METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING AND MONITORING AN ARRAY OF POINT-OF-LOAD REGULATORS

• US 20070226526A1
• Filed: 04/04/2007
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bel Power Solutions Inc.
• Original Assignee: Power-One Incorporated (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: CHAPUIS, ALAIN, GUZ, MIKHAIL
• Granted Patent: US 7,882,372 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/189 Power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3253 Power saving in bus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/329 by task scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/08 Three-wire systems; Systems having more than three wires
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/082 Plural DC voltage, e.g. DC supply voltage with at least two different DC voltage levels
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/102 being switching converters H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/008 Plural converter units for generating at two or more independent and non-parallel outputs, e.g. systems with plural point of load switching regulators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/30 State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge

Abstract

A power control system comprises a plurality of POL regulators, at least one serial data bus operatively connecting the plurality of POL regulators, and a system controller connected to the serial data bus and adapted to send and receive digital data to and from the plurality of POL regulators. The serial data bus further comprises a first data bus carrying programming and control information between the system controller and the plurality of POL regulators. The serial data bus may also include a second data bus carrying fault management information between the system controller and the plurality of POL regulators. The power control may also include a front-end regulator providing an intermediate voltage to the plurality of POL regulators on an intermediate voltage bus.

Claims

1. A point-of-load (POL) regulator comprising:

a bus interface for interfacing to a serial bus;

first circuitry for generating an output voltage;

a logic circuit coupled to the bus interface and the first circuitry; and

a plurality of control input pins, wherein at least one of the control input pins is configurable to couple to a static value to configure operation of the logic circuit;

wherein the logic circuit is operable to monitor first status information transmitted onto the serial bus by another POL regulator; and

wherein the logic circuit is operable to control the first circuitry based on the first status information and the static value.

2. A power control system comprising:

a bidirectional serial data bus;

a plurality of point-of-load (POL) regulators coupled to the bidirectional serial data bus, wherein each of the plurality of POL regulators is operable to provide respective one or more regulated output voltages, wherein each of the plurality of POL regulators comprises a plurality of pins, wherein each respective one of the plurality of POL regulators is configurable by applying at least one respective static value to at least one input pin of the respective POL regulator; and

wherein each respective one of the plurality of POL regulators is operable to;

monitor first status information transmitted onto the serial bus by another POL regulator; and

control its respective one or more regulated output voltages based on the first status information and the at least one respective static value.

3. The power control system of claim 2, wherein each respective one of the plurality of POL regulators is operable to transmit onto the serial bus status information indicating a status of the respective POL regulator.

4. The power control system of claim 3, wherein the status information comprises one or more of:

indication of power regulation status;

indication of faults detected; and

measured operating conditions.

5. The power control system of claim 4, wherein the measured operating conditions comprises current measurements.

6. The power control system of claim 2, wherein said applying at least one respective static value comprises coupling one or more resistors between a voltage source and the at least one input pin of the respective POL regulator.

7. A power control system comprising:

a serial bus; and

a point-of-load (POL) regulator coupled to the serial bus and having one or more control pins configured to set at least one operating characteristic of the POL regulator;

wherein the POL regulator is configured to monitor status information transmitted onto the serial bus by one or more other POL regulators.

8. A point-of-load (POL) regulator operable to be coupled to a serial bus and having one or more control pins configured to set at least one operating characteristic of the POL regulator, wherein the POL regulator is configured to monitor status information transmitted by one or more other devices on the serial bus and perform a power regulating function in response to the monitored status information and the at least one operating characteristic

9. A method for managing power in a system, the method comprising:

configuring at least one operating characteristic of at least one POL regulator by coupling at least one control input pin of the at least one POL regulator to a static value;

the at least one POL regulator monitoring first status information transmitted by at least one other POL regulator; and

the at least one POL regulator providing respective one or more regulated output voltages according to the at least one operating characteristic and the first status information.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

the at least one POL regulator transmitting second status information, wherein the second status information indicates a status of the at least one POL regulator.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said monitoring and said transmitting are performed via a bidirectional serial data bus.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

configuring a plurality of operating characteristics of the at least one POL regulator by performing one or more of;

coupling specified ones of a plurality of control input pins of the at least one POL regulator to respective constant values; and

leaving specified ones of the plurality of control input pins of the at least one POL regulator uncoupled.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

the at least one POL regulator performing at least one power regulating function in response to the first status information.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

the at least one POL regulator performing at least one power regulating function based on the first status information and the at least one operating characteristic.

15. A method for managing power in a system, the method comprising:

configuring specified operating characteristics of a plurality of POL regulators by coupling respective control input pins of the plurality of POL regulators to respective static values;

each of the plurality of POL regulators transmitting respective status information; and

each of the plurality of POL regulators receiving the respective status information transmitted by other ones of the plurality of POL devices;

each of the plurality of POL regulators providing respective regulated output voltages according to the specified operating characteristics and the received respective status information.

16. A method of operating a POL regulator, the method comprising:

coupling the POL regulator to a serial bus;

coupling one or more control pins of the POL regulator to a static value in order to configure at least one operating characteristic of the POL regulator;

the POL regulator monitoring status information transmitted onto the serial bus by one or more other POL devices; and

the POL regulator performing a power regulating function in response to said monitoring and said pin coupling.

17. A point-of-load (POL) regulator, the POL regulator comprising:

a bus interface for interfacing to a serial bus;

first circuitry for generating an output voltage;

a plurality of control input pins, wherein at least one of the plurality of control input pins is configurable to couple to a static value to configure an output voltage of the POL regulator; and

a logic circuit coupled to the bus interface, the first circuitry, and the plurality of control input pins;

wherein the logic circuit is operable to monitor first status information transmitted by another POL regulator on the serial bus; and

wherein the logic circuit is operable to control the first circuitry based on the first status information.