Dell Products Inc.

Mehran Mirjafari

Lei Wang

Shiguo Luo

Mark A Muccini

Guangyong Zhu

Ashish Razdan

John J Breen

Stuart Allen Berke

Bhavesh Govindbhai Patel

Ralph H Johnson

Kunrong Wang

Hang Li

Padmanabh R Gharpure

John Erven Jenne

Wei Zhu Chen

Kejiu Zhang

Wayne Kenneth Cook

Scott Michael Ramsey

William Draper

John Evren Jenne

Ralph J Johnson, Iii

A power system may include a plurality of voltage regulator phases each configured to generate an output voltage at its output from an input voltage, a switched capacitor power converter sharing its output with the outputs of the plurality of voltage regulator phases and configured to, when enabled, generate the output voltage at its output from the input voltage, and a power controller configured to selectively enable and disable the switched capacitor power converter based on electrical current requirements of the power system.

Systems and methods for providing peak current assistance to a voltage regulator using a switched capacitor converter

Systems and methods for configurable voltage regulator (VR) controllers. In some embodiments, an Information Handling System (IHS) may include: a processor; and a voltage regulator (VR) coupled to the processor, the VR configured to: identify, via a VR controller, a number of phases coupled to the voltage regulator in response to detection of a power-on-reset event; and select, via the VR controller, one of a plurality of different configuration files to be applied to the voltage regulator in response to the identification.

Configurable voltage regulator controllers

A voltage regulator includes power stages and a controller. The power stages are configured to provide power to a load in response to a pulse-width modulated (PWM) signal and to provide a body braking to the load in response to a body braking signal. The body braking is provided via a body diode of the power stage. The controller is configured to provide the PWM signals to a first power stage and a second power stage based upon a power demand of the load, to provide body braking signals to the first power stage and the second power stage in response to an over-voltage condition on the load, and to suspend the first body braking signal to the first power stage and maintain the second body braking signal to the second power stage, in response to an over-temperature condition on the first power stage.

System and method for robust body braking control to suppress transient voltage overshoot

An information handling system includes a voltage regulator control circuit having a programming resistor input pin for receiving an input from a programming resistor and an ammeter input for receiving a current value. A power source provides power to a load circuit coupled to the power source via a non-remote-sensing power connection. In accordance with at least one embodiment, the voltage regulator control circuit assures a reliable input to an overvoltage protection circuit of the voltage regulator control circuit regardless of states of connections of the load circuit to the power source.

Configurable voltage drop compensation method and apparatus for voltage regulators

Systems and methods for individual phase temperature monitoring and balance control in a multi-phase voltage regulator may include a plurality of smart power stages including a first smart power stage and a second smart power stage and a voltage regulator controller. The voltage regulator controller may send a first control signal to the first smart power stage to enable the first smart power stage to send a first temperature of the first smart power stage to the voltage regulator controller during a first phase of a switching cycle. The voltage regulator controller may also determine that the first temperature received by the voltage regulator controller corresponds to the first smart power stage based on the first control signal. The voltage regulator controller may further send a second control signal to the second smart power stage to enable the second smart power stage to send a second temperature to the voltage regulator controller during a second phase.

Individual phase temperature monitoring and balance control for smart power stage-based voltage regulator

A power supply unit includes a rectifying module to rectify an alternating current (AC) voltage, a first bulk capacitor to receive the rectified AC voltage from the rectifying module, a first transistor coupled in series with the first bulk capacitor, an AC input monitoring circuit, and a current source. The AC input monitoring circuit holds the first transistor in an OFF state in response to a detection of an AC voltage dropout. The current source adopts an adaptive gate voltage to control the first transistor in response to a detection of the AC voltage being re-applied, and turns on the first transistor based on the adaptive gate voltage to limit a re-rush current within the power supply unit after the AC voltage is re-applied.

Power supply unit with re-rush current limiting

Systems and methods for achieving controlled load transition between power supplies and battery units are described. A method may include determining that a Power Supply Unit (PSU) coupled to an IHS via a power transmission interface is turned off; allowing a Backup Battery Unit (BBU) coupled to the IHS via the power transmission interface and in parallel with the PSU via a current sharing bus to supply all current consumed by the IHS via the power transmission interface while the PSU is turned off, where the PSU and the BBU are each configured to output a current sharing signal onto the current sharing bus that is indicative of the PSU's or BBU's current being supplied to the IHS via the power transmission interface; reducing a current sharing scaling factor of the BBU; determining that the PSU is turned back on; and increasing the current sharing scaling factor of the BBU.

System and method for achieving controlled load transition between power supplies and battery backup units

A power supply circuit includes a rectifier module configured to rectify an input voltage and a capacitor including a first terminal coupled to the rectifier module. In addition, the power supply circuit includes first and second transistors. The first transistor couples to a second terminal of the capacitor, and the second transistor couples in series to the first transistor. The power supply circuit also includes a resistor, configured to set an inrush current value, in parallel with the second transistor. When coupled to a power supply, the power supply circuit is configured to turn-on the first transistor such that an inrush current flows, at the inrush current value, through the capacitor, first transistor, and resistor. After a delay time, the power supply circuit is configured to turn-on the second transistor such that the inrush current drops to around zero, thus maintaining a low impedance path during steady-state operation.

Constant inrush current circuit for AC input power supply unit

In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a voltage rectifier may include an alternating-current-to-direct-current (AC/DC) converter configured to convert an alternating current (AC) source voltage to a first direct current (DC) voltage and a direct-current-to-direct-current (DC/DC) converter configured to convert the first DC voltage to a second DC voltage for delivery to a load of the voltage rectifier, wherein the DC/DC converter is configured to operate in a plurality of operating modes in response to a failure of the AC source voltage. The plurality of operating modes may include a first hold-up mode in which a gain of the DC/DC converter is a first gain and a second hold-up mode in which the gain of the DC/DC converter is a second gain.

Systems and methods for extension of power supply hold-up time

Systems and methods for achieving a linear load transition between power supplies and battery units are described. In some embodiments, a system may include a Power Supply Unit (PSU) coupled to an Information Handling System (IHS) via a power transmission interface; a Backup Battery Unit (BBU) coupled to the IHS via the power transmission interface in parallel with the PSU; and a controller within the BBU. The controller may be configured to determine that the PSU has turned off; allow the BBU to supply all current consumed by the IHS via the power transmission interface while the PSU is turned off; detect that the PSU has turned back on; and in response to the detection, reduce an internal reference of the BBU such that an output current of the BBU is decreased linearly and an output current of the PSU is increased linearly.

Linear load transition between power supplies and battery backup units

Systems and methods for providing multi-parameter current sharing are described. In some embodiments, a system may include an Information Handling System (IHS) and a plurality of Power Supply Unit (PSU) coupled to the IHS in a parallel configuration, a given PSU configured to: receive an indication of an output current provided by the given PSU and available to the IHS via a power transmission interface; and modify the output current using a current sharing signal calculated based upon two or more parameters of the system.

Multi-parameter current sharing

A power supply unit (PSU) performs a PSU fault diagnosis using a PSU fault detection module. The PSU fault detection module detects a diagnostic trigger event and initiates a series of checks of selected sub-systems. The PSU fault detection module determines whether the trigger event occurred while the PSU was connected within an information handling system (IHS) or physically removed from the IHS. If the trigger event occurred while the PSU was connected within an information handling system (IHS), the PSU fault detection module electrically isolates the PSU from the IHS using an ORing device, which blocks current flowing into the PSU. The PSU fault detection module determines whether a short circuit exists within the electrically isolated PSU. If a short circuit is identified, the PSU fault detection module determines that the PSU is not functioning properly and provides a notification of a malfunction of the PSU.

Safety-compliant PSU fault diagnosis mechanism to reduce PSU field returns

In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a power supply unit may comprise a plurality of output terminals configured to supply electrical energy to one or more information handling resources, a measurement module configured to measure one or more parameters indicative of an intermediate impedance between the power supply unit and at least one other power supply unit, and a microcontroller unit. The microcontroller unit may be configured to estimate an intermediate impedance based on the one or more parameters and communicate the intermediate impedance to a controller of an information handling system in which the power supply unit is disposed.

Systems and methods for power supply current share auto-tuning

In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a method may include communicating a first message to an information handling system such that receipt of the first message by the information handling system causes the information handling system to cause a power supply unit integral to the information handling system to experience a perturbation in an electrical current associated with the power supply unit and receiving a second message from a power distribution unit via an outlet integral to the power distribution unit, the second message indicative of a response to the perturbation of a measured electrical parameter of the outlet.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Mehran Mirjafari