitry. The power rail provides a high-voltage power signal to power circuitry on the circuit board. The power rail provides the high-voltage power signal through the memory socket. The regulator controller provides a control signal to power circuitry on the circuit board. The control signal includes a pulse width modulation signal. An output voltage of the power circuitry on the circuit board may be controlled by the control signal.

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

a first circuit board coupled to computing components including;

a memory socket to couple to a second circuit board comprising memory circuitry;

a power rail to provide a high-voltage power signal through the memory socket to power circuitry on the second circuit board; and

a regulator controller to provide a control signal through the memory socket to the power circuitry on the second circuit board, wherein the control signal comprises a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal to control an output voltage of the power circuitry on the second circuit board.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the memory socket couples to the second circuit board through an electrically conductive contact.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the high-voltage power signal is a direct current signal of twelve (12) volts.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein a different power rail provides a second high-voltage power signal that is a direct current signal of five (5) volts to the power circuitry.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the regulator controller modifies the control signal to balance the output voltage of the power circuitry in comparison to a second output voltage of different power circuitry on a different circuit board.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the regulator controller is coupled to processing circuitry of the computing device to control an output voltage of power circuitry associated with the processing circuitry.

7. A method for supplying power to memory circuitry, comprising:

from a first circuit board and at a control input contact of a second circuit board containing the memory circuitry, receiving a pulse width modulation (PWM) control signal to control an output voltage of power circuitry on the second circuit board;

receiving, at a power input contact on the second circuit board, a high-voltage power signal to power the memory circuitry;

converting, at a voltage converter of the power circuitry on the second circuit board, the high-voltage power signal with a first voltage to a high-voltage PWM square wave power signal;

regulating, at the voltage converter of the power circuitry on the second circuit board, the high-voltage PWM square wave power signal to the first voltage, based in part on the PWM control signal;

smoothing, at an output filter of the power circuitry on the second circuit board, the regulated high-voltage PWM square wave power signal to a low-voltage power signal with a second voltage; and

supplying, from the power circuitry on the second circuit board, the low-voltage power signal to the memory circuitry.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the high-voltage power signal is a direct current signal of twelve (12) volts.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, at a second power input contact of the second circuit board, a second high-voltage power signal that is a direct current signal of five (5) volts; and

powering the voltage converter of the power circuitry using the second high-voltage power signal.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein regulating the high-voltage PWM square wave power signal comprises adjusting a duty cycle of the high-voltage PWM square wave power signal based on a duty cycle of the PWM control signal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the duty cycle of the PWM control signal is adjusted based in part on fluctuations in the low-voltage power signal and power requirements of different memory circuitry.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the low-voltage power signal is a direct current signal of 1.2 volts.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising transmitting, from the second circuit board, a feedback signal comprising the low-voltage power signal.

14. A circuit board, comprising:

a power signal input contact to receive a high-voltage power signal;

a control signal input contact to receive a pulse width modulation (PWM) control signal;

power circuitry comprising;

a voltage converter to receive the high-voltage power signal from the power signal input contact, convert the high-voltage power signal into a high-voltage PWM square wave power signal, and regulate the high-voltage PWM square wave power signal; and

an output filter to smooth the regulated high-voltage PWM square wave power signal into a low-voltage power signal based on the PWM control signal received from the control signal input contact; and

memory circuitry to store data, wherein the memory circuitry receives the low-voltage power signal.

15. The circuit board of claim 14, wherein the voltage converter of the power circuitry regulates the high-voltage PWM square wave power signal by adjusting a duty cycle of the high-voltage PWM square wave power signal based on a duty cycle of the PWM control signal.

16. The circuit board of claim 15, wherein the duty cycle of the PWM signal is adjusted based in part on fluctuations in the low-voltage power signal and power requirements of different memory circuitry.

17. The circuit board of claim 14, wherein the low-voltage power signal provides power to the memory circuitry and wherein the low-voltage power signal is a direct current signal of 1.2 volts.

18. The circuit board of claim 14, wherein the high-voltage power signal is a direct current signal of twelve (12) volts, and wherein the power circuitry also receives a second high-voltage power signal that is a direct current signal of five (5) volts.

19. The circuit board of claim 18, wherein the second high-voltage power signal powers the voltage converter.

20. The circuit board of claim 14, wherein the circuit board further comprises a feedback signal output contact to transmit a feedback signal comprising the low-voltage power signal.