Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for a power supply that is efficient in both high and low power conditions. An integrated power supply regulates current on a regulated bus to maintain a regulated bus voltage under varying load conditions. The integrated power supply includes a first power supply rated to provide full load power to the load and second power supply rated to provide power at levels below a minimum power threshold. The second power supply includes switching elements that have lower switching losses than switching elements of the first power supply. A sensing module measures power. A switching module starts up the second power supply and shuts down the first power supply if the measured power falls below the minimum power threshold, and starts up the first power supply and shuts down the second power supply if the measured power rises above the minimum power threshold.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for providing alternating current (“AC”) power redundancy in power supplies. A first input module is configured to receive a first AC power input waveform. A second input module is configured to receive a second AC power input waveform. A first switch and second switch are controlled by a switching logic module to select one of the AC power input waveforms for use by a power supply. If the first AC power input waveform is present, then it is selected for use. If both the first and second AC power input waveforms are present, then the first AC power input waveform is selected for use. If only the second AC power input waveform is present then it is selected for use.

Abstract: Battery charge management systems for charging a battery bank including a plurality of batteries connected in series are disclosed that include: a power source having a charging port, the power source capable of providing power to each battery in the battery bank; a multiplexer connected to the battery bank, the multiplexer capable of connecting the charging port to a single battery at a time and capable of switching the connection of the charging port to each battery in the battery bank; and a microcontroller connected to the multiplexer and operatively coupled to each battery in the battery bank, the microcontroller capable of receiving discharge data and charge data for each battery in the battery bank, the microcontroller capable of instructing the multiplexer to switch the connection of the charging port with each battery in dependence upon the discharge data and the charge data for that battery.

Abstract: An alternating current-to-direct current (AC-to-DC) power supply has a first stage providing a first DC voltage and a second stage providing a second DC voltage. The AC-to-DC power supply has a first efficiency at the first stage and a second efficiency at the second stage that is less than the first efficiency. The second DC voltage is also less than the first DC voltage. A blower is electrically connected to the first stage of the AC-to-DC power supply to receive the first DC voltage from the AC-to-DC power supply to power the blower. Electrical connection of the blower to the first stage of the AC-to-DC power supply instead of to the second stage of the AC-to-DC power supply wastes less power and is more efficient.

Abstract: A system includes a high-current junction, a voltage sensor, and a controller. Power connectors of two components are electrically connected at the high-current junction, where a high current passes between the two components at the high-current junction. The voltage sensor detects a voltage at the high-current junction. The controller performs a predetermined action in response to the voltage sensor detecting the voltage at the high-current junction being greater than a predetermined threshold voltage. The system may be a data center rack. The high-current junction may be the junction at which an alternating current (AC) input receives AC power from AC mains. The high-current junction may alternatively be the junction at which a power supply receives the AC power from the AC input to generate direct current (DC) power to provide to data center rack components insertable within the data center rack.

Abstract: A system includes an electrical component, a MOV, a voltage sensor, and a circuit. The MOV is connected in parallel to the electrical component. The voltage sensor detects a voltage over the MOV and the electrical component. The circuit removes power in response to the voltage sensor detecting the voltage over the MOV and the electrical component being greater than a threshold voltage for a length of time greater than a threshold length of time. Removing power prevents the MOV from releasing one or more of smoke, smell, and sound. The MOV is thus not damaged as a result of a power surge. The system may be a power supply, or another type of electrical system. The electrical component may be a capacitor, or another type of electrical component.

Abstract: Systems and methods that provide power redundancy to a computer system without increasing the number of independent power supplies used. A system having N computing modules may have power redundancy using N power supplies, where each of the N power supplies are able to supply more power than required by an associated computing module, and where all but one (N?1) of the power supplies collectively can immediately supply power to any one of the computing modules when the power supply associated with that computing module fails.

Abstract: An apparatus for error checking in a power supply includes a power module that determines that the power supply is in a self-test condition. The self-test condition involves the power supply being connected to an input power source while it is disconnected from the electronic load that it normally services. A load module connects an internal test load to the power supply when the power supply is in self-test condition, and an error checking module performs error check operations on the power supply while it is connected to the test load. The apparatus also includes a notify module that actuates an indicator when the error checking module determines that there are one or more faults in the power supply. The apparatus may also include a log module for storing error messages and reports in non-volatile memory.

Abstract: The present invention provides one single chip solution for a non-isolated DC-DC regulator. The advantage is high reliability, lower cost and smaller space on the motherboard. This integrated solution opens the door for a distributed architecture with few millimeter high 1?×1? regulator. Such regulators could be populated as QFP ICs are on all system boards. The present invention is based on a single VRM chip, PBGA multilayer board with processor signal pads and power points. The multilayer board periphery has SMD components such as ceramic capacitors, ICs, MOSFETs and a rectangular metal heat sink along with ferrite cores which sandwich the multilayer board and SMDs to form inductors for the multiphase solution.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for event, time, and failure state recording in a power supply. Disclosed is a power supply that receives AC voltage as an input and provides regulated DC voltage as an output; a microcontroller integrated into the power supply that regulates output voltage and monitors, records, and reports operating conditions of the power supply; and a non-volatile solid-state storage that can be repeatedly read from, written to, and erased by the microcontroller and integrated within the microcontroller such that only a single address is needed to access both the microcontroller and the solid-state storage, the solid-state storage configured to store operating data received from the microcontroller, the operating data including the recorded operating conditions of the power supply.

Abstract: A load module determines that a load of an electronic device is operating at a power level below a predetermined power threshold. The electronic device is configured to receive power simultaneously from two or more redundant power supplies. Each redundant power supply configured to receive input power from one or more power sources and configured to provide regulated output power to the load of the electronic device. A disconnection module disconnects at least one of the two or more redundant power supplies from the one or more power sources in response to the load module determining that the load of the electronic device is operating at a power level below the predetermined power threshold.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for an adaptive high efficiency switching power supply. The switching power supply has a regulation stage with a stage controller that operates to regulate a voltage of the regulation stage relative to a reference voltage. A power detection module detects an amount of power used by the switching power supply. A low power module determines if the power supply is operating below a minimum power capacity threshold. A stage voltage adjustment module adjusts the reference voltage from a high power reference voltage to a low power reference voltage in response to the low power module determining that the power supply is operating below the minimum power capacity threshold. The low power reference voltage causes a regulated voltage adjustment such that the switching power supply operates more efficiently below the minimum power threshold.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for safely connecting a device to a power source. The invention includes a power bus switch that operates to selectively allow operational power to flow from a power supply to a load. The operational power is independent of auxiliary power which may be separately provided to the load. A detection module determines whether an input impedance of the load is greater than a minimum impedance threshold in response to the load being connected to the power supply. A switch module causes the power bus switch to allow operational power to flow to the load in response to the detection module determining that the input impedance is greater than the minimum impedance threshold. Thus, if the load has an acceptable input impedance level, then operational power may be provided to the load without risk of failure to the power system.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for a switching power supply with high efficiency near zero load conditions. A power detection module detects power provided to a load. The switching power supply is capable of operating in a zero voltage switching mode. The power detection module detects when the load power falls below a minimum power threshold. A low load power control module operates the switching power supply in a low load mode if the power detection module detects that the power to the load is below the minimum power threshold. The low load mode includes operating the power supply in zero voltage switching mode in response to an output voltage of the power supply falling below a regulation voltage threshold. The low load mode includes turning off switching of the power supply in response to the output voltage of the power supply rising above the regulation voltage threshold.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for measuring voltage, current, and power in a power supply. The apparatus consists of a voltage measuring module which measures the peak voltage through an inductor in a switching power supply stage of the power supply for a portion of the switching period. A current measuring module measures the peak current in the switching power supply stage for a portion of the switching period. The measured currents and voltages are proportional to the voltage and current at a point in the power supply where a power measurement is desired. The voltage and current values are multiplied along with a constant to provide an accurate measure of the power at a point in the power supply. The constant generally includes a combination of a calibration constant, an RMS conversion factor, a voltage conversion factor, and a current conversion factor.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for fault tolerant cooling in a redundant power system. The apparatus receives power from a common power bus to power one or more power supply fans. The apparatus detects a non-functioning redundant power supply. The apparatus receives a fan control signal within a non-functioning redundant power supply. In addition, the apparatus uses the received fan control signal to synchronize a fan speed of a power supply fan within the non-functioning redundant power supply. The fan speed is synchronized with at least one fan control signal of a power supply fan within a functioning redundant power supply. Thus, the power supply fans of a non-functioning power supply continue to operate and are synchronized with power supply fans in functioning power supplies.

Abstract: A load module determines that a load of an electronic device is operating at a power level below a predetermined power threshold. The electronic device is configured to receive power simultaneously from two or more redundant power supplies. Each redundant power supply configured to receive input power from one or more power sources and configured to provide regulated output power to the load of the electronic device.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for providing high efficiency in a power supply over a range of load conditions. The apparatus includes a condition module that determines whether the power supply is in a high load state or a low load state. A high load module ensures that the load receives power through the power supply's high load power train if the load state is the high load state. A low load module ensures that the load receives power through the power supply's low load power train if the load state is the low load state. The high load power train is optimized for efficiency under high power conditions, while the low load power train is optimized for efficiency under low power conditions. The power supply thus operates with the most efficient power train for the particular load conditions, improving the net efficiency of the power supply.

Abstract: A positive temperature coefficient device is configured in parallel with a bypass switch and implemented at an input to a switching regulation stage of a switching power supply. A monitoring module determines that a voltage across the regulation switch in the switching power supply is below a predefined threshold voltage for greater than a predefined threshold time period. A control module controls operation of the bypass switch. The control module opens the bypass switch in response to the monitoring module determining that the voltage across the regulation switch is below the predefined threshold voltage for greater than the predefined threshold time period such that substantially all of the current entering the switching regulation stage passes through the PTC device. By causing substantially all of the current to pass through the PTC device, the device will enter a high impedance state thereby preventing smoke and smell from occurring.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for determining power source failure. A sampling module samples an alternating current power waveform as input to a power supply, at a sampling frequency which is a multiple of a predetermined frequency, to obtain a sampled amplitude at a known point within the predetermined period. A comparison module compares the sampled amplitude to a stored threshold amplitude to obtain a comparison result, corresponding to the known point. An accumulation module accumulates most recent comparison results. A warning module asserts an early power off warning signal if a predetermined number of the most recent comparison results each indicate that the sampled amplitude is smaller in absolute value than the stored threshold amplitude.