International Business Machines Corporation

Richard P Southers

Brian Alan Trumbo

Christopher Landon Wood

Michael Sven Miller

Challis Llewellyn Purrington

Christopher Collier West

Michael Leo Scollard

Steven E Howell

Henry Gaines McMillan

Andrew S Heinzmann

Cynthia Michelle Grosser

Susan Pohl Wise

Michael J Huck

Troy S Voytko

Christopher C Moody

Courtney Long

Terry L Sawyers

The present invention is directed to the detection of faulty CPU heat sink coupling during system power-up. A method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes: monitoring a slope of a CPU temperature rise from initial system power-up; determining if the slope of the CPU temperature rise exceeds an expected value; and in the case that the slope of the CPU temperature rise exceeds the expected value, indicating an existence of a possible fault (PFA) related to a heat sink coupled to the CPU.

Detecting faulty CPU heat sink coupling during system power-up

A computer has at least one adapter card slot for receiving an optional adapter card. A cover plate is rotatable hinged and has open and closed positions. In the closed position, the cover plate covers the adapter card slot and inhibits the insertion or removal of an adapter card. When the cover plate is raised into the open position, a tab on the back of the cover plate is rotated out of the slot of an optical switch, and the optical switch then signals circuitry to remove power and bus signals from the adapter card slot; thereby permitting the adapter card to be removed from or inserted into the slot without removing power to the entire computer. When the cover plate is returned to the closed position, the tab is reinserted into the slot of the optical switch, which in turn signals the circuitry to return power and bus signals to the adapter card slot. A locking tab firmly clamps the adapter card bracket to the housing bracket; thereby providing a good ground connection from the adapter card to the computer housing.

Hot plug adapters using optical switches

Growing community of inventors

Durham, NC, United States of America

Richard P Southers