Power control system for electrical power supply modules

• US 5,594,286 A
• Filed: 07/02/1993
• Issued: 01/14/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Tachikawa, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoop, Jr., William M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAPLAN, JONATHAN STUART
• Application Number:
  US08/085,037
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 307/52, 307/53, 307/43, 307/64, 307/65, 307/66, 307/85-87, 307/44, 307/72, 323/268, 323/272, 363/65, 363/71, 364/492, 364/493
• US Class Current: 307/43
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/102 being switching converters H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence

Abstract

A control circuit for controlling a plurality of power supply modules connected in parallel to provide power to a single load. The control module first converts first analog data corresponding to a voltage level which is applied to the load. The control module then compares the voltage level to a predetermined voltage level and computes a voltage deviation between the predetermined voltage level and the voltage applied to the load. The control module then computes whether the voltage deviation is within a proper limit or not. The control module then sends a pulse width data signal corresponding to the voltage deviation to the power supply modules in order to control the amount of power each module supplies to the load.

Claims

1. A power control system equipped with a host control unit, a power supply control module, a plurality of switching power supply modules whose stabilized power output terminals connected to each other in parallel, and a logical unit, wherein said power supply control module comprises:

first processing means for converting first analog data corresponding to a voltage level, supplied for the logical unit from a plurality of switching power supply modules connected in parallel into digital data;

second processing means for comparing said digital data, converted by said first processing means, with predetermined reference voltage data and computing a voltage deviation between said digital data and said predetermined reference voltage data;

third processing means for judging whether or not said voltage deviation computed by said second processing means is within a permissible extent;

fourth processing means for performing an arithmetic operation with said voltage deviation and a stored reference pulse width data when said voltage deviation is judged to be beyond the predetermined permissible extent; and

fifth processing means for supplying each of said switching power supply modules with the result of said arithmetic operation by said fourth processing means as first pulse width data.

2. A power control system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said power supply control module further comprises:

sixth processing means for converting second analog data, supplied from a plurality of switching power supply modules, into a second digital data;

seventh processing means for computing an average from said second digital data, and figuring out a second deviation by comparing the output current from each of said switching power supply modules with said average;

eighth processing means for judging whether or not said second deviation is within a second predetermined permissible extent;

ninth processing means for performing a second arithmetic operation with a predetermined unit of value corresponding to said deviation and said first pulse width data when said third processing means judges that said second deviation is beyond the second predetermined permissible extent; and

tenth processing means for supplying the result of said second arithmetic operation to each of said switching power supply modules as a second pulse width data.

3. A method for using a controller to control the output of a plurality of power supply modules, comprising the steps of:

sending a signal to the controller, said signal corresponding to the voltage supplied by said power supply modules;

comparing said signal to a predetermined reference voltage and computing a deviation between said signal and said reference voltage;

determining whether said deviation is within a predetermined allowable range;

performing an arithmetic operation with said deviation and a stored pulse width reference to thereby produce pulse width data when said deviation is without said predetermined allowable range;

sending said pulse width data to each of said power supply modules to thereby control the output of each of said power supply modules.

4. The method for using a controller to control the output of a plurality of power supply modules as claimed in claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

sending at least a second and a third signals to the controller;

computing an average of at least said second and third signals;

computing a difference between each of the second and third signals and said average;

determining whether said difference is within a reference difference;

performing an arithmetic operation with a signal corresponding to said difference, and the stored pulse width reference, to thereby produce a modified pulse width data when said difference is without said reference difference;

sending said modified pulse width data to each of said power supply modules to thereby control the output of each of said power supply modules.

5. A controller for controlling the output of a plurality of power supply modules, said controller comprising a microprocessor receiving a signal corresponding to the voltage supplied by said power supply modules, said microprocessor being preprogrammed to perform the steps of:

comparing said signal to a predetermined reference voltage and computing a deviation between said signal and said reference voltage;

determining whether said deviation is within a predetermined allowable range;

performing an arithmetic operation with said deviation and a stored pulse width reference to thereby produce pulse width data when said deviation is without said predetermined allowable range;

sending said pulse width data to each of said power supply modules to thereby control the output of each of said power supply modules.

6. The controller of claim 5, wherein said microprocessor further receives at least a second and third signals from said modules, and wherein said microprocessor is further preprogrammed to perform the steps of:

computing an average of at least said second and third signals;

computing a difference between each of the second and third signals and said average;

determining whether said difference is within a reference difference;

performing an arithmetic operation with a signal corresponding to said difference, and the stored pulse width reference, to thereby produce a modified pulse width data when said difference is without said reference difference;

sending said modified pulse width data to each of said power supply modules to thereby control the output of each of said power supply modules.