Voltage following series power supply circuit, computing power board and computing equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a voltage following series power supply circuit, a computing power board and computing equipment. The voltage following series power supply circuit comprises a power supply end and a ground end, the power supply module comprises an input end and an output end, the input end is connected to the power supply end, and the output end is used for providing power for two or more chips to be powered; the power supply module and the chip to be powered are connected in series between the power supply end and the ground end; the at least one auxiliary power supply module is used for providing an auxiliary power supply for the chip to be powered; and the voltage following module is connected between the power supply end and the auxiliary power supply module, and the voltage of the output end of the voltage following module is used for adjusting the input voltage of the auxiliary power supply module. The voltage following series power supply circuit not only can prevent the chip to be powered from exceeding the normal working voltage and even being burnt down, but also can reduce the power supply current, optimize the power supply conversion efficiency and reduce the power consumption.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of patent application No. 201810706152.1 filed on June 29, 2018. The entire contents of the parent case are cited in this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to a series power supply circuit, and in particular to a series power supply circuit, a computing board, and a computing device capable of achieving voltage following. Background Art

[0003] For computing devices that require a large amount of high-speed computing, such as current Bitcoin mining machines, multiple computing chips are connected in series on a printed circuit board, and most computing chips use a series power supply mode. When the series power supply mode is used, the power supply of each level of computing chip can be regarded as the ground of the previous level of computing chip, and the ground of each level of computing chip can be regarded as the power supply of the next level of computing chip.

[0004] Since the power supply and ground voltages of each level of computing power chips are different, how to power the IO of the chip at this level becomes a more difficult problem. For the computing power chips cascaded later, the method of taking power from the computing power chips in series for several levels can be adopted to supply the IO power supply of this level. However, for the first few levels, due to the input voltage drop problem, other methods can only be used.

[0005] Figure 1 FIG. 1 shows an existing series power supply circuit. Figure 1 As shown, the existing series power supply circuit 100 includes a power supply terminal 101, a power module 102, n chips to be powered 103-n, m auxiliary power modules 104-m, a boost power module 105 and a ground terminal 106. Among them, the power module 102 and the n chips to be powered 103-n are connected in series in sequence to the power supply terminal 101 and the ground terminal 106. The power supply terminal 101 provides a power supply voltage VCC for the circuit, and the ground terminal 106 provides a ground GND for the circuit. The output voltage Vcore of the power module 102 provides series power supply for the chip to be powered 103-n. The m auxiliary power modules 104-m supply power to the IO of the first m levels of chips to be powered. The auxiliary power module 104-m can be directly powered by the power supply voltage VCC of the power supply terminal 101, or the power supply voltage VCC can be boosted by the boost power module 105 and then powered to the auxiliary power module 104-m.

[0006] Figure 1Although the series power supply circuit 100 shown can provide series power supply for the chip to be powered, it has the following shortcomings: (1) When the power supply voltage VCC directly supplies power to the auxiliary power module, when the voltage difference between the power supply voltage VCC and Vcore is small, the auxiliary power module cannot work normally; (2) When the auxiliary power module is powered by the boost power module after boosting, Vcore needs to be adjusted due to the frequency conversion requirement. When Vcore decreases, the voltage difference between the voltage output by the boost power module and Vcore becomes larger, which may exceed the normal working voltage of the chip to be powered, making it unable to work normally; (3) Whether the auxiliary power module is powered directly by the power supply voltage VCC or powered by the boost power module after boosting, when Vcore does not exist, the power supply voltage VCC or the boost power module directly supplies power to the IO terminal of the chip to be powered, which will cause the chip to be powered to be burned. Summary of the invention

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a series power supply circuit, a computing board, and a computing device that can achieve voltage following. The power supply circuit can not only prevent the chip to be powered from exceeding the normal working voltage or even being burned, but also reduce the power supply current, optimize the power conversion efficiency, and reduce power consumption.

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a voltage follower series power supply circuit, comprising:

[0009] a power terminal and a ground terminal;

[0010] A plurality of chips to be powered, wherein the plurality of chips to be powered are connected in series;

[0011] A power module, comprising an input end and an output end, the input end is connected to the power end, the power module and the chip to be powered are connected in series between the power end and the ground end, and the output end is used to provide power to the chip to be powered;

[0012] At least one auxiliary power supply module, used to provide auxiliary power to the chip to be powered;

[0013] a voltage follower module, connected between the power supply terminal and the auxiliary power supply module;

[0014] Wherein, the voltage at the output end of the voltage follower module is used to adjust the input voltage of the auxiliary power module.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, a constant difference is maintained between the voltage at the power output end of the voltage follower module and the voltage at the output end of the power module, and the difference is positively correlated with a reference voltage, which is determined by the voltage at the power output end of the voltage follower module combined with the safe operating voltage of the auxiliary power module and / or the chip to be powered.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, the voltage follower module further includes: a comparison amplification unit and a switch unit;

[0017] Wherein, the positive input terminal of the comparison amplification unit is connected to an intermediate point between the ground input terminal and the power supply output terminal, and the negative input terminal of the comparison amplification unit receives the reference voltage;

[0018] The switch unit is connected to the power input terminal, the power output terminal, and the output terminal of the comparison and amplification unit, and the comparison and amplification unit controls the switch unit to be turned on or off.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present invention, the voltage follower module further includes: a sampling unit, the sampling unit includes a first resistor and a second resistor connected in series; the first end of the first resistor is connected to the power supply output end, and the second end is connected to the midpoint; the first end of the second resistor is connected to the midpoint, and the second end of the second resistor is connected to the ground input end.

[0020] In one embodiment of the present invention, the voltage follower module further includes: a reference voltage generating unit, wherein the reference voltage generating unit is connected to the power input terminal and the ground input terminal, and provides the reference voltage to the negative input terminal of the comparison amplifier unit.

[0021] In one embodiment of the present invention, the switch unit includes: a switch transistor, wherein the gate of the switch transistor is connected to the output end of the comparison amplifier unit, and the other two electrodes of the switch transistor are respectively connected to the power input end and the power output end.

[0022] In one embodiment of the present invention, the switch transistor is a PMOS switch transistor, wherein the source of the PMOS switch transistor is connected to the power input terminal, the drain is connected to the power output terminal, and the gate is connected to the output terminal of the comparison amplifier unit.

[0023] In one embodiment of the present invention, the voltage follower module includes a power input terminal, a ground input terminal, and a power output terminal, the power input terminal is connected to the power terminal, the ground input terminal is connected to the output terminal of the power module, and the power output terminal is connected to the auxiliary power module.

[0024] In one embodiment of the present invention, it further includes a boost power supply module connected between the power supply terminal and the voltage follower module.

[0025] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention also provides a computing board for use in a computing device, wherein the computing board adopts any one of the above-mentioned voltage follower series power supply circuits to provide power.

[0026] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention also provides a computing device, including a power board, a control board, a connecting board, a radiator and a plurality of computing boards, wherein the control board is connected to the computing board through the connecting board, the radiator is arranged around the computing board, and the power board is used to provide power to the connecting board, the control board, the radiator and the computing board, wherein the computing board is any one of the above-mentioned computing boards.

[0027] The above-mentioned computing devices can be used for mining virtual digital currencies.

[0028] The voltage follower series power supply circuit of the present invention can prevent the chip to be powered from exceeding the normal operating voltage or even being burned, and can also reduce the power supply current, optimize the power conversion efficiency, and reduce power consumption.

[0029] The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, but is not intended to limit the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of an existing series power supply circuit;

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a voltage follower series power supply circuit of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of the voltage follower module of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the hash board of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the computing device of the present invention.

[0035] Wherein, the reference numerals are:

[0036] 100: Series power supply circuit

[0037] 101: Power supply terminal 102: Power supply module

[0038] 103-1…103-n: Chip to be powered 104-1…104-m: Auxiliary power module

[0039] 105: Boost power module 106: Ground

[0040] 200: Voltage follower series power supply circuit

[0041] 201: Power supply terminal 202: Power supply module

[0042] 203-1…203-n: Chip to be powered 204-1…204-m: Auxiliary power module

[0043] 205: Boost power module 206: Ground

[0044] 207: Voltage follower module 301: Power input terminal

[0045] 302: switch unit 303: comparison and amplification unit

[0046] 304: reference voltage generating unit 305: ground input terminal

[0047] 306: sampling unit 307: power supply output terminal

[0048] 400: Hash board 500: Computing equipment

[0049] 501: Connecting board 502: Control board

[0050] 503: Radiator 504: Power board

[0051] Vref: reference voltage Ra, Rb: resistance

[0052] O: Midpoint. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] The structural principle and working principle of the present invention are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

[0054] Certain words are used in the specification and subsequent claims to refer to specific components. It should be understood by those with ordinary knowledge in the art that manufacturers may use different terms to refer to the same component. This specification and subsequent claims do not use differences in names as a way to distinguish components, but rather use differences in components' functions as the criteria for distinction. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals represent the same elements.

[0055] The words "include" and "comprising" mentioned throughout the specification and in the subsequent claims are open-ended terms and should be interpreted as "including but not limited to". In addition, the word "connect" is used herein to include any direct and indirect electrical connection means. Indirect electrical connection means include connection through other devices.

[0056] Figure 2Schematic diagram of the voltage follower series power supply circuit of the present invention. Figure 2 As shown, the voltage follower series power supply circuit 200 includes: a power supply terminal 201 and a ground terminal 206, wherein the power supply terminal 201 is connected to the system power supply VCC, and the ground terminal 206 is connected to the system ground GND. A power module 202 includes an input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the input terminal is connected to the power supply terminal 201, and the output terminal provides the power supply Vcore to the chip to be powered, that is, the output terminal voltage of the power module 202 is Vcore. Among them, there are multiple chips 203-1...203-n to be powered, for example, n, and n is a positive integer greater than 1. The chips to be powered 203-1...203-n are connected in series, wherein the power supply of the first-level chip to be powered 203-1 is connected to the output terminal of the power module 202, and the ground terminal of the first-level chip to be powered 203-1 is connected to the power supply of the next-level chip to be powered 203-2, and so on. The power supply of each level of the chip to be powered is the ground of the chip to be powered on the previous level, and the ground of each level of the chip to be powered is the power supply of the chip to be powered on the next level. The ground of the last-stage chip 203 - n to be powered is connected to the ground terminal 206 .

[0057] The voltage follower series power supply circuit 200 further includes a plurality of auxiliary power supply modules 204-1...204-m, for example, m, where 1≤m≤n, and m is a positive integer. The auxiliary power supply modules 204-1...204-m supply power to the IO ports of the first m level power supply chips 203-1...203-m.

[0058] Under normal circumstances, for example, the working voltage of the chips to be powered 203-1 ... 203-n can be 0.4 V, and the working voltage of the auxiliary power modules 204-1 ... 204-m is 1.8 V. When the output voltage of the power module 202 is Vcore, the power supply voltage of the chip to be powered 203-1 is Vcore, and the ground voltage is Vcore-0.4; the power supply voltage of the m-th level chip to be powered is Vcore-0.4*(m-1), and the ground voltage is Vcore-0.4*m.

[0059] To ensure the normal operation of the auxiliary power modules 204-1...204-m, the power supply voltage of the auxiliary power modules 204-1...204-m should be at least the ground voltage of the chips 203-1...203-m to be powered plus the operating voltage of the auxiliary power modules 1.8V, that is, Vcore-0.4+1.8...Vcore-0.4*m+1.8.

[0060] Considering the different internal resistances of the chips to be powered at each level and to ensure the normal operation of the auxiliary power module, the system power VCC is generally boosted to supply power to the auxiliary power module. Taking Vcore = 10V, m = 5 as an example, the system power VCC is usually boosted to 14V through the boost power module 205 to supply power to the auxiliary power module. At this time, the voltage across the m-th level auxiliary power module 204-m is 14-(10-0.4*5) = 6V, minus the working voltage 1.8V of the auxiliary power module 204-m, the voltage across the auxiliary power module 204-m is still 6-1.8 = 4.2V more than the voltage required for its normal operation.

[0061] When frequency modulation is performed on the chip to be powered, the voltage Vcore at the output of the power module 202 needs to be adjusted. For example, the voltage of Vcore is adjusted to 8V. At this time, the voltage across the m-th level auxiliary power module 204-m is 14-(8-0.4*5)=8V, minus the working voltage 1.8V of the auxiliary power module 204-m. The voltage across the auxiliary power module 204-m will increase to 8-1.8=6.2V than the voltage required for its normal operation. At this time, it may exceed the safe working voltage of the auxiliary power module 204-m or even the chip to be powered 203-m, causing the chip to burn.

[0062] Based on the above reasons, the voltage follower series power supply circuit 200 of the present invention adds a voltage follower module 207 between the boost power module 205 and the auxiliary power modules 204 - 1 . . . 204 - m.

[0063] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the voltage follower module circuit structure of the present invention. Figure 3 As shown, combined Figure 2 The voltage follower module 207 includes a power input terminal 301, a switch unit 302, a comparison amplifier unit 303, a reference voltage generating unit 304, a ground input terminal 305, a sampling unit 306 and a power output terminal 307. The power input terminal 301 is connected to the power terminal 201 of the voltage follower series power supply circuit 200, or to the output terminal of the boost power module 205. The ground input terminal 305 is connected to the output terminal of the power module 202, and the power output terminal 307 is connected to the auxiliary power modules 204-1...204-m, so that the voltage of the power output terminal 307 follows the voltage Vcore of the output terminal of the power module 202, and the voltage of the power output terminal 307 and the voltage Vcore of the output terminal of the power module 202 maintain a constant difference, thereby ensuring that the voltages at both ends of the auxiliary power modules 204-1...204-m are always within the safe working voltage range.

[0064] The switch unit 302 is connected between the power input terminal 301 and the power output terminal 307 and is connected to the output terminal of the comparison amplifier unit 303, and the switch unit 302 is turned on or off by the output terminal of the comparison amplifier unit 303. In one embodiment, the switch unit 302 is a switch transistor, wherein the gate of the switch transistor is connected to the output terminal of the comparison amplifier unit, and the other two electrodes of the switch transistor are respectively connected to the power input terminal 301 and the power output terminal 307. The switch unit 302 can be a PMOS transistor, wherein the source of the PMOS transistor is connected to the power input terminal 301, the drain is connected to the power output terminal 307, and the gate is connected to the output terminal of the comparison amplifier unit 303.

[0065] The comparison amplifier unit 303 may be an operational amplifier, whose power supply is connected to the power supply input terminal 301, and whose ground is connected to the ground input terminal 305. The positive input terminal of the comparison amplifier unit 303 is connected to an intermediate point O between the ground input terminal 305 and the power supply output terminal 307, and the negative input terminal of the comparison amplifier unit 303 is connected to the output terminal of the reference voltage generating unit 304 to receive the reference voltage Vref.

[0066] The reference voltage generating unit 304 is connected to the power input terminal 301 and the ground input terminal 305, and the ground input terminal 305 is connected to the output terminal of the power module 202. The voltage value of the reference voltage Vref generated by the reference voltage generating unit 304 is set according to the safe operating voltage of the auxiliary power modules 204-1…204-m and / or the chip to be powered 203-1…203-n, and in combination with the voltage Vcore at the output terminal of the power module 202. The reference voltage Vref generated by the reference voltage generating unit 304 is input to the negative input terminal of the comparison amplifier unit 303.

[0067] The sampling unit 306 is connected between the power output terminal 307 and the ground input terminal 305. The sampling unit 306 can be two resistors Ra and Rb connected in series. One end of the resistor Ra is connected to the power output terminal 307, and the other end is connected to the middle point O; one end of the resistor Rb is connected to the middle point O, and the other end of the resistor Rb is connected to the ground input terminal 305. The other end of the resistor Ra and one end of the resistor Rb are connected to the middle point O and connected to the positive input terminal of the comparison amplifier unit 303.

[0068] Assume that the output voltage of the power output terminal 307 is Vout. Then, the voltage at the positive input terminal of the comparison and amplification unit 303 is (Vout - Vcore) * Rb / (Ra + Rb). When (Vout - Vcore) * Rb / (Ra + Rb) < Vref, the output of the comparison and amplification unit 303 is "0". At this time, the switching unit 302 is turned on, and conduction is established between the power input terminal 301 and the power output terminal 307. The power output terminal 307 charges the load capacitor, and the output voltage Vout of the power output terminal 307 increases. When the voltage of the power output terminal 307 rises to (Vout - Vcore) * Rb / (Ra + Rb) > Vref, the output of the comparison and amplification unit 303 is "1", and the switching unit 302 is turned off. The load capacitor of the power output terminal 307 discharges, causing the voltage of the power output terminal 307 to decrease. Thus, (Vout - Vcore) * Rb / (Ra + Rb) = Vref can be achieved, that is, Vout - Vcore = Vref * (1 + Ra / Rb). That is to say, a constant difference Vref * (1 + Ra / Rb) is maintained between the voltage Vout of the power output terminal 307 of the voltage following module 207 and the voltage Vcore of the output terminal of the power module 202. This difference is positively correlated with the reference voltage Vref, and this reference voltage is determined by the voltage of the power output terminal of the voltage following module in combination with the safety operating voltage of the auxiliary power module and / or the chip to be powered. This enables the voltage of the power output terminal 307 of the voltage following module 207 to change with the voltage Vcore of the output terminal of the power module 202, that is, the input voltage of the auxiliary power modules 204-1…204-m changes with the voltage Vcore of the output terminal of the power module 202, and this change is controlled by the reference voltage, thereby ensuring that the auxiliary power modules 204-1…204-m and the chips to be powered 203-1…203-m always operate within the safe voltage range.

[0069] The voltage following module of the present invention can be separately encapsulated using the circuit structure of the voltage following module as shown in Figure 3 or can be encapsulated together with other circuits.

[0070] The present invention also provides a computing power board, Figure 4 which is a schematic diagram of the computing power board of the present invention. As shown in Figure 4 each computing power board 400 includes one or more voltage following series power supply circuits 200 for performing hash operations on the working data issued by the mining pool.

[0071] The present invention also provides a computing device. The computing device is preferably used for operations of mining virtual digital currencies. Of course, the computing device can also be used for any other massive operations. Figure 5 which is a schematic diagram of the computing device of the present invention. As shown in Figure 5As shown, each computing device 500 includes a connection board 501, a control board 502, a radiator 503, a power board 504, and one or more computing boards 400. The control board 502 is connected to the computing board 400 through the connection board 501, and the radiator 503 is arranged around the computing board 400. The power board 504 is used to provide power to the connection board 501, the control board 502, the radiator 503 and the computing board 400.

[0072] It should be noted that, in the description of the present invention, the terms "lateral", "longitudinal", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside" and "outside" etc. indicating orientations or positional relationships are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0073] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed as above, they are not limited to the applications listed in the specification and the implementation modes, and they can be fully applied to various fields suitable for the present invention. For those familiar with the art, additional modifications can be easily implemented. Therefore, without departing from the general concept defined by the claims and the scope of equivalents, the present invention is not limited to the specific details and the illustrations shown and described herein.

[0074] In other words, the present invention may have many other embodiments. Without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, technicians familiar with the field can make various corresponding changes and modifications based on the present invention, but these corresponding changes and modifications should all fall within the scope of protection of the claims attached to the present invention.

Claims

1. A voltage follower series power supply circuit, characterized in that: include: a power terminal and a ground terminal; A plurality of chips to be powered, wherein the plurality of chips to be powered are connected in series; A power module, comprising an input end and an output end, the input end is connected to the power end, the power module and the chip to be powered are connected in series between the power end and the ground end, and the output end is used to provide power to the chip to be powered; At least one auxiliary power supply module, used to provide auxiliary power to the chip to be powered; a voltage follower module, connected between the power supply terminal and the auxiliary power supply module; Wherein, the voltage at the output end of the voltage follower module is used to adjust the input voltage of the auxiliary power module.

2. The voltage follower series power supply circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that: A constant difference is maintained between the voltage at the power output end of the voltage follower module and the voltage at the output end of the power module, and the difference is positively correlated with a reference voltage, which is determined by the voltage at the power output end of the voltage follower module combined with the safe operating voltage of the auxiliary power module and / or the chip to be powered.

3. The voltage follower series power supply circuit according to claim 2, characterized in that: The voltage follower module further includes: a comparison amplification unit and a switch unit; Wherein, the positive input terminal of the comparison amplification unit is connected to an intermediate point between the ground input terminal and the power supply output terminal, and the negative input terminal of the comparison amplification unit receives the reference voltage; The switch unit is connected to the power input terminal, the power output terminal, and the output terminal of the comparison and amplification unit, and the comparison and amplification unit controls the switch unit to be turned on or off.

4. The voltage follower series power supply circuit according to claim 3, characterized in that: The voltage follower module also includes: a sampling unit, the sampling unit includes a first resistor and a second resistor connected in series; the first end of the first resistor is connected to the power supply output end, and the second end is connected to the midpoint; the first end of the second resistor is connected to the midpoint, and the second end of the second resistor is connected to the ground input end.

5. The voltage follower series power supply circuit according to claim 3, characterized in that: The voltage follower module further includes: a reference voltage generating unit, wherein the reference voltage generating unit is connected to the power input terminal and the ground input terminal, and provides the reference voltage to the negative input terminal of the comparison amplifier unit.

6. The voltage follower series power supply circuit according to claim 3, characterized in that: The switch unit comprises: a switch transistor, wherein a gate of the switch transistor is connected to an output end of the comparison amplifier unit, and the other two electrodes of the switch transistor are respectively connected to a power input end and the power output end.

7. The voltage follower series power supply circuit according to claim 6, characterized in that: The switch transistor is a PMOS switch transistor, wherein the source of the PMOS switch transistor is connected to the power input terminal, the drain is connected to the power output terminal, and the gate is connected to the output terminal of the comparison amplifier unit.

8. The voltage follower series power supply circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The voltage follower module includes a power input terminal, a ground input terminal, and a power output terminal. The power input terminal is connected to the power terminal, the ground input terminal is connected to the output terminal of the power module, and the power output terminal is connected to the auxiliary power module.

9. The voltage follower series power supply circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a boost power supply module connected between the power supply terminal and the voltage follower module.

10. A power board used in a computing device, characterized in that: The invention comprises any one of the voltage follower series power supply circuits described in one or more claims 1-9.

11. A computing device, comprising a power board, a control board, a connection board, a radiator and a plurality of computing boards, wherein the control board is connected to the computing board through the connection board, the radiator is arranged around the computing board, the power board is used to provide power to the connection board, the control board, the radiator and the computing board, and characterized in that: The computing board is any one of the computing boards described in claim 10.

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