Fault detection in a redundant power converter

• US 6,275,958 B1
• Filed: 10/28/1998
• Issued: 08/14/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Carpenter, Brian A., Johari, Girish C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ray, Gopal C.
• Application Number:
  US09/181,498
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 714/48, 714/14, 713/300, 307/64, 307/86, 307/112, 307/113, 307/116, 307/125, 307/130, 307/131, 307/43, 307/58, 307/45, 307/82, 323/282, 323/285, 361/79, 361/87, 363/65, 363/123, 340/657, 340/660, 340/664, 324/111, 324/142, 324/525, 702/57-60, 702/64, 702/65
• US Class Current: 714/48
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/40 Testing power supplies testing photovoltaic devices H02S50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/001 Hot plugging or unplugging of load or power modules to or from power distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/102 being switching converters H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/32 Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/158 including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load

Abstract

Aspects for sensing faults in a redundant power converter are described. An exemplary circuit aspect includes a signal transition monitor for monitoring signal transitions at a predetermined node within the redundant power converter, and a detector for detecting a fault condition in the redundant power converter when a proper signal transition fails to occur during a base period of switching. The aspects sense faults in a manner which allows replacement during a scheduled downtime, so that redundancy is restorable without having an unscheduled outage.

Claims

1. A circuit for sensing faults in a redundant power converter, the circuit comprising:

a signal transition monitor for monitoring signal transitions at a predetermined node within the redundant power converter; and

a detector for detecting a fault condition in the redundant power converter when a proper signal transition fails to occur during a base period of switching.

2. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the signal transition monitor further comprises a toggle logic flip-flop receiving a signal from the predetermined node as an input signal and a reset signal based on a clock signal as a reset input.

3. The circuit of claim 2 wherein the reset signal further comprises a delayed and inverted clock signal.

4. The circuit of claim 2 wherein the signal transition monitor further comprises a data logic flip-flop coupled at an input to an output of the toggle logic flip-flop and coupled at a clock input to the clock signal.

5. The circuit of claim 4 wherein the detector further comprises a logic device for receiving an output of the data logic flip-flop and a no-clock detection signal and outputting a fault condition signal.

6. The circuit of claim 5 wherein the logic device further comprises an OR gate logic device.

7. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the predetermined node further comprises a summing node of first and second switches and an inductor within the redundant power converter.

8. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the proper signal transition further comprises a rising edge transition in correspondence with a rising edge of a clock signal and a falling edge transition following a falling edge transition in the clock signal.

9. A redundant power converter with fault detection capability, the redundant power converter comprising:

a control unit for utilization in controlling the redundant power converter;

first and second switches coupled at a summing node and to the control unit; and

fault detection circuit coupled to the summing node and to the control unit, the fault detection circuit monitoring the summing node for fault detection based on signal transition at the summing node during a predetermined time period.

10. The converter of claim 9 wherein the control unit provides a clock signal, a period of the clock signal establishing a basis for the predetermined time period.

11. The converter of claim 10 wherein the fault detection circuit monitors the summing node to detect whether a rising edge transition occurs with a rising edge of the clock signal and whether a falling edge transition occurs following a falling edge of the clock signal.

12. The converter of claim 11 wherein the fault detection circuit further detects a lack of a clock signal to provide fault detection.

13. The converter of claim 11 wherein a false fault detection is implemented via retries.

14. The converter of claim 9 further comprising an inductor coupled to the first and second switches at the summing node.

15. A method of sensing faults in a redundant power converter, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) monitoring a predetermined node within the redundant power converter for proper signal transitioning during a base period of switching; and

(b) detecting a fault condition in the redundant power converter when the proper signal transitioning does not occur during the base period of switching.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step (a) of monitoring further comprises (a1) monitoring for a rising edge transition at the predetermined node in correspondence with a rising edge of a clock signal.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step (a) of monitoring further comprises (a2) monitoring for a falling edge transition at the predetermined node following a falling edge of the clock signal.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the predetermined node further comprises a summing node within the redundant power converter for first and second switches and an inductor.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the step (b) of detecting further comprises (b1) providing fault detection from a no-clock signal condition.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the step (b) of detecting further comprises (b2) providing false fault detection via retries.