Abstract: A multiphase voltage regulator device (VRD) includes powerstages coupled in parallel between a power input and a voltage regulator power output, each powerstage including a power output stage and a control circuit connected to the power output stage. The VRD further includes a controller connected with the control circuit of each powerstage and a plurality of current sensors, wherein each current sensor measures the amount of current passing through the power output stage of one of the powerstages. The controller is configured to assert a hard short signal to the control circuit of one or more powerstage in response to the measured amount of current passing through any of the powerstages being greater than a predetermined current threshold. Upon receiving the hard short signal, the control circuit is configured to hold the output power stage of the powerstage in a hard short condition by connecting the power input to ground.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring and managing electrical conduits of power delivery systems are disclosed. According to an aspect, a system includes electrical conduction sensors that are each configured for operative connection to one electrical conduit among electrical conduits of a power delivery system. Each electrical conduction sensor is configured to detect whether electrical conduction of its respective electrical conduit meets a predetermined criterion. The system also includes a power delivery manager configured to implement a predetermined action in response to detection, by one of the electrical conduction sensors, that electrical conduction of its respective electrical conduit meets the predetermined criterion.

Abstract: A network cable is disclosed. The network cable includes a plurality of network cable conductors. The plurality of network cable conductors include a first end and a second end. The network cable includes a connector coupled to the first end of the network cable conductors. The connector is configured to engage with a jack. The network cable includes a fiber-optic cable attached to the plurality of network cable conductors along a length of the plurality of network cable conductors. The fiber-optic cable includes a first end positioned on the connector to align with a light source adjacent to the jack. Light from the light source is transmitted within the fiber-optic cable to a second end of the fiber-optic cable opposite to the first end.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A method for detecting a cooling element type includes determining a quantity of cooling elements for a computing device. Each of the cooling elements is of a cooling element type. The method includes causing each cooling element to operate at a test pulse width modulation (“PWM”) value. Each cooling element is controlled using PWM. The method includes measuring a total current draw of the cooling elements and comparing the total current draw to each of a predicted current draw at the test PWM value of a quantity of cooling elements of a particular cooling element type. The quantity of cooling elements of each of the cooling element types matches the determined quantity of the plurality of cooling elements. The method includes determining, based on the comparing, whether each of the plurality of cooling elements are of a same cooling element type or are of a mixture of cooling element types.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A method includes sensing, using a current sensing circuit of a voltage regulator, an apparent amount of current output from the voltage regulator and identifying a present value of at least one operating parameter for the voltage regulator. The method further includes determining at least one current sense correction factor as a function of the identified present value of the at least one operating parameter, and calculating a corrected amount of current output from the voltage regulator as a function of the apparent amount of the current output and the at least one current sense correction factor. Still further, the method includes reporting the corrected amount of current to an integrated circuit that receives current output from the voltage regulator. The method may be performed in an apparatus, such as a server, that includes the voltage regulator, a baseboard management controller, and the integrated circuit.

Abstract: A power supply and a server are disclosed. The power supply includes a voltage regulator (VR) and a control circuit (CC). The CC monitors the voltage on a power output of the VR, and enables the VR to supply power to the power output in response to the voltage on the power output being less than a threshold voltage level. The CC receives power from a power source even after the VR has been disabled. A server may include the power supply and the CC, as well as a CPU for executing an operating system (OS) and a baseboard management module for receive a virtual reseat request (VRR), request shutdown of the operating system in response to the VRR, enable the CC in response to the VRR, determine whether the OS has shut down, and disable the power supply in response to determining the OS has shut down.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.