Data General Corporation

Emc Corporation

Ulrich B Goerke

Mark S Pieper

Phillip John Roux

Peter G Marshall

Described are a system and method of testing connectivity between a main power supply and a standby power supply. The system includes a processor, a main power supply, and a standby power supply. The processor issues a command to the standby power supply to provide dc power to main power supply. The standby power supply switches from providing ac power to providing dc power to the main power supply in response to the command. The main power supply, in response to receiving dc power from the standby power supply, provides a communication that operates to indicate to the processor that the main power supply is receiving dc power from the standby power supply in response to the command.

System and method of testing connectivity between a main power supply and a standby power supply

A MOSFET, an op-amp, a comparator circuit, and voltage dividers with capacitors are employed in combination to effectuate a soft-start switch with current limiting. The transconductance of the MOSFET is employed so that no sense resistor is required. The MOSFET and op-amp are configured as a closed-loop feedback circuit in which the output of the op-amp is coupled to the gate of the MOSFET and the inverting input of the op-amp is coupled to the output of the soft-start switch via a voltage divider. A first RC circuit provides a voltage to the non-inverting input of the op-amp which can be triggered to gradually rise from a value close to zero to some reference voltage so as to soft-start a load. Current limiting means are effectuated by a comparator circuit and voltage dividers with capacitors. The current limiting means brings the MOSFET to an OFF state and the non-inverting input of the op-amp close to zero volts if the op-amp charges a second RC circuit so that the voltage drop across its capacitor exceeds a pre-determined limit-reference, and also, once the current limiting means brings the MOSFET to the OFF state, the current limiting means allows the soft-start switch to begin a soft-start power-up after a pre-determined time dependent upon the time constant of the second RC circuit.

Soft-start switch with voltage regulation and current limiting

A MOSFET, an op-amp, a comparator circuit, and voltage dividers with capacitors are employed in combination to effectuate a soft-start switch with current limiting. The transconductance of the MOSFET is employed so that no sense resistor is required. The MOSFET and op-amp are configured as a closed-loop feedback circuit in which the output of the op-amp is coupled to the gate of the MOSFET and the inverting input of the op-amp is coupled to the output of the soft-start switch via a voltage divider. A first RC circuit provides a voltage to the non-inverting input of the op-amp which can be triggered to gradually me from a value close to zero to some reference voltage so as to soft-start a load. Current limiting means are effectuated by a comparator circuit and voltage dividers with capacitors. The current limiting means brings the MOSFET to an OFF state and the non-inverting input of the op-amp close to zero volts if the op-amp charges a second RC circuit so that the voltage drop across its capacitor exceeds a pre-determined limit-reference, and also, once the current limiting means brings the MOSFET to the OFF state, the current limiting means allows the soft-start switch to begin a soft-start power-up after a pre-determined time dependent upon the time constant of the second RC circuit.

The invention electronically identifies whether a computer module board is placed in the correct mechanical slot in a computer frame. A conductive line is connected to at least one electronic connector location in each mechanical slot in a computer frame. A computer module has open circuit electrical connectors which if put in the correct slot will mate with the locations in the slot in the frame which are connected to the conductive line. The other electrical connections which are used for identification are connected to a ground plane in the computer module board. A voltage source is connected through a resistor to a conductive line in the computer frame producing a high signal. If any computer module board engaged in a slot of the computer frame is in the incorrect slot, a low signal will be caused indicating the fault. The fault signal will be supplied to a power supply controller which prevents operating power from being provided to the computer boards.

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Boylston, MA, United States of America

Ulrich B Goerke