Hot-plug power supply for high-availability computer systems
US6044424A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 5, 1997 |
| Grant date | Mar 28, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 5, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F1/263
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system and method for minimizing disruption of operating power in a high-availability computer as new power supplies are hot-inserted. In the preferred embodiment, the high-availability computer includes a plurality hot-plug power supplies, a logic circuit system, and a power distribution system for distributing operating power from the power supplies to the logic circuit system. Preferably, the output capacitance of each power supply is significantly less than the total capacitance of the logic circuit system and the power distribution system, such that, as each power supply is hot-inserted into the computer, only a minute amount of electric charges will be transferred from the power distribution system and the logic circuit system to the power supply. As a small amount of charge transfer would generate only a small voltage drop, any glitch produced by hot-insertion would be significantly reduced. In order to compensate for an increased glitch recovery time attributable to the increased capacitance, the power supply of the present invention may use a poly-phase voltage regulator. Further, the computer system of the present invention may include a timer for indicating to the serv…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.