Rotating power delivery modules for servers

Abstract

An embodiment of a power delivery module is disclosed, the power delivery module including a power delivery plate rotatable between a first orientation and a second orientation about a first axis. A first pair of electrical contacts (one positive contact and one negative contact) are located on a first side of the plate, and a second pair of electrical contacts (one positive contact and one negative contact) are located on a second side of the plate. The second positive contact is directly opposite the first negative contact, and the second negative contact is directly opposite the first positive contact. A clamp module is coupled to the power delivery plate and includes a pair of power clamps that engage and electrically couple with the first pair of contacts or the second pair of contacts. The clamp module is rotatable between a first position and a second position about a second axis that is parallel to and spaced from the first axis, in the first position the power clamps engage the first pair of contacts, and in the second position the power clamps engage the second pair of contacts.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The disclosed embodiments relate generally to servers and, more particularly but not exclusively, to a rotation module for providing power to a server in a server rack located in a data center. Background Art

[0002] Modern data centers, such as cloud computing centers, house a large number of information technology (IT) equipment, such as servers, blade servers, routers, edge servers, etc. These individual IT devices are typically housed in racks within the computing center, with each rack having multiple pieces of IT equipment within it. Racks are typically grouped into clusters within the data center.

[0003] In both public and private cloud services, a service provider may need to relocate a server from one data center cluster to another cluster within the same data center, or may even need to relocate and migrate a server from one data center site to another data center site in a different geographic location. Relocating a server means moving it from one rack to another, but different data centers, or even different clusters within the same data center, may use different types of racks. This can create difficulties because the design of the IT equipment must be compatible with the rack in which it is installed.

[0004] There are many different rack configurations, but although there are some industry standards (examples include OCP Open Rack, ODCC Scorpio Rack, etc.), there may still be large construction differences between rack standards. Racks differ in form factor, power delivery design, cooling methods, etc. This means that IT equipment such as servers must be compatible with multiple rack specifications before they can be accommodated in a variety of racks; if not compatible, the IT equipment may be difficult to implement on different types of racks and may not work properly. This significantly limits server and system design and is a challenge for OEM vendors, rack vendors, server vendors, component suppliers, and end users. Hardware costs are critical to cloud service businesses and Internet service businesses, and interoperability is an important feature to reduce hardware costs. Previous IT equipment designs allowed the design to be used for only one or a small number of rack types. This lack of interoperability is a major shortcoming. Summary of the invention

[0005] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a power delivery module, comprising: a power delivery board (PDB), which has a first side and a second side and is rotatable around a first axis between a first orientation and a second orientation; a first pair of electrical contacts, which are positioned on the first side, the first pair of electrical contacts including a first positive contact and a first negative contact; a second pair of electrical contacts, which are positioned on the second side, the second pair of electrical contacts including a second positive contact positioned on the second side directly opposite to the first negative contact and a second negative contact positioned on the second side directly opposite to the first positive contact; and a clamp module, which is connected to the power delivery board, the clamp module including a pair of power clamps, the pair of power clamps being suitable for engaging and electrically connecting with the first pair of electrical contacts or the second pair of electrical contacts, wherein the power clamp module is rotatable around a second axis, the second axis is parallel to the first axis and is separated from the first axis, so that the clamp module can rotate between a first position where the pair of power clamps engage with the first pair of electrical contacts and a second position where the pair of power clamps engage with the second pair of electrical contacts.

[0006] In some embodiments, the fixture module includes: a shaft; and a fixture module base plate coupled to the shaft, wherein the pair of power fixtures are coupled to the fixture module base plate.

[0007] In some embodiments, the PDB further comprises a clamp mounting channel adapted to rotatably receive the shaft.

[0008] In some embodiments, the clamp mounting channel includes one or more teeth to removably retain the shaft within the clamp mounting channel.

[0009] In some embodiments, the clamp module further includes a structural rod protruding from a surface of the clamp module base plate to prevent improper connection between the power clamp and the electrical contacts.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first positive contact and the second positive contact have the same cross-sectional shape, and the first negative contact and the second negative contact have the same cross-sectional shape, wherein the positive contact has a different cross-sectional shape than the negative contact, and wherein each positive contact has a different length than its corresponding negative contact.

[0011] In some embodiments, the power delivery module further includes a rotatable connector mounted on the power delivery board and electrically coupled to the first pair of electrical contacts and the second pair of electrical contacts.

[0012] In some embodiments, the power delivery module further includes power electronics electrically coupled between the rotatable connector and the first pair of electrical contacts and the second pair of electrical contacts.

[0013] In some embodiments, only one of the first pair of electrical contacts or the second pair of electrical contacts is coupled to the power electronics at a time.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first axis and the second axis are located within the PDB.

[0015] In some embodiments, the first pair of electrical contacts and the second pair of electrical contacts are positioned at a non-zero distance from the first axis such that the first pair of electrical contacts and the second pair of electrical contacts are displaced between the first orientation and the second orientation.

[0016] The disclosed embodiments also provide an information technology device, comprising: a mainboard on which electronic components are arranged; a power delivery module according to the above embodiments, which is electrically connected to the mainboard; and a rotatable connector mounted on the PDB to electrically connect the power delivery module to the mainboard.

[0017] In some embodiments, the information technology device further includes a support that couples the power delivery module to a chassis in which the motherboard is located, wherein the power delivery module is coupled to the support along the first axis.

[0018] The disclosed embodiments further provide an electronic rack for a data center, comprising: a plurality of server chassis arranged in a stack, each of the server chassis comprising: a mainboard on which electronic components are arranged; a power delivery module according to the above embodiments, electrically connected to the mainboard; and a rotatable connector mounted on the PDB to electrically connect the power delivery module to the mainboard. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the following figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views unless otherwise specified.

[0020] Figure 1 is a side view of an embodiment of an information technology (IT) rack populated with various IT equipment.

[0021] FIG. 2A to FIG. 2B is a rear view of an embodiment of an information technology (IT) rack.

[0022] FIG. 3A to FIG. 3D is a diagram of an embodiment of a power transmission board. Figure 3A is a plan view of the first side of the board, Figure 3B is a plan view of the second side of the board, Figure 3C is a schematic diagram of the electrical connections on an embodiment of the board, and Figure 3D It is roughly along Figure 3C A cross-sectional view of the plate taken along section line DD in FIG.

[0023] FIG. 4A to FIG. 4C is compatible with power delivery boards such as FIG. 3A to FIG. 3D Figure 2 is a diagram of an embodiment of a power fixture module for use with an exemplary power delivery board).

[0024] FIG. 5A to FIG. 5D is a side view of an embodiment of a power delivery board and power fixture module, illustrating an embodiment of their operation.

[0025] FIG. 6A to FIG. 6B is a top view of an embodiment of a power delivery panel for delivering power to IT equipment in a rack, illustrating an embodiment of its operation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Embodiments of baffle units for improving airflow management and thereby cooling in a hybrid cooling system are described. Specific details are described to provide an understanding of the embodiments, but one skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the invention may be practiced without one or more of the described details or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In some cases, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail, but they are still included within the scope of the invention.

[0027] References throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" mean that the described features, structures, or characteristics may be included in at least one of the described embodiments, such that the appearances of "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment. In addition, particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in one or more embodiments in any suitable manner. As used in this application, directional terms such as "front," "rear," "top," "bottom," "side," "lateral," "longitudinal," etc. refer to the orientation of the embodiments as presented in the accompanying drawings, but any directional term should not be interpreted as implying or requiring a specific orientation of the described embodiments in actual use.

[0028] An embodiment of a rotating power delivery module having a rotatable power distribution board and a rotatable power fixture module is described below. The power distribution board is rotatable relative to the server chassis, and the power fixture module is rotatable relative to the power distribution board. A safety pin or screw is used to ensure that the power delivery module remains in the proper orientation. The combined rotation of these two elements enables the power fixture module to match different busbar architectures and positions in different racks, while also ensuring that the corresponding positive and negative connections match the busbar design. In operation, the power delivery board rotates 180 degrees and then the power fixture module rotates 180 degrees. These two 180-degree rotations enable the power module to be adjusted to match different rack power architectures. Thus, the described embodiments improve the interoperability of servers and racks and enable the position of the server power delivery system to be dynamically adjusted to assist in forming better airflow within the server chassis. The described embodiments also improve the maintainability of the power delivery design because, among other things, they can be operated without tools, that is, the embodiments do not require physical hardware tools to operate or repair. In order to further improve maintainability or reduce the need for maintenance, the described embodiments include features to prevent improper operation.

[0029] Figure 1 1 is a block diagram illustrating a side view of an embodiment of an electronic equipment rack, which is a type of IT container commonly used in data centers. In one embodiment, the electronic rack 100 includes a CDU 101, a rack management unit (RMU) 102, and one or more server blades 103A-103D (collectively referred to as server blades 103). The server blades 103 can be inserted into the server slot array from the front end 104 of the electronic rack 100, respectively. Note that although only four server blades 103A-103D are shown, more or fewer server blades can be maintained in the electronic rack 100. It should also be noted that the specific positions of the CDU 101, RMU 102, and server blades 103 are shown only for illustrative purposes; other arrangements or configurations of the CDU 101, RMU 102, and server blades 103 may also be implemented. Further, the front door arranged on the front end 104 and the rear door arranged on the rear end 105 are optional. In some embodiments, there may be no doors on the front end 104 and / or the rear end 105.

[0030] In one embodiment, the CDU 101 includes a heat exchanger 111, a liquid pump 112, and a pump controller 110. The heat exchanger 111 may be a liquid-liquid heat exchanger. The heat exchanger 111 includes a first tube having a first pair of liquid connectors that are coupled to external liquid supply / return lines 131-132 to form a main loop, wherein the connectors coupled to the external liquid supply / return lines 131-132 may be arranged or mounted on the rear end 105 of the electronic rack 100. In addition, the heat exchanger 111 also includes a second tube having a second pair of liquid connectors coupled to a liquid manifold 125, which may include a supply manifold that supplies cooling liquid to the server blades 103 and a return manifold that returns warmer liquid to the CDU 101. The processor may be mounted on a cold plate, wherein the cold plate includes a liquid distribution channel embedded therein to receive cooling liquid from the liquid manifold 125 and return cooling liquid carrying heat exchanged from the processor to the liquid manifold 125. Rack 100 is an example of an IT rack in which a computer system such as Figure 3A Embodiments of the power delivery module of those embodiments shown in etc.

[0031] Each server blade 103 may include one or more IT components (e.g., CPU, GPU, memory, and / or storage device). Each IT component may perform data processing tasks, wherein the IT component may include software installed in a storage device, loaded into a memory, and executed by one or more processors to perform data processing tasks. The server blade 103 may include a host server (referred to as a master node) connected to one or more computing servers (also referred to as computing nodes). The host server (having one or more CPUs) is typically connected to a client interface through a network (e.g., the Internet) to receive requests for specific services, such as storage services (e.g., cloud-based storage services such as backup and / or recovery), executing applications to perform certain operations (e.g., image processing, deep data learning algorithms or modeling as part of a software as a service or SaaS platform, etc.). In response to the request, the host server assigns the task to one or more of the computing servers (having one or more GPUs) managed by the host server. The computing server performs the actual task, which may generate heat during operation.

[0032] The electronics rack 100 also includes an RMU 102 that is configured to provide and manage power supplied to the server blades 103 and the CDU 101. The RMU 102 can be coupled to a power supply unit (not shown) to manage the power consumption of the power supply unit and other thermal management of the power supply unit (e.g., cooling fans). The power supply unit can include necessary circuits (e.g., alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) or DC to DC power converters, batteries, transformers or regulators, etc.) to power the remaining components of the electronics rack 100.

[0033] In one embodiment, the RMU 102 includes an optimal control logic 211 and a rack management controller (RMC) 122. The optimal control logic 211 is connected to at least some of the server blades 103 to receive the operating status of each server blade 103, such as the processor temperature of the processor, the current pump speed of the liquid pump 112, and the liquid temperature of the cooling liquid. Based on this information, the optimal control logic 211 determines the optimal pump speed of the liquid pump 112 by optimizing a predetermined objective function so that the output of the objective function reaches a maximum value while satisfying a set of predetermined constraints. Based on the optimal pump speed, the RMC 122 is configured to send a signal to the pump controller 110 to control the pump speed of the liquid pump 112 based on the optimal pump speed.

[0034] FIG. 2A to FIG. 2B An embodiment of a bus bar in an information technology (IT) rack is illustrated. Figure 2A and Figure 2B Both show the rack as viewed from the rear. Figure 2A An embodiment of a rack 200 is illustrated having one or more pieces of IT equipment housed therein in a vertical stack. Although the IT equipment is primarily described below as servers, in various embodiments, the IT equipment may be any type of IT equipment that may be housed in a rack; examples include servers, graphics processing units (GPUs), power units, battery backup (BBU) units, power supply units (PSUs), cooling units, or some combination of these (e.g., see Figure 1 ). To provide power to all IT equipment in the rack or all IT equipment that can be accommodated in the rack, the busbar 204 extends from bottom to top over substantially the entire height of the rack. The busbar 204 includes two rods that serve as electrical contacts: a positive (+) rod and a negative (-) rod. The industry standard is that the positive rod is on the right and the negative rod is on the left when viewed again from the back of the rack. In the illustrated embodiment, the busbar 204 is positioned to the right of the centerline of the rack, near the right side of the rack, when viewed from the back.

[0035] Figure 2BAn embodiment of a rack 250 is illustrated. Rack 250 is similar to rack 200 in most respects: it has one or more servers 202 housed therein in a vertical stack, and includes a bus bar 254 that extends from bottom to top over substantially the entire height of the rack to provide power to all servers housed or that can be housed in the rack. Similar to bus bar 204, bus bar 254 includes two rods that serve as electrical contacts: a positive (+) rod and a negative (-) rod, with the positive rod on the right and the negative rod on the left when viewed from the back of the rack. The main difference between racks 200 and 250 is the location of the bus bar: bus bar 254 is positioned substantially along the centerline of the rack, rather than being located to the right of the centerline of the rack. In order to allow IT equipment to be easily moved from rack 200 to rack 250, or otherwise moved around, the server 202 or rack must include a power delivery module that can accommodate different bus bar locations.

[0036] FIG. 3A to FIG. 3D Module 300 includes two main components: a power delivery board (PDB) 302 and a power fixture module. PDB 302 is described below; details of the power fixture module will be discussed in conjunction with FIG. FIG. 4A to FIG. 4C Give a description.

[0037] The power delivery plate 302 has a first side or surface S1 ( Figure 3A ) and a second side or surface S2 ( Figure 3B ). In one embodiment, the first side S1 and the second side S2 are planar and substantially parallel to each other and are separated from each other by the thickness of the plate 302. In one embodiment, the plate 302 is a printed circuit board, but in other embodiments, it can be another type of plate. The plate 302 is rotatable about the first axis A1. In the figure, Figure 3A A first side S1 is shown, Figure 3B The second side S2 is shown as seen with the plate 302 rotated 180 degrees about the axis A1. In the illustrated embodiment, set screws or pins 301 are used to attach the plate 302 to a chassis, such as a server chassis, and hold the plate 302, and therefore the power delivery module 300, in place. In other embodiments, the mounting method may be different, such that the set screws 301 may be slightly different, or may be unnecessary in some applications.

[0038] In the illustrated embodiment, the first axis A1 is positioned substantially in the plane of the board and substantially in the middle of the board (i.e., W1=W2), but in other embodiments, the first axis A1 need not be in the plane of the board 302 and need not be positioned in the middle of the board (i.e., W1≠W2). The rotatable connector 304 (i.e., a connector that can function in at least two orientations) is centered about the axis A1 and is positioned along an edge of the board 302; the connector 304 can be used to connect the power delivery board to the motherboard of the server (e.g., see FIG. 6A to FIG. 6B ).

[0039] The first side S1 of the plate 302 includes a first pair of spaced apart electrical contacts, including a first negative contact (1-) and a first positive contact (1+). The second side S2 of the plate 302 includes a second pair of spaced apart electrical contacts, including a second negative contact (2-) and a second positive contact (2+). The first and second pairs of electrical contacts are directly opposite each other on the plate: the first positive contact 1+ is directly on the side of the plate opposite the second negative contact 2-, and the first negative contact 1- is directly on the side of the plate opposite the second positive contact 2+ (see Figure 3D ). Two pairs of electrical contacts are formed at or near the edge of a cutout 307 formed in the edge of the board that is longitudinally opposite the edge where the connector 304 is located.

[0040] A clamp mounting channel 308 is formed in or attached to the board 302 in the plane of the board, and the mounting channel is positioned between the positive electrical contact and the negative electrical contact of each of the two pairs of electrical contacts. The clamp mounting channel 308 is designed to rotatably receive the clamp module 310 so that the clamp module can rotate about a second axis A2 defined by the clamp mounting channel and / or the axis of the clamp module. In the illustrated embodiment, the second axis A2 is substantially parallel to the first axis A1 and is separated from the first axis by a non-zero distance W3. At least a portion of the power clamp module is assembled within the cutout 307, and the power clamp module is designed to provide a clamp that electrically connects one pair of the two pairs of electrical contacts (1+ / 1- or 2+ / 2-) to the busbar. The following is combined with FIG. 3A to FIG. 3C The details of the fixture module 310 are discussed.

[0041] Figure 3C The electrical connections between the components on the board 302 are illustrated. The power electronics 306 are mounted on one of the surfaces S1 or S2. In the illustrated embodiment, the power electronics are mounted on the surface S1 so that they are shown in solid lines in the view of S1 (see Figure 3A ), shown as dashed lines in the view of S2 (see Figure 3B). The power electronics 306 condition the power received from the bus at one of the two pairs of electrical contacts (1+ / 1- or 2+ / 2-) before outputting the power to the IT equipment through the connector 304. In various embodiments, the power electronics 306 may include a voltage regulator, a rectifier, or other power conditioning and control elements.

[0042] To ensure that the power electronics 306 can regulate the power received from the electrical contacts 1+ / 1- on the S1 side or from the electrical contacts 2+ / 2- on the S2 side, the board 302 includes traces or connections that electrically couple the first and second contact pairs to the power electronics, so that each pair of contacts has its own circuit wiring to the power electronics. In the illustrated embodiment, the trace pair T1 on the S1 side, shown in solid lines, electrically couples the first pair of contacts 1+ / 1-, also shown in solid lines, to the power electronics. The trace pair T1 includes a trace T1+ coupled to the contact 1+ and a trace T1- coupled to the contact 1-. Similarly, the trace pair T2 on the S2 side, shown in dashed lines, electrically couples the second pair of contacts 2+ / 2-, also shown in dashed lines, to the power electronics. The trace pair T2 includes a trace T2+ coupled to the contact 2+ and a trace T2- coupled to the contact 2-. The operation of the power fixture module described further below ensures that at any time, only one of the two pairs of contacts (either the first pair 1+ / 1- or the second pair 2+ / 2-) directs power to the power electronics. Because the connector 304 will be used to connect the PDB to the motherboard of the IT equipment regardless of the orientation of the board 302, only a single pair of traces 312 is required between the power electronics and the connector 304.

[0043] Figure 3D The positioning of pairs of electrical contacts on directly opposite sides of the plate 302 is illustrated. Also as described above, the first side S1 includes a first pair of spaced apart electrical contacts including a first negative contact (1-) and a first positive contact (1+). The second side S2 of the plate 302 includes a second pair of spaced apart electrical contacts including a second negative contact (2-) and a second positive contact (2+). The first and second pairs of electrical contacts are directly opposite each other on the plate: the first positive contact 1+ is directly on the side of the plate opposite the second negative contact 2-, and the first negative contact 1- is directly on the side of the plate opposite the second positive contact 2+ (see FIG. 1 ). Figure 3D ). The clamp mounting channel 308 is positioned in the board 302 between the oppositely positioned pairs of electrical contacts.

[0044] As a safety feature to ensure that the positive power clamp is properly connected to the positive contact and the negative power clamp is properly connected to the negative contact (see, for example, Figure 4B), two positive contacts have one cross-sectional shape and two negative contacts have another cross-sectional shape. In the illustrated embodiment, the positive contacts 1+ and 2+ both have a trapezoidal shape, with the long parallel edges of the trapezoid on their respective surfaces (S1 for contact 1+ and S2 for contact 2+). Similarly, the negative contacts 1- and 2- both have a trapezoidal shape, with the short parallel edges of the trapezoid on their respective surfaces (S1 for contact 1- and S2 for contact 2-). Although both the positive and negative contacts have the same basic cross-sectional geometry (a trapezoid in this embodiment), for the purposes of this disclosure, different orientations of the same basic geometry are considered different cross-sectional shapes. In other embodiments, the positive and negative contacts may use different geometries than shown. As an additional safety feature, within each pair of electrical contacts, the positive and negative contacts may have different lengths; this provides, among other things, an immediate visual confirmation of which contact is positive and which contact is negative.

[0045] FIG. 4A to FIG. 4B Together, an embodiment of a clamp module 310 is illustrated. Figure 4A It is a floor plan. Figure 4B 4 is a cross-sectional view. The clamp module 310 includes a shaft 402 connected to a clamp plate 404 and a plate or base plate 406 connected to the clamp plate 404. The shaft 402 is sized and shaped so that it can be rotatably received within the clamp mounting channel 308, that is, received in the clamp mounting channel 308 in a manner that allows the shaft to rotate within the channel (see, for example, Figure 3C ). Spring 403 is positioned around shaft 402.

[0046] In one embodiment, the clamping plate 404 can be a single plate attached to one surface of the base plate 406, but in other embodiments, the clamping plate 404 can be a pair of spaced apart plates such that one plate can be attached to one side of the base plate 406 and the other plate can be attached to the other side of the base plate 406. In one embodiment, the shaft 402 and the clamping plate 404 can be manufactured as a single piece, but in other embodiments, the shaft 402 and the clamping plate 404 can be separate pieces attached together, such as by fasteners. In one embodiment, the base plate 406 is sized and shaped to fit into the cutout 307 in the plate 302. In the illustrated embodiment, the base plate 406 is rigid and planar and has approximately the same thickness as the plate 302, but in other embodiments, it need not be planar and need not have the same thickness. For example, in one embodiment, the base plate 406 can be a small printed circuit board in a printed circuit board.

[0047] Clamps 408+ and 408- are attached to substrate 406. In the illustrated embodiment, both clamps extend above and below substrate 406 (see, e.g., Figure 4B), but in other embodiments, they need not extend above and below. The positive clamp 408+ is adapted to receive the cross-sectional shape of the positive contacts (i.e., contacts 1+ and 2+) of the board 302, and the negative clamp 408- is adapted to receive the cross-sectional shape of the negative contacts (i.e., contacts 1- and 2-) on the board 302. The positive clamp 408+ and the negative clamp 408- on the side that does not receive the electrical contacts (i.e., the side opposite to where the electrical contacts are connected) are adapted to be electrically connected to the rack bus. Although in the illustrated embodiment, the clamps 408+ and 408- extend above and below the board 406, at a given time, the clamps 408+ and 408- will only be connected to a pair of contacts on the board 302, i.e., the first set of contacts 1+ / 1- on the S1 side or the second set of contacts 2+ / 2- on the S2 side. FIG. 4A to FIG. 4B 310 to illustrate how the clamps 408+ and 408- engage the electrical contacts, but the contacts are not part of the clamp module 310. As described above, as a safety feature, the side power clamps 408+ and 408- that couple with the electrical contacts are designed into a customized shape, such as a trapezoidal shape, to ensure that each power clamp can only be coupled to the correct electrical contact, that is, the positive clamp is coupled to the positive contact and the negative clamp is coupled to the negative contact.

[0048] Figure 4C An embodiment of a fixture mounting channel 308 engaged with a fixture module 310 is illustrated. In operation, the shaft 402 is rotatably inserted into the fixture mounting channel 308, i.e., it can be rotated about its axis and the axis of the mounting channel (both axes correspond to the second axis A2, see FIG. 3A to FIG. 3B ) is inserted in a rotational manner. The fixture mounting channel 308 may include one or more teeth 412 that engage the shaft 402 so that the shaft 402 is held in place within the fixture mounting channel while allowing the shaft 402 to rotate, which means that the entire fixture module 310 can also rotate. The teeth 412 have several functions: (i) they allow the fixture module to be easily inserted into the mounting channel and fixed in the longitudinal direction once inserted; (ii) they allow the fixture module to move axially (i.e., along the axis A2); (iii) the teeth 412 and the spring 403 enable the power fixture 310 to be pulled out a certain distance, and after the power fixture module is rotated, the spring 403 provides a force to pull the power fixture module back into the inserted position. The teeth 412 can be designed so that the shaft 402 and the spring 403, and therefore the fixture module 310, can be removed from the fixture mounting channel 308 by applying sufficient force. This ensures that if necessary, for example if the fixture 408+ or 408- becomes bent or otherwise damaged, the fixture module 310 can be replaced with another one.

[0049] As an additional safety feature, the clamp module 310 may also include a structural bar 410 along one edge of the base plate 406. The structural bar 410 protrudes generally perpendicularly from the surface of the base plate 406 (see, for example, Figure 5D ). Structural rod 410 is a safety feature to prevent clamps 408+ and 408- from being connected to the wrong set of contacts by preventing clamp module 310 from being rotated about axis 402 to an orientation that would allow an improper connection. Structural rod 410 can also be used to assist in rotating the power clamp module (see Figure 5D ).

[0050] FIG. 5A to FIG. 5D 1 and 2. An embodiment of the operation of a power delivery module such as power delivery module 300 is illustrated together. The views shown in these figures are views observed from the rear of the rack. In the illustrated embodiment, the power delivery module 300 is mounted to a server chassis (e.g., a server housing) 502 via a support 504; the server also includes other elements not shown in this figure. The power delivery module 300 is rotatably attached to the support 504, wherein the axis A1 intersects the support 504. And, as described above, the clamp module 310 is rotatably coupled to the plate 302 so that the clamp module 310 rotates about the axis A2.

[0051] Figure 5A The position of the power delivery module 300 is illustrated, which would be suitable for use in a rack where the busbars are on the right side of the rack when viewed from the rear, such as Figure 2A In this position, the power delivery module is coupled to the busbar by a power clamp, which in turn is electrically coupled to electrical contacts 1+ and 1- on side S1 of plate 302. To allow servers to be used with racks where the busbar is in the middle of the rack (see Figure 2B ), contact 304 (see FIG. 3A to FIG. 3C ) is disconnected from the server's motherboard, and the power delivery module is rotated around the axis A1 from Figure 5A The position shown is rotated 180 degrees to Figure 5B Position shown.

[0052] exist Figure 5B In the position shown, the power clamps on the clamp module 310 are moved to a position where they can connect to the center bus but they remain electrically connected to the electrical contacts 1+ and 1-, as the module 300 is in Figure 5A and Figure 5B , electrical contacts 1+ and 1- are the wrong set of contacts to make the proper positive-to-positive and negative-to-negative electrical connections to the busbars. In order to redirect the power fixtures so that they are properly oriented and connected to the correct set of contacts (i.e., Figure 5C 2+ / 2-) in the clamp module. Figure 5B Rotate 180 degrees to Figure 5C Then, in Figure 5C In the orientation of the power clamp, the power clamp is in the correct position and orientation to form a proper connection between the electrical contacts 2+ / 2- and the center busbar (see also FIG. 6A to FIG. 6B Then, connector 304 (see FIG. 3A to FIG. 3C ) can be inserted into the server's motherboard to create a power path from the bus through the power delivery module to the server.

[0053] Figure 5D The structural rod 410 is illustrated (see Figure 4A ) operation. The structural bar 410 is a safety feature that protrudes from one side of the fixture module base plate 406 to prevent the fixture module from rotating to a position that would cause an improper electrical connection. In the illustrated embodiment, the structural bar 410 protrudes from the base plate 406 in the following manner: Figure 5A Rotate 180 degrees to Figure 5B When the structural rod 410 is in the position, it contacts the server chassis 502 and partially rotates the clamp module. By rotating the clamp module in this way, the structural rod 410 prevents the clamp module 310 from being moved relative to the plate 302 ( Figure 5A ) remains in its initial orientation, which is for Figure 5B Instead, the structural bar requires that the clamp module 310 be rotated 180 degrees (clockwise in the illustrated view) about axis A2 before the clamp can be coupled to the busbar. Figure 5C Thus, the structural rod 410 prevents incorrect implementation.

[0054] FIG. 6A to FIG. 6B The plan view shows FIG. 5A to FIG. 5C The operation of the power delivery module 300 is shown in side view in FIG. Fig. 6A Illustrated Figure 5A Orientation on the power delivery module 300, Figure 6B Shows Figure 5C The power delivery module is oriented in the direction of Fig. 6A As seen in FIG. 5 , the power delivery module 300 is positioned at the rear of the chassis 502. The connector 304 is electrically coupled to the motherboard 602 of the IT equipment within the chassis. The first side S1 of the board 302 is positioned facing upward so that the clamp module and therefore the clamps 308+ and 308- are positioned near the right side of the chassis, where the clamps can be electrically connected to the positive and negative rails of the busbar 604 positioned near the right side of the rack. In this orientation, side A of the board 302 is closest to the center of the rack and side B is closest to the right side of the rack.

[0055] Figure 6B Example from Fig. 6AStarting with the construction of , the board 302 is rotated 180 degrees about the axis A1, and the fixture module 310 is rotated 180 degrees about the axis A2. In this configuration, the connector 304 that can be rotated as described above so that it can be connected to the motherboard 602 in at least two orientations is electrically connected to the motherboard 602 of the IT equipment within the chassis. The second side S2 of the board 302 is positioned to face upward, so that the fixture module and therefore the fixtures 308+ and 308- are positioned near the middle of the chassis, where the fixtures can be electrically connected to the positive and negative rails of the busbar 606 positioned near the middle of the rack. In this orientation, the side A of the board 302 is closest to the right side of the rack and the side B is closest to the center of the rack. It can be seen that the disclosed embodiment of the power delivery module allows the server to interoperate on two rack architectures with different busbar locations. The embodiment can also be integrated into other power components such as PSUs and BBUs. In other embodiments, the form factor of the PDB can be designed and optimized based on the power delivery design (such as the busbar location in different rack architectures and designs).

[0056] In addition to the above embodiments, other power delivery module embodiments are also possible. For example:

[0057] • The power connectors may be different and may be of different numbers.

[0058] • The solution can be used for different types of server chassis, such as 1U, 2U, and half-node form factor or slide form factor servers, with slight modifications.

[0059] The PDB mounting support structure may be different to provide similar functionality for integrating the PDB into the chassis.

[0060] The above description of embodiments is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the form described. Specific embodiments and examples of the invention described herein are for illustrative purposes, but various modifications are possible.

Claims

1. A power transmission module, comprising: a power delivery board (PDB) having a first side and a second side and being rotatable about a first axis between a first orientation and a second orientation; a first pair of electrical contacts positioned on the first side, the first pair of electrical contacts comprising a first positive contact and a first negative contact; a second pair of electrical contacts positioned on the second side, the second pair of electrical contacts comprising a second positive contact positioned on the second side directly opposite the first negative contact and a second negative contact positioned on the second side directly opposite the first positive contact; as well as A clamp module connected to the power transmission board, the clamp module including a pair of power clamps adapted to engage and electrically connect with the first pair of electrical contacts or the second pair of electrical contacts, wherein the clamp module is rotatable about a second axis parallel to the first axis and spaced apart from the first axis, so that the clamp module can rotate between a first position in which the pair of power clamps engage with the first pair of electrical contacts and a second position in which the pair of power clamps engage with the second pair of electrical contacts.

2. The power delivery module of claim 1, wherein the clamp module comprises: axis; and A fixture module base plate is coupled to the shaft, wherein the pair of power fixtures are coupled to the fixture module base plate. 3 . The power delivery module of claim 2 , wherein the PDB further comprises a clamp mounting channel adapted to rotatably receive the shaft. 4 . The power delivery module of claim 3 , wherein the clamp mounting channel includes one or more teeth to removably retain the shaft within the clamp mounting channel.

5. The power delivery module according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the clamp module further comprises a structural rod protruding from a surface of the clamp module substrate to prevent improper connection between the power clamp and the electrical contacts.

6. The power delivery module of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first positive contact and the second positive contact have the same cross-sectional shape, and the first negative contact and the second negative contact have the same cross-sectional shape, wherein the positive contact has a different cross-sectional shape than the negative contact, and wherein each positive contact has a different length than its corresponding negative contact.

7. The power delivery module of any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a rotatable connector mounted on the power delivery board and electrically coupled to the first pair of electrical contacts and the second pair of electrical contacts.

8. The power delivery module of claim 7, further comprising power electronics electrically coupled between the rotatable connector and the first and second pairs of electrical contacts. 9 . The power delivery module of claim 8 , wherein only one of the first pair of electrical contacts or the second pair of electrical contacts is coupled to the power electronics at a time.

10. The power delivery module of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first axis and the second axis are located within the PDB.

11. The power delivery module of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first and second pairs of electrical contacts are positioned at a non-zero distance from the first axis such that there is a displacement of the first and second pairs of electrical contacts between the first and second orientations.

12. An information technology device comprising: a main board on which electronic components are arranged; A power delivery module according to any one of claims 1 to 11, electrically coupled to the mainboard; as well as A rotatable connector is mounted on the PDB to electrically couple the power delivery module to the mainboard.

13. The information technology device of claim 12, further comprising a support coupling the power delivery module to a chassis in which the motherboard is located, wherein the power delivery module is coupled to the support along the first axis.

14. An electronic rack for a data center, comprising: A plurality of server chassis arranged in a stack, each of the server chassis comprising: a main board on which electronic components are arranged; A power delivery module according to any one of claims 1 to 11, electrically coupled to the mainboard; and A rotatable connector is mounted on the PDB to electrically couple the power delivery module to the mainboard.

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