Cisco Technology, Inc.

Other

Douglas Paul Arduini

Joel Richard Goergen

Sung Kee Baek

Chad M Jones

Richard Anthony O'Brien

Jason DeWayne Potterf

Ruqi Li

George Zimmerman

James C McGill

Jonathan Lee Smith

Daniel Lee Barsotti

Jessica Kiefer

M Baris Dogruoz

Xiqun Zhu

Elizabeth Kochuparambil

Marc Henry Mantelli

Richard Anthony O′Brien

John Beecroft

George Allan Zimmerman

A power distribution unit (PDU) includes a housing configured to be mounted into or on a rack that has a plurality of shelf positions for a variety of computing equipment, networking equipment or data storage equipment. The PDU includes power inputs. The power inputs are configured to receive one or more of: alternating current (AC) power, high voltage direct current (DC) power, single-phase fault managed power, or multi-phase fault managed power. The PDU further includes at least one fault managed power module configured to be contained in the housing, the at least one fault managed power module including a power transmitter configured to generate single-phase or multi-phase fault managed power from the AC power and/or high voltage DC power. The PDU also includes a plurality of connectors on the housing and configured to provide cable connections to one or more of the plurality of shelf positions of the rack.

Fault managed power in a power distribution unit

Techniques are provided to synchronize a remote power switch at a power receiver end of a power cable with a first power switch operation at a power source end of the cable, without any physical or data communication means for synchronization. This process may involve synchronization of a MOSFET-type switch with voltage pulsing at the power source cable end to a MOSFET-type isolation switch at the power receiver cable end to provide (voltage or load) power during the On-time and safety testing for a shock hazard during the Off-time. This method synchronizes switching pulses by sensing and synchronizing on the cable switching voltage transients from the source side. This method also involves blanking the additional switching voltage transients on the cable generated after the synchronized switching begins to maintain proper synchronization. These techniques may be used for a single-pair pulse power cable or with multi-pair multi-phase pulse power cables.

Remote switch synchronization for pulse power and fault managed power (FMP) applications

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving low voltage pulse power from power sourcing equipment at a powered device, synchronizing the powered device with a waveform of the low voltage pulse power received from the power sourcing equipment, and operating the powered device with high voltage pulse power received from the power sourcing equipment.

Initialization and synchronization for pulse power in a network system

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving at a remote network device, power and data from a central network device, wherein the power is used to power the remote network device, performing auto-negotiation with the central network device, wherein the auto-negotiation includes operating the remote network device in a low voltage mode during fault sensing of a power circuit at the remote network device, and selecting a power operating mode, wherein selecting the power operating mode includes selecting a high voltage mode if no fault is detected during the fault sensing, the high voltage mode comprising DC (direct current) pulse power. An apparatus is also disclosed herein.

High power and data delivery in a communications network with safety and fault protection

In one embodiment, a method includes transmitting pulse power on two wire pairs, the pulse power comprising a plurality of high voltage pulses with the high voltage pulses on the wire pairs offset between the wire pairs to provide continuous power, performing low voltage fault detection on each of the wire pairs between the high voltage pulses, and transmitting data on at least one of the wire pairs during transmittal of the high voltage pulses. Data transmittal is suspended during the low voltage fault detection.

Transmission of pulse power and data in a communications network

In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a power supply operable to output power to a load along with at least one other power supply, a sensing component for identifying a load level, and a control component for switching the power supply from a full power mode to a power saving mode based on the identified load level. The power supply shares current with the other power supply at a lower current and generally the same voltage as the other power supply while in the power saving mode.

Method and apparatus for efficient power delivery in power supply system

Techniques are provided for detecting a fault across a pair of lines. Pulse power is applied across the pair of lines. The pulse power comprises alternating pulse on-time intervals and pulse off-time intervals. During a pulse off-time interval, a resistor is connected across the pair of lines and then disconnected when a voltage across the pair of lines reaches a first droop percentage in a first period of time. After disconnecting the resistor, it is determined whether the voltage across the pair of lines droops at least a second droop percentage within a second period of time that begins after the first period of time. Occurrence of a line-to-line fault across the pair of lines is determined when the voltage across the pair of lines droops by at least the second droop percentage or more within the second period of time.

Fault managed power with dynamic and adaptive fault sensor

In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises an input power interface for receiving input power, a power control system for transmitting DC (Direct Current) pulse power on multiple phases over a cable to a plurality of powered devices and verifying cable operation during an off-time of pulses in the DC pulse power, and a cable interface for delivery of the DC pulse power on the multiple phases and data over the cable to the powered devices. A method for transmitting multiple phase pulse power is also disclosed herein.

Multiple phase pulse power in a network communications system

In one embodiment, a method includes identifying at a first powered device in communication with power sourcing equipment, a second powered device in communication with the first powered device, wherein the first powered device is receiving high voltage pulse power from the power sourcing equipment, notifying the power sourcing equipment of the second powered device at the first powered device, and performing a low voltage power initialization at the first powered device with the second powered device before passing the high voltage pulse power to the second powered device.

Implementations are described for a modular power distribution unit (PDU) for a rack-mountable power tray or power shelf. The modular PDU includes a housing defining an input face and an opposing output face, and a plurality of power cables extending to the input face. The modular PDU further includes one or more second power connectors arranged at the output face, and distribution circuitry configured to distribute power from a first power bus and a second power bus to the one or more second power connectors. The modular PDU further includes one or more fasteners configured to attach the output face of the housing to the face of the power tray or power shelf, wherein the one or more second power connectors are retained in a coupled configuration with the one or more first power connectors.

Modular and pluggable PDU to power tray/shelf device

In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a power adapter configured for direct connection to a Power Supply Unit (PSU) installed in a network device, the power adapter comprising a power input port for receiving power on an Ethernet cable, a power converter module for converting the power received at the power input port to a PSU input power, and a power output connector for connection with a PSU power input connector.

Power adapter for power supply unit

In one embodiment, and apparatus includes an electrical socket for connection with an electrical plug, a sensor for identifying a secure connection between the electrical socket and the electrical plug, and an electronic controller electrically coupled to the electrical socket and comprising a power input for receiving power. The electronic controller is operable to transmit power to the electrical socket upon receiving a signal from the sensor identifying the secure connection between the electrical socket and the electrical plug and shut off or turn on power to the electrical socket upon receiving an external input to the electronic controller. A method is also disclosed herein. The apparatus and method provide an electronic controlled power switch or circuit breaker safety device.

Growing community of inventors

San Ramon, CA, United States of America

Douglas Paul Arduini