Lenovo (singapore) Pte. Ltd.

International Business Machines Corporation

Lenovo Enterprise Solutions (singapore) Pte. Ltd.

Brian Christopher Totten

Luke David Remis

Jamaica LaQuay Barnette

Michael DeCesaris

Douglas I Evans

Nicholas Celenza

Dipak N Tailor

Gary David Cudak

William Mark Megarity

Raymond Mathew Clemo

Zachary Benson Durham

Matthew L Nickerson

Gregory David Sellman

James Joseph Parsonese

Jerrod Kimmel Buterbaugh

John K Whetzel

Steven C Jacobson

Loc X Nguyen

Timothy R Tennant

Robert R Wolford

Delali Dogbey

Jamaica La Quay Barnette

Jose I Rojas

Systems and apparatus for configurable current steering in a printed circuit board (PCB) include a plurality of power sources each including a power output, and a plurality of power loads each including a power input. A power distribution element includes a switching array configurable to selectively couple a respective power output of each of the plurality of power sources to a respective power input of each of the plurality of power loads. A controller is configured to determine that a first power load of the plurality of power loads is included in a first system configuration, and provide a control signal to the power distribution element to configure the switching array to couple a respective power output of a first power source of the plurality of power sources to a respective power input of the first power load.

Configurable current steering in a printed circuit board

Systems and methods for cooling computing device expansion modules based on airflow rates are disclosed. According to an aspect, a method includes determining airflow rates in areas available for operable connection of expansion modules within a computing device during operation of the computing device. The method also includes determining expected power consumption of the expansion modules. Further, the method includes presenting placement of the expansion modules in the areas based on the determined airflow rates and the expected power consumption of the expansion modules.

Systems and methods for cooling computing device expansion modules based on airflow rates

An apparatus for voltage regulation device adjustment includes a rating module that determines an efficiency score for a current firmware of a voltage regulation device ('VRD'). The efficiency score describes a power efficiency for the VRD based on a configuration of an electronic device where the VRD is installed. The apparatus includes a comparison module that compares the determined efficiency score for the current firmware with a predetermined efficiency score for a different firmware for the VRD. The apparatus includes a firmware module that selects the different firmware for the VRD in response to determining that the VRD is less efficient with the current firmware than with the different firmware based on the comparison of the efficiency score for the current firmware with the predetermined efficiency score for the different firmware.

Adjustment of voltage regulator firmware settings based upon an efficiency score

An apparatus includes a voltage regulator including a high-side field-effect transistor, a low-side field-effect transistor, an inductor, and a conductive net connecting the high-side field-effect transistor, the low-side field-effect transistor and the inductor. The apparatus further includes an attenuation circuit coupled to the conductive net, wherein the attenuation circuit includes an electronic switch that enables and disables an amount of attenuation provided by the attenuation circuit. Examples of the attenuation circuit include a snubber circuit and a boost resistor circuit.

Voltage regulator having a switchable attenuation circuit

An apparatus for voltage regulation device adjustment includes an external factor module that determines external factors, where the external factors include conditions external to an electronic device that affect operating performance and operating costs. The electronic device includes a voltage regulator device ('VRD') providing power to one or more components of the electronic device. The apparatus includes a firmware selection module that selects new firmware for the VRD of the electronic device in response to the determined external factors, and a firmware update module that replaces previously installed firmware on the VRD with the new firmware. The new firmware includes control settings for the VRD.

Adjustment of voltage regulator firmware settings based upon external factors

A computer-implemented method for adjusting voltage settings, according to one embodiment, includes: determining a number of components electrically coupled to an output of a voltage regulator; determining voltage tolerance information corresponding to each of the number of components; determining a voltage tolerance limit of the voltage regulator; using the determined voltage tolerance information in combination with the voltage tolerance limit of the voltage regulator to determine whether an output voltage of the voltage regulator can be reduced; calculating an amount by which to reduce an output voltage of the voltage regulator in response to determining that the output voltage of the voltage regulator can be reduced; and sending one or more instructions to the voltage regulator to reduce the output voltage of the voltage regulator by the calculated amount.

Adjusting voltage settings based on electrical components

A computer program product and an apparatus are provided. The computer program product includes a computer readable medium and program instructions embodied therein, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform various operations. The operations include obtaining, for each phase in a voltage regulator having multiple phases, values of at least one operating parameter over a period of time. The operations further include determining, for each phase in the multi-phase voltage regulator, a wear score as a function of the obtained values of at least one operating parameter. Still further, the operations include selecting a default phase, from among the multiple phases, that has a wear score indicating that the phase has less cumulative wear than any of the other phases, and instructing the voltage regulator to turn on the selected phase as a default phase when only one phase is turned on.

Selection of a default phase in a multiphase voltage regulator based on a wear score

A method of determining power fault information using a voltage regulator-down (VRD) device having a fault-pin output. The method may include receiving a fault indication from one of a plurality of fault detection devices, correlating the received fault indication with a timing signal having a predetermined time duration, applying a voltage change on the fault-pin output of the VRD device for the predetermined time duration corresponding to the timing signal, and applying the voltage change on the fault-pin output to a plurality of fuses. Based on the predetermined time duration associated with the applied voltage change, the plurality of fuses may be blown according to a binary pattern indicative of a fault type associated with the fault indication.

Method and system for managing power faults

A method includes obtaining, for each phase in a voltage regulator having multiple phases, values of at least one operating parameter over a period of time. The method further includes determining, for each phase in the multi-phase voltage regulator, a wear score as a function of the obtained values of at least one operating parameter. Still further, the method includes selecting a default phase, from among the multiple phases, that has a wear score indicating that the phase has less cumulative wear than any of the other phases, and instructing the voltage regulator to turn on the selected phase as a default phase when only one phase is turned on.

An apparatus for voltage regulation device adjustment includes a configuration module that determines a configuration of an electronic device, where determining the configuration includes determining which components are installed and information about the installed components. The electronic device includes a voltage regulator device ('VRD') providing power to one or more of the components. The apparatus includes an environment module that measures one or more environmental variables relating to an operating environment of the electronic device. The apparatus includes a firmware selection module that selects new firmware for the VRD of the electronic device in response to the determined configuration and measured environmental variables, and a firmware update module that replaces previously installed firmware on the VRD with the new firmware. The new firmware includes control settings for the VRD.

Power delivery optimization based on system capability

A method includes identifying a plurality of power supplies connected for supplying power to a computer system, wherein the plurality of power supplies includes at least one redundant power supply in a standby mode. For each of the plurality of power supplies identified, the method determines a length of a power supply cable connected between the power supply and a power distribution unit for supplying power to the power supply. The method further includes placing one or more of the plurality of power supplies in an active mode in ascending order of the length of the cable connected to the power supply, and supplying power to the computer system using the one or more of the plurality of power supplies in the active mode.

Selecting active power supplies based on power supply cable length

Controlling power consumption of a voltage regulator in a computer system that includes computer memory and the voltage regulator is configured to provide regulated source voltage to the computer memory includes: receiving, by a voltage regulator controller, memory margin statistics of the computer memory, the memory margin statistics including data describing operational tolerance of the computer memory to source voltage signal variations; and adjusting, by the voltage regulator controller, one or more operating characteristics of the voltage regulator in dependence upon the memory margin statistics.

Controlling power consumption of a voltage regulator in a computer system

A method of controlling the inrush current to a hot plug device. The method includes directing current from an input power rail of the hot plug device to an output power rail of the hot plug device through a high impedance auxiliary current path, wherein an electronic subsystem of the hot plug device is coupled to the output power rail. The method further includes allowing current from the input power rail to pass through a plurality of main turn on FETs to the output power rail in response to the output power rail having a voltage that exceeds a voltage threshold as a result of directing current through the high impedance auxiliary current path.

Hot plug device providing turn on FETs with a softstart capability

A method includes performing operations on a compute node including a plurality of processors each having a local PCI processing element and a local processor interconnect, wherein the local processor interconnect of each processor is connected to the local processor interconnect of at least one other processor. The method further includes identifying a PCI device that is directly attached to the local PCI processing element of a first one of the processors and positioned in an upstream airflow direction from the first processor. The operating system monitors the PCI device and, in response to determining that the PCI device is performing a power-intensive operation, directs operations away from the first processor to a second one of the processors, wherein the local processor interconnect of the second processor is directly connected to the processor interconnect of the first processor.

Minimizing thermal impacts of local-access PCI devices

A hot plug device includes an electronic subsystem and a plurality of main turn on FETs, wherein each main turn on FET includes a gate, a power input for coupling to a power source, and an output for controllably providing power to the electronic subsystem. An auxiliary current path is in parallel with the main turn on FETs and includes a fuse, an impedance element and an auxiliary turn on FET. A turn on controller controls the main turn on FETs and the auxiliary turn on FET. Current is initially through the high impedance auxiliary current path to apply voltage to an output power rail. Subsequently, current is allowed to pass through a plurality of main turn on FETs to the output power rail in response to the output power rail having a voltage exceeding a voltage threshold as a result of using the high impedance auxiliary current path.

Growing community of inventors

Research Triangle Park, NC, United States of America

Brian Christopher Totten