System and method for managing negative voltage in a power supply overvoltage failure event

• US 7,352,159 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Luo, Shiguo, Zhu, Guangyong, Wood, Merle, Brukwicz, Leszek
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhane; Adolf
• Application Number:
  US11/112,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20060238181A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 323/282, 323/283, 323/284, 323/285, 323/286, 323/351
• US Class Current: 323/282
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/32 Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/157 with digital control

Abstract

A synchronous Buck voltage regulator accepts an input voltage to provide a regulated output voltage to an information handling system processing component, such as a CPU. Input voltage is regulated by a control MOSFET, a synchronous MOSFET and a regulator controller that controls the output by controlling the control and synchronous MOSFETs. The synchronous MOSFET handles overvoltage events output from the control MOSFET by interfacing an inductor-capacitor tank circuit to reduce the overvoltage. A negative voltage protection MOSFET driver associated with the regulator controller monitors for negative voltage events that result from the interfacing of the inductor-capacitor tank circuit and selectively decouples the inductor-capacitor tank circuit if the negative voltage event is associated with a predetermined condition. The negative voltage protection MOSFET driver maintains the interface of the inductor-capacitor tank circuit if the overvoltage event is associated with a failed control MOSFET.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

plural processing components operable to process information;

a power supply operable to supply DC voltage to operate the processing components;

at least one regulator interfaced between the power supply and at least one processing component, the regulator operable to interface a capacitor with the processing component and the power supply to reduce an overvoltage event;

a regulator controller interfaced with the regulator and operable to detect an overvoltage event, the regulator controller selectively interfacing the capacitor if an overvoltage event is detected; and

a negative voltage protection MOSFET driver operating on the regulator controller and operable to detect a negative voltage event following the interfacing of the capacitor, the negative voltage protection MOSFET driver further operable to remove the interface with the capacitor for a first overvoltage condition and to continue the interface with the capacitor for a second overvoltage condition.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the regulator comprises a control MOSFET operable to regulate voltage from a voltage in and a synchronous MOSFET operable to selectively interface the capacitor, the second overvoltage condition comprising a short across the control MOSFET.

3. The information handling system of claim 2 wherein the negative voltage protection MOSFET driver determines the negative voltage by comparing the voltage into the control MOSFET with the voltage out from the control MOSFET.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the first overvoltage condition comprises a change in reference voltage.

5. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the first overvoltage condition comprises component aging.

6. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the first overvoltage condition comprises a feedback loop disconnect.

7. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the processing component comprises a CPU.

8. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the processing component comprises a DDR memory module.

9. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the processing component comprises a hard disk drive.

10. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the regulator is a synchronous Buck regulator.

11. A method for regulating voltage to a component, the method comprising:

regulating output voltage through a control MOSFET;

monitoring the output voltage for an overvoltage event;

interfacing a capacitor with the output voltage in response to the overvoltage event;

monitoring the output voltage for a negative voltage event resulting from the interfacing of the capacitor; and

removing the interfacing of the capacitor if the negative voltage event is associated with a predetermined overvoltage condition.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

determining that the overvoltage condition is a failed control MOSFET; and

maintaining the interfacing of the capacitor.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein determining that the overvoltage condition is a failed control MOSFET further comprises comparing the voltage into the MOSFET and the voltage out of the MOSFET.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the MOSFET and capacitor are configured as a synchronous Buck regulator.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising providing the output voltage to an information handling system component.

16. A system for monitoring voltage to an electronic component, the system comprising:

a synchronous Buck regulator having a control MOSFET operable to regulate voltage from an input voltage to an output voltage, an inductor-capacitor tank circuit interfaced with the output voltage and operable to discharge and reduce the output voltage, and a synchronous MOSFET operable to regulate the interface of the inductor-capacitor tank circuit with the output voltage;

a regulator controller interfaced with the synchronous Buck regulator and operable to detect an overvoltage event at the output voltage, the regulator controller selectively engaging the synchronous MOSFET in response to the overvoltage event to reduce the overvoltage with the inductor-capacitor tank circuit; and

a negative voltage protection MOSFET driver associated with the regulator controller and operable to detect if the overvoltage event is associated with a predetermined overvoltage condition, the negative voltage protection MOSFET driver operable to selectively enable or disable the interfacing of the inductor-capacitor tank circuit if the overvoltage event is associated with the predetermined overvoltage condition.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the predetermined overvoltage condition comprises a failed control MOSFET, the negative voltage protection MOSFET driver maintaining the interfacing of the inductor-capacitor tank circuit.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the negative voltage protection MOSFET driver determines the overvoltage condition is not a failed control MOSFET, the negative voltage protection MOSFET driver disabling the interfacing of the inductor-capacitor tank circuit during a negative output voltage.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the system further comprises an interface to provide the output voltage to an information handling system processing component.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the information handling system processing component comprises a CPU.