Device board, electronic device, and control method of device board

Abstract

The embodiment of the application discloses a kind of equipment board card, electronic equipment and the control method of equipment board card, belong to the technical field of board card.The equipment board card includes PSU, protection circuit, management controller, hardware controller and at least one sensor;Wherein, PSU is coupled with protection circuit, protection circuit is respectively coupled with management controller and hardware controller, and management controller is coupled with hardware controller;Sensor is used to send alarm signal to hardware controller in the case where the running state of equipment board card is determined to be abnormal;Hardware controller is used to send interrupt signal to management controller based on alarm signal;Hardware controller is also used to send shutdown signal to protection circuit in the case where management controller is not sent off signal in timeout condition.The embodiment of the application can effectively reduce the probability of equipment board card burning board phenomenon occurs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of circuit board technology, and in particular to a device circuit board, electronic device, and a control method for the device circuit board. Background Technology

[0002] In industrial use, servers often experience various types of board burnout, ranging from minor damage to electronic components to the entire server catching fire. Regardless of the type of burnout, it severely impacts the server's usability.

[0003] In related technologies, there are many reasons that can cause server board burnout. These include poor PCB (Printed Circuit Board) manufacturing processes, damaged or malfunctioning electronic components, operating environments exceeding component standards, poor connector contact, components reaching the end of their lifespan, and poor heat dissipation. Burnout is usually difficult to reproduce. Typically, the baseboard management controller sends a shutdown command to the programmable logic device (PLC), which then sends a shutdown signal to the protection circuit, thus stopping power supply to the server board.

[0004] However, the processing timeliness of the board management controller in the aforementioned related technologies is poor, and it cannot guarantee that the shutdown command will be sent to the programmable logic device in a timely manner, which may lead to the board burning out. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a device board, an electronic device, and a control method for the device board, effectively reducing the probability of device board burnout. The technical solution is as follows:

[0006] On one hand, this application provides a device board, which includes a power supply unit (PSU), a protection circuit, a management controller, a hardware controller, and at least one sensor; wherein the PSU is coupled to the protection circuit, the protection circuit is coupled to both the management controller and the hardware controller, and the management controller is coupled to the hardware controller.

[0007] The sensor is used to send an alarm signal to the hardware controller when it determines that the operating status of the device board is abnormal.

[0008] The hardware controller is used to send an interrupt signal to the management controller based on the alarm signal. The interrupt signal is used to trigger the management controller to send a shutdown signal to the hardware controller if the abnormal data is successfully recorded.

[0009] The hardware controller is also configured to send a shutdown signal to the protection circuit if the management controller fails to send the shutdown signal within a timeout period. The shutdown signal is used to trigger the protection circuit to stop supplying power to the device board based on the PSU.

[0010] On the other hand, embodiments of this application provide an electronic device, which includes the device board as described above.

[0011] On the other hand, embodiments of this application provide a control method for a device board, the device board including a power supply unit (PSU), a protection circuit, a management controller, a hardware controller, and at least one sensor; wherein, the PSU is coupled to the protection circuit, the protection circuit is coupled to both the management controller and the hardware controller, and the management controller is coupled to the hardware controller;

[0012] The method includes:

[0013] When the sensor determines that the operating status of the device board is abnormal, it sends an alarm signal to the hardware controller.

[0014] The hardware controller sends an interrupt signal to the management controller based on the alarm signal. The interrupt signal is used to trigger the management controller to send a shutdown signal to the hardware controller if the abnormal data is successfully recorded.

[0015] If the management controller fails to send the shutdown signal within a timeout period, the hardware controller sends a shutdown signal to the protection circuit. The shutdown signal is used to trigger the protection circuit to stop supplying power to the device board based on the PSU.

[0016] The technical solution provided in this application can bring the following beneficial effects:

[0017] If the hardware controller does not receive a shutdown signal from the management controller within a timeout period, it directly sends a shutdown signal to the protection circuit instead of waiting for a response from the management controller. Compared to related technologies where the hardware controller waits to receive a shutdown signal from the management controller before sending a shutdown signal to the protection circuit, this embodiment can shut down the power supply to protect the device board before the board burns out, effectively reducing the probability of the board burning out. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a device board provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a device board provided in another embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a current sensor provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a temperature sensor provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a hardware controller provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of an electronic device provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of a control method for a device board provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 8 This is a flowchart of a control method for a server board provided in one embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] Please refer to Figure 1 The diagram illustrates a schematic of a device board provided in one embodiment of this application. The device board 100 includes a PSU (Power Supply Unit) 110, a protection circuit 120, a management controller 130, a hardware controller 140, and at least one sensor 150; wherein the PSU is coupled to the protection circuit, the protection circuit is coupled to both the management controller and the hardware controller, and the management controller is coupled to the hardware controller.

[0029] A PSU is a device that supplies power to a device board. A PSU can provide a voltage of 12V or 48V. Of course, in other possible implementations, the PSU can also provide other voltage values, which are not limited in this application.

[0030] The protection circuit 120 is a circuit used to protect the equipment board 100. The protection circuit 120 acts as a main switch in the equipment board 100. If the protection circuit 120 is in the closed state, the equipment board 100 is in a power-off state.

[0031] Management controller 130 refers to a controller used to provide management functions. Management controller 130 can manage the operating status of electronic devices locally and remotely. Management controller 130 is a basic core functional subsystem of the electronic device, responsible for core functions such as hardware status management, operating system management, health status management, and power consumption management. The management controller is a small operating system independent of the electronic device system; it is a chip integrated on the device board.

[0032] Hardware controller 140 refers to a controller used to provide hardware control functions. For example, hardware controller 140 can be used to control chips (other than management controller 130) on device board 100. For instance, hardware controller 140 can be used to control the shutdown (or power-down) of chips on device board 100.

[0033] Sensor 150 refers to a device used to detect the operating status of a device board 100. For example, the sensor can be used to detect the operating status of the device board 100, such as current, voltage, or temperature. Exemplarily, at least one sensor 150 is coupled to a hardware controller 140. In this embodiment, the sensor is used to send an alarm signal to the hardware controller 140 when it is determined that the operating status of the device board 100 is abnormal. The alarm signal is used to indicate that the operating status of the device board 100 is abnormal.

[0034] For example, if the operating status includes current status, then the sensor can be a current sensor, which is used to send an alarm signal to the hardware controller when it is determined that the current of the device board is abnormal; as another example, if the operating status includes temperature status, then the sensor can be a temperature sensor, which is used to send an alarm signal to the hardware controller when it is determined that the temperature of the device board is abnormal.

[0035] Hardware controller 140 sends an interrupt signal to management controller 130 based on an alarm signal. This interrupt signal triggers management controller 130 to send a shutdown signal to hardware controller 140 upon successful recording of abnormal data. Upon receiving an alarm signal, hardware controller 140 sends an interrupt signal to management controller 130. Management controller 130 then accesses the sensor that identified the abnormality and successfully records the abnormal data. Upon successful recording, management controller 130 sends a shutdown signal to hardware controller 140, which triggers hardware controller 140 to send a shutdown signal to protection circuit 120.

[0036] The hardware controller 140 is also configured to send a shutdown signal to the protection circuit 120 if the management controller 130 fails to send a shutdown signal within a timeout period. The shutdown signal triggers the protection circuit 120 to stop supplying power to the device board 100 based on the PSU 110. Exemplarily, the shutdown signal triggers the protection circuit 120 to stop supplying power to chips (e.g., CPU, network chip, southbridge chip, northbridge chip, clock chip, etc.) on the device board 100 based on the PSU 110.

[0037] In related technologies, the management controller has poor timeliness and may freeze. If the hardware controller still sends a shutdown signal to the protection circuit only after receiving a shutdown signal from the management controller, the device board may have already been burned out. Therefore, in the embodiments of this application, the hardware controller sends a shutdown signal to the protection circuit when the management controller fails to send a shutdown signal within the time limit, which can effectively reduce the probability of the device board burning out. The power is turned off to protect the device board before the device board burns out.

[0038] For example, the aforementioned hardware controller may include a CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device). A CPLD consists of a fully programmable AND / OR array and a macrocell library. The AND / OR array is reprogrammable and capable of performing numerous logic functions. Macrocells are functional blocks that perform combinational or sequential logic, while also providing greater flexibility such as truth or two's complement output and feedback via different paths. CPLDs are suitable for implementing various operations and combinational logic. A single CPLD contains the equivalent of several PALs (Programmable Array Logic), and the interconnections between the PALs can be programmed.

[0039] For example, the aforementioned device board is a board in an electronic device, which may include terminals and servers. The terminal may include base stations, user equipment, or other devices, and the server may include cloud servers or ordinary servers. When the device board is a board in a server, the aforementioned management controller may include a BMC (Baseboard Management Controller). The BMC can manage the server's operating status locally and remotely, supports a visual console interface, and can easily perform hardware management and troubleshooting. The BMC is a basic core functional subsystem of the server, responsible for core functions such as server hardware status management, operating system management, health status management, and power consumption management. The BMC is a small operating system independent of the server system, a chip integrated on the device board.

[0040] It should be noted that the above description only uses CPLD as the hardware controller and BMC as the management controller as an example. In other possible implementations, the hardware controller and management controller in different electronic devices may be different, and this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0041] In summary, in the technical solution provided by this application embodiment, if the hardware controller does not receive a shutdown signal from the management controller within a timeout period, it directly sends a shutdown signal to the protection circuit instead of waiting for a response from the management controller. Compared to related technologies where the hardware controller waits to receive a shutdown signal from the management controller before sending a shutdown signal to the protection circuit, this application embodiment can shut down the power supply to protect the device board before the board burns out, effectively reducing the probability of the board burning out.

[0042] Please refer to Figure 2 This illustrates a schematic diagram of a device board provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0043] In illustrative embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, sensor 150 includes a temperature sensor 151 and a current sensor 152. Temperature sensor 151 is a temperature detection device that senses the temperature being measured and transforms the detected information into an electrical signal or other required form of information output that conforms to certain standards, thus satisfying the requirements of information transmission, processing, storage, display, recording, and control. Current sensor 152 is a current detection device that senses the current being measured and transforms the detected information into an electrical signal or other required form of information output that conforms to certain standards, thus satisfying the requirements of information transmission, processing, storage, display, recording, and control.

[0044] Temperature sensor 151 is used to detect whether the temperature of device board 100 is abnormal, and current sensor 152 is used to detect whether the current of device board 100 is abnormal. Exemplarily, the device board includes m temperature sensors 151 and n current sensors 152, where m and n are positive integers. Exemplarily, at the same time point, hardware controller 140 can receive (m+n) signals, which may or may not include alarm signals. In a possible implementation, alarm signals may include high-level signals (e.g., level "1"), and non-alarm signals may include low-level signals (e.g., level "0"). In this case, if hardware controller 140 receives a high-level signal, it can determine that an alarm signal has been received; if hardware controller receives a low-level signal, it can determine that a non-alarm signal has been received.

[0045] In the illustrative embodiment, the management controller 130 is coupled to at least one sensor 150. The management controller 130 can be coupled to at least one sensor via an I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) bus. The I2C bus is a serial bus composed of SDA (Serial Data) and SCL (Serial Clock), capable of sending and receiving data. The I2C bus interface is directly on the component, thus occupying very little space, reducing board space and the number of chip pins, and lowering interconnection costs. The management controller 130 is used to send the respective protection threshold of each of the at least one sensor 150 to the corresponding sensor. The sensor is used to send an alarm signal to the hardware controller 140 when it determines that the operating state of the device board 100 has reached the protection threshold. The protection threshold can be set according to the actual operating state of each power supply, with a certain margin. For example, the protection threshold may include 1.2-1.5 times the actual operating state (the actual operating state is the operating state measured when the device board is not malfunctioning). For example, if the operating state includes current status, then in the case of an actual operating state of 10A, the protection threshold can be 12A-15A; or, if the operating state includes temperature status, then in the case of an actual operating state of 50℃, the protection threshold can be 60℃-75℃. Of course, in other possible implementations, the protection threshold can be determined based on other methods, and this application embodiment does not limit this. In the illustrative embodiment, the management controller 130 sets the over-temperature protection point (when the sensor is a temperature sensor, the protection threshold can be called the over-temperature protection point) or over-current protection point (when the sensor is a current sensor, the protection threshold can be called the over-current protection point) for each temperature sensor and current sensor via the I2C bus, meaning that only over-current or over-temperature will trigger an alarm signal to the hardware controller 140. All sensors will send independent alarm signals to the hardware controller 140, and the hardware controller 140 can quickly locate the specific sensor after receiving the alarm signal.

[0046] For example, such as Figure 3The diagram illustrates a current sensor provided in an embodiment of this application. By connecting a precision resistor 310 in series in the load circuit, the current sensor 300 detects the voltage across the precision resistor 310, thereby calculating the current magnitude. Based on the current magnitude and a protection threshold, it determines whether an alarm signal needs to be sent to the hardware controller. Exemplarily, the current sensor can be placed in a location on the device board that is prone to generating large currents, or in a location on the device board that is prone to generating large power. Exemplarily, the current sensor can be placed based on a chip area; for example, a current sensor can be placed in the area corresponding to a fan, and / or, in the area corresponding to a backplane, and / or, in the area corresponding to a network card. A0A1 is used to indicate the device address; different device addresses correspond to different values ​​for A0A1.

[0047] For example, such as Figure 4 The diagram illustrates a temperature sensor provided in an embodiment of this application. By placing the temperature sensor 400 in a localized hot spot location, localized hot spots on the PCB (Printed Circuit Board) are detected. When the temperature reaches a protection threshold, the temperature sensor 400 triggers an alarm signal. For example, the temperature sensor can be placed in the area corresponding to the air outlet or air inlet, and / or, it can be placed in a location on the device board where a large current is likely to be generated.

[0048] For example, embodiments of this application can simultaneously monitor current sensors and temperature sensors at various locations on the device board, effectively mitigating the problem of overheating and board burnout due to localized micro-short circuits on the PCB. The normal operating temperature of the board should be below 60 degrees Celsius, but burnout requires at least 150 degrees Celsius, thus providing sufficient margin and reducing the likelihood of false triggering. Furthermore, by first monitoring the current, and if the current is too high, then confirming the temperature overheating again using the corresponding temperature sensor, and only triggering power-down protection if both are confirmed, the probability of false triggering can be reduced. In this case, if the current sensor determines that the current of the device board has reached the protection threshold, it sends an alarm signal to the hardware controller. After receiving the alarm signal, the hardware controller waits for a period of time to confirm whether it has received an alarm signal from the temperature sensor located at the same position as the current sensor. If the hardware controller receives the alarm signal from the temperature sensor, it then sends an interrupt signal to the management controller, further reducing the probability of false triggering. Since it takes time for the temperature to rise, the hardware controller needs to wait for a period of time. This waiting time can be set by the technicians. For example, the waiting time can be 2ms. The waiting time should not be too long. If it is too long, the device board may burn out before the alarm signal from the temperature sensor is received. Therefore, the waiting time needs to be set reasonably.

[0049] For example, the embodiments of this application are no longer limited to the number of integrated sensor channels. If independent current sensors and temperature sensors are used, the sensors can be placed as close as possible to the monitored power supply or temperature source, thereby reducing the risk of noise coupling due to excessively long sensor lines.

[0050] The current sensor provided in this application embodiment can be used to simultaneously monitor the real-time power consumption of various parts of the entire electronic device, enabling monitoring of the current and power consumption of each 12V or 48V power supply, thus providing a more convenient understanding of the power consumption distribution of the entire electronic device. Additionally, a temperature sensor can be used to simultaneously monitor the real-time temperature of various parts of the electronic device, allowing for refined fan speed control strategies, thereby reducing the overall power consumption of the electronic device.

[0051] In an illustrative embodiment, the protection circuit 120 includes an electronic switch 121 and an electronic switch controller 122. The electronic switch 121 and the electronic switch controller 122 are coupled; the electronic switch 121 is coupled to the PSU 110; and the electronic switch controller 122 is coupled to a hardware controller 140. Specifically, the electronic switch controller 122 sends a shutdown enable signal to the electronic switch 121 upon receiving a shutdown signal from the hardware controller 140; the electronic switch 121, upon receiving the shutdown enable signal from the electronic switch controller 122, stops supplying power to the chips on the device board 100 based on the PSU 110.

[0052] For example, the electronic switch controller 122 may include an EFUSE (Electrical Fuse) controller, and the electronic switch 121 may include a MOSFET (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor).

[0053] In an illustrative embodiment, device board 100 also includes a VR (Voltage Regulator) 160. VR 160 is hardware used to convert the electrical energy provided by PSU 110 into usable voltages for the various chips on device board 100. VR 160 is coupled to the chips on device board 100. Exemplarily, different chips may require different operating voltages, so different chips may correspond to different VRs, and different operating voltages correspond to different VRs (that is, different VRs may convert to different operating voltages). For example, assuming the following operating voltages exist: 1.8V, 1.2V, 3.3V, and 0.9V, then the device board may have VR1 corresponding to 1.8V, VR2 corresponding to 1.2V, VR3 corresponding to 3.3V, and VR4 corresponding to 0.9V.

[0054] In a possible implementation, where the electronic switch 121 includes a MOSFET, the drain (D) terminal of the MOSFET is connected to the PSU 110, the source (S) terminal of the MOSFET is connected to the VR 160, and the gate (G) terminal of the MOSFET is connected to the electronic switch controller 122.

[0055] In illustrative embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, the hardware controller 140 includes an exception recording register 141, which is used to record alarm signals. The exception recording register 141 is coupled to the management controller 130 and at least one sensor 150. Upon receiving an interrupt signal, the management controller 130 accesses the exception recording register 141 to determine the target sensor among the at least one sensor 150. The target sensor is the sensor that determines the abnormal operating status of the device board; it accesses the target sensor, records, and saves the sensor data in the target sensor.

[0056] In an illustrative embodiment, if the management controller 130 fails to record abnormal data, after restarting, the management controller 130 re-accesses the abnormal recording register 141 to identify the target sensor; it then re-accesses the target sensor to record and save the sensor data in the target sensor. In practical applications, there may be a situation where the management controller 130 has not yet successfully recorded abnormal data, but the hardware controller 140 has already sent a shutdown signal to the protection circuit. That is, the time for the management controller 130 to record abnormal data exceeds the time for the hardware controller 140 to wait for the management controller 130 to respond. In this case, the management controller 130 can wait until restarting before re-accessing the abnormal recording register 141 to identify the target sensor; then it re-accesses the target sensor to record and save the sensor data in the target sensor, including the abnormal data. At this time, the abnormal recording register is a register with memory function. In a possible implementation, after the management controller successfully records abnormal data, it can send a deletion signal to the abnormal recording register, which is used to delete the alarm signal stored in the abnormal recording register.

[0057] In illustrative embodiments, such as Figure 5As shown, the hardware controller 140 includes an OR gate circuit 142. Each input terminal of the OR gate circuit 142 is coupled to a corresponding sensor among at least one of the sensors 150, and the output terminal of the OR gate circuit 142 is coupled to the management controller 130. The OR gate circuit 142 is used to send an interrupt signal to the management controller 130 upon receiving an alarm signal from any of the at least one sensor. For example, the OR gate circuit 140 sends an interrupt signal to the management controller 130 upon receiving an alarm signal from any one or more of the at least one sensors. The OR gate circuit 142 refers to a circuit used for performing an OR operation; for example, the OR gate circuit 142 refers to a circuit used for performing an OR operation on signals from sensors. Upon receiving an alarm signal, assuming the alarm signal includes a high-level signal, after the OR gate circuit 142 performs an OR operation on the alarm signal, the interrupt signal is also a high-level signal.

[0058] In an illustrative embodiment, the number of storage areas in the exception recording register 141 matches the number of inputs to the OR gate circuit 142, and the number of storage areas in the exception recording register 141 matches the number of sensors. That is, the exception recording register 141 is used to record signals from each sensor, which can be alarm signals or non-alarm signals. In a possible implementation, the exception recording register 141 is only used to record alarm signals. When the hardware controller receives an alarm signal, the hardware controller writes the alarm signal into the exception recording register and the corresponding storage area. The exception recording register 141 includes storage areas corresponding to each sensor, which can store the signals sent by each sensor. For example, still using the above example, assuming the number of sensors is (m+n), the exception recording register 141 can include (m+n) storage areas, and the OR gate circuit 142 can include (m+n) inputs.

[0059] In an illustrative embodiment, the hardware controller 140 is further configured to perform debouncing processing on the alarm signal to obtain a debouncing alarm signal. The debouncing processing is used to confirm whether the alarm signal is generated due to false triggering. If the debouncing alarm signal is used to indicate that the operating status of the device board is abnormal, an interrupt signal is sent to the management controller 130.

[0060] For example, the hardware controller 140 can delay the alarm signal for a period of time (e.g., 1ms). If the alarm signal is still a high-level signal after the delay, the hardware controller 140 can determine that the alarm signal is not a signal generated by a false trigger and that the alarm signal is real and valid.

[0061] In an illustrative embodiment, the hardware controller 140 includes a timer 143. The hardware controller 140 is also configured to start the timer 143 upon receiving an alarm signal from the sensor 150; acquire the measurement duration of the timer 143; and send a shutdown signal to the protection circuit 120 when the measurement duration of the timer 143 reaches a preset duration.

[0062] For example, timer 143 is coupled to management controller 130, which can send heartbeats to timer 143. If management controller 130 is in an abnormal state, timer 143 will not receive heartbeat signals from management controller 130.

[0063] After all alarm signals are sent to the hardware controller 140, they are processed, generating an interrupt that is sent to the management controller 130. Simultaneously, the hardware controller 140 starts timer 143 (also known as a watchdog timer) and records the alarm signal in the exception log register 141. Upon receiving the interrupt signal, the management controller 130 can query the exception log register 141 via the I2C interface to determine which temperature or current sensor detected the anomaly. It then reads more detailed status information from the corresponding sensor and records and saves the log. Finally, via the I2C interface, the hardware controller first shuts down the chips on the device board according to the normal power-down sequence, and then disables the protection circuit, thus preventing board burn-out. If the timer overflows during this process, the hardware controller 140 will directly shut down the chips according to the power-down sequence, regardless of whether the management controller 130 has finished recording the log or received a power-off signal from the management controller 130.

[0064] Because the hardware controller has a built-in timer, it can ensure that the server board will be shut down within a predetermined time if an overcurrent or overtemperature occurs, thereby reducing the probability that the server board cannot be protected if the management controller software crashes.

[0065] In a possible implementation, the hardware controller 140 is further configured to: upon receiving a power-off signal from the management controller 130, shut down the chips on the device board 100 according to the power-down sequence; and upon successfully shutting down the chips on the device board 100, send a shutdown signal to the protection circuit 120. For example, upon receiving a power-off signal from the management controller 130, the hardware controller 140 first powers down each chip on the device board 100 according to the power-down sequence, and after successfully powering down each chip, the hardware controller 140 sends a shutdown signal to the protection circuit 120.

[0066] In an illustrative embodiment, the management controller 130 is used to send a power-on signal to the hardware controller 140; the hardware controller 140 is also used to trigger a power-on sequence based on the power-on signal.

[0067] For example, after the management controller 130 starts up, it uses the I2C bus or GPIO (General Purpose Input) to... The general-purpose input / output interface (GPIO) sends a power-on signal to the hardware controller 140. The hardware controller 140 triggers the power-on sequence. At the same time, the management controller 130 sets the over-temperature protection points or over-current protection points of each temperature sensor and current sensor through the I2C bus, and masks other types of errors. That is, only over-current or over-temperature will trigger an alarm signal to the hardware controller 140. If the hardware controller 140 receives an alarm signal (the alarm signal sent by the current sensor can be called an over-current signal, and the alarm signal sent by the temperature sensor can be called an over-temperature signal), it will first perform debouncing to ensure that the protection process is not triggered erroneously. If the received alarm signal is confirmed to be real and valid, the hardware controller 140 will send an interrupt signal to the management controller 130 and start a timer 143 (e.g., 50ms). If the management controller 130 is hung or busy processing other business and cannot respond to the interrupt of the hardware controller 140, and does not trigger a shutdown signal, the hardware controller 140 can directly shut down according to the power-off sequence after the timer 143 expires. After receiving an interrupt, the management controller 130 can use the I2C bus to contact the hardware controller 140 to determine the specific sensor that malfunctioned, read the corresponding register information from the specific sensor, record the log, and finally use the I2C bus to command the hardware controller 140 to turn off the electronic switch.

[0068] For example, the sensor and hardware controller can be referred to as a detection circuit.

[0069] Please refer to Figure 6This illustration shows a schematic diagram of an electronic device provided in one embodiment of this application. The electronic device 600 includes the device board 100 as described in the above embodiment. Exemplarily, the electronic device may include a terminal and a server. The terminal may include a base station, user equipment, smartphone, tablet, laptop, desktop computer, smart speaker, smartwatch, or other device. The server may be an independent physical server, a server cluster or distributed system composed of multiple physical servers, or a cloud server providing basic cloud computing services such as cloud services, cloud databases, cloud computing, cloud functions, cloud storage, network services, cloud communication, middleware services, domain name services, security services, CDN (Content Delivery Network), and big data and artificial intelligence platforms, but is not limited thereto. The terminal and server can be directly or indirectly connected via wired or wireless communication, which is not limited herein.

[0070] Please refer to Figure 7 This document illustrates a flowchart of a control method for a device board provided in one embodiment of this application. This method can be applied to the device board described in the above embodiments. The device board includes a power supply unit (PSU), a protection circuit, a management controller, a hardware controller, and at least one sensor. The PSU is coupled to the protection circuit, which is coupled to both the management controller and the hardware controller. The management controller is also coupled to the hardware controller. The method includes the following steps:

[0071] Step 701: When the sensor determines that the operating status of the device board is abnormal, it sends an alarm signal to the hardware controller.

[0072] Step 702: The hardware controller sends an interrupt signal to the management controller based on the alarm signal.

[0073] In this embodiment, the interrupt signal is used to trigger the management controller to send a shutdown signal to the hardware controller if the abnormal data is successfully recorded.

[0074] Step 703: If the management controller fails to send a shutdown signal after a timeout, the hardware controller sends a shutdown signal to the protection circuit. The shutdown signal is used to trigger the protection circuit to stop supplying power to the device board based on the PSU.

[0075] It should be noted that the methods and structural embodiments provided above belong to the same concept, and their specific implementation processes are detailed in the structural embodiments, which will not be repeated here. For details not disclosed in the method embodiments of this application, please refer to the structural embodiments of this application.

[0076] In summary, in the technical solution provided by this application embodiment, if the hardware controller does not receive a shutdown signal from the management controller within a timeout period, it directly sends a shutdown signal to the protection circuit instead of waiting for a response from the management controller. Compared to related technologies where the hardware controller waits to receive a shutdown signal from the management controller before sending a shutdown signal to the protection circuit, this application embodiment can shut down the power supply to protect the device board before the board burns out, effectively reducing the probability of the board burning out.

[0077] This explanation uses an electronic device as a server, the device board as a server board on the server, the hardware controller as a CPLD, and the management controller as a BMC as an example. Please refer to [link / reference needed]. Figure 8 The diagram illustrates a flowchart of a control method for a server board according to an embodiment of this application. The method may include the following steps:

[0078] Step 801: BMC starts up and sends a power-on signal to CPLD.

[0079] Step 802: The CPLD triggers the power-on sequence based on the power-on signal.

[0080] Step 803: The BMC sets the overcurrent protection point and overtemperature protection point for the current sensor and temperature sensor, and shields other types of errors.

[0081] It should be noted that step 803 can be executed before step 801, after step 801, or simultaneously with step 801.

[0082] Step 804: The CPLD receives alarm signals from the sensors.

[0083] The sensor determines that the server board's operating status is abnormal and sends an alarm signal to the CPLD. The CPLD then detects an overcurrent in a power supply or an overheating of a temperature sensor.

[0084] Step 805: The CPLD performs anti-jitter processing on the alarm signal to obtain the anti-jitter alarm signal.

[0085] The CPLD performs debouncing on the alarm signal to determine whether an overcurrent or overtemperature signal has actually occurred.

[0086] Step 806: When the alarm signal after debouncing is used to indicate that the server board's operating status is abnormal, the CPLD sends an interrupt signal to the BMC and starts a timer at the same time.

[0087] The CPLD confirms the triggering of an over-temperature or over-current signal, starts a timer, and sends an interrupt signal to the BMC.

[0088] Step 807: BMC records abnormal data.

[0089] For example, the BMC records abnormal data and a final message, which is used to inform the user of the subsequent processing procedures.

[0090] Step 808: If the BMC successfully records the abnormal data, it sends a shutdown signal to the CPLD.

[0091] Step 809: The CPLD determines whether a power-off signal has been received. If no power-off signal is received, execution begins from step 810; if a power-off signal is received, execution begins from step 811.

[0092] In step 810, the CPLD determines whether the timer has overflowed; if it has not overflowed, the execution starts again from step 810; if it has overflowed, the execution starts from step 811.

[0093] Step 811: The CPLD sends a shutdown signal to the protection circuit.

[0094] For example, the CPLD shuts down the system according to the power-down sequence.

[0095] Step 812, the protection circuit is turned off.

[0096] For example, the system power is off.

[0097] It should be understood that "multiple" as used herein refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. Furthermore, the step numbers described herein are merely illustrative of one possible execution order. In some other embodiments, the steps may not be executed in numerical order, such as two steps with different numbers being executed simultaneously, or two steps with different numbers being executed in the reverse order of the illustration. This application does not limit this.

[0098] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the above embodiments can be implemented by hardware or by a program instructing related hardware. The program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as a read-only memory, a disk, or an optical disk.

[0099] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A device board, characterized in that, The device board includes a power supply unit (PSU), a protection circuit, a management controller, a hardware controller, and at least one sensor; wherein, the PSU is coupled to the protection circuit, the protection circuit is coupled to both the management controller and the hardware controller, and the management controller is coupled to the hardware controller. The sensor is used to send an alarm signal to the hardware controller when it determines that the operating status of the device board is abnormal. The hardware controller is used to debouncing the alarm signal to obtain a debouncing alarm signal. The debouncing process is used to confirm whether the alarm signal is generated due to false triggering. When the debouncing alarm signal indicates that the operating status of the device board is abnormal, an interrupt signal is sent to the management controller. The interrupt signal is used to trigger the management controller to send a shutdown signal to the hardware controller if the abnormal data is successfully recorded. The hardware controller is also configured to send a shutdown signal to the protection circuit if the management controller fails to send the shutdown signal within a timeout period. The shutdown signal is used to trigger the protection circuit to stop supplying power to the device board based on the PSU, and the shutdown signal is used to trigger the hardware controller to send the shutdown signal to the protection circuit.

2. The device board according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hardware controller includes an exception recording register, which is used to record the alarm signal; The anomaly recording register is coupled to the management controller and the at least one sensor, respectively; The management controller is used to access the exception record register upon receiving the interrupt signal, determine the target sensor among the at least one sensor, the target sensor being the sensor that determines the abnormal operating status of the device board; access the target sensor, and record and save the sensor data in the target sensor.

3. The device board according to claim 2, characterized in that, If the management controller fails to record abnormal data, after the management controller restarts, the management controller accesses the abnormal recording register again to identify the target sensor; it then accesses the target sensor again to record and save the sensor data in the target sensor.

4. The device board according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hardware controller includes an OR gate circuit, each input terminal of which is coupled to a corresponding sensor among the at least one sensor, and the output terminal of which is coupled to the management controller. The OR gate circuit is used to send the interrupt signal to the management controller when an alarm signal is received from any of the at least one sensor.

5. The device board according to claim 1, characterized in that, The management controller is used to send the protection threshold of each of the at least one sensor to the corresponding sensor, and the sensor is used to send the alarm signal to the hardware controller when it determines that the operating status of the device board has reached the protection threshold.

6. The device board according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hardware controller includes a timer; The hardware controller is also configured to start the timer upon receiving an alarm signal from the sensor; acquire the measurement duration of the timer; and send the shutdown signal to the protection circuit when the measurement duration of the timer reaches a preset duration.

7. The device board according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protection circuit includes an electronic switch and an electronic switch controller; The electronic switch and the electronic switch controller are coupled; The electronic switch is coupled to the PSU; The electronic switch controller and the hardware controller are coupled; The electronic switch controller is used to send a shutdown enable signal to the electronic switch when it receives a shutdown signal from the hardware controller. The electronic switch is used to stop supplying power to the device board based on the PSU upon receiving a shutdown enable signal from the electronic switch controller.

8. The device board according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hardware controller is also used for: Upon receiving a power-off signal from the management controller, the chips on the device board are shut down based on the power-down timing. If the chip on the device board is successfully turned off, the shutdown signal is sent to the protection circuit.

9. The device board according to claim 1, characterized in that, The management controller is used to send a power-on signal to the hardware controller; The hardware controller is also used to trigger the power-on sequence based on the power-on signal.

10. The device board according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The sensors include a temperature sensor and a current sensor; The temperature sensor is used to detect whether the temperature of the device board is abnormal, and the current sensor is used to detect whether the current of the device board is abnormal.

11. An electronic device, characterized in that, The electronic device includes a device board as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A control method for a device board, characterized in that, The device board includes a power supply unit (PSU), a protection circuit, a management controller, a hardware controller, and at least one sensor; wherein, the PSU is coupled to the protection circuit, the protection circuit is coupled to both the management controller and the hardware controller, and the management controller is coupled to the hardware controller. The method includes: When the sensor determines that the operating status of the device board is abnormal, it sends an alarm signal to the hardware controller. The hardware controller performs anti-jitter processing on the alarm signal to obtain an anti-jitter alarm signal. The anti-jitter processing is used to confirm whether the alarm signal is generated due to false triggering. When the anti-jitter alarm signal indicates that the operating status of the device board is abnormal, an interrupt signal is sent to the management controller. The interrupt signal is used to trigger the management controller to send a shutdown signal to the hardware controller if the abnormal data is successfully recorded. If the management controller fails to send the shutdown signal within a timeout period, the hardware controller sends a shutdown signal to the protection circuit. The shutdown signal is used to trigger the protection circuit to stop supplying power to the device board based on the PSU. The shutdown signal is used to trigger the hardware controller to send the shutdown signal to the protection circuit.

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