A power supply unit and a server power supply system

Abstract

The application discloses a power supply unit and a server power supply system, and relates to the technical field of power supply, wherein the overcurrent protection unit of the power supply unit is arranged as an adjustable overcurrent protection unit comprising a first sampling circuit, a first voltage configuration circuit, a first voltage comparator and an overcurrent protection control circuit, different reference voltages are configured based on the variable voltage output end of the first voltage configuration circuit, the adjustment of the overcurrent point of the overcurrent protection unit is realized, the overcurrent protection control parameters of the voltage supply unit can be adjusted according to the inrush current when the server is started, the problem of overcurrent self-locking due to the inrush current when some voltage supply units are powered on first is avoided, the power supply stability of the parallel architecture of the power supply unit is improved, and the system operation stability of the server is further improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of power supply, in particular to a power supply unit and a server power supply system. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the improvement of server computing power, the power supply unit of the server needs to support larger power consumption components, so two or more power supply units are connected in parallel to adapt to the power supply demand. However, when multiple power supply units are connected in parallel, due to individual differences, some power supply units may be powered on first, and some power supply units may be powered on later. If the equivalent capacitance of the output end is very large, a very large inrush current will be generated at the moment of starting, which may trigger the overcurrent protection action of the power supply unit that is powered on first. Thereafter, as long as the AC input of the system is continuously powered, the power supply unit will be in an overcurrent self-locking state, and there is no power supply output. At this time, other power supply units are still in normal power supply output. When the system is fully loaded, other power supply units will work under overload, which affects the stability of system power supply.

[0003] How to solve the problem of overcurrent self-locking of the power supply unit that is powered on first due to inrush current caused by asynchronous power-on of the power supply unit in the parallel connection architecture of the power supply unit is a technical problem that needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. SUMMARY

[0004] The present application provides a power supply unit and a server power supply system to at least solve the problem of overcurrent self-locking of the power supply unit that is powered on first due to inrush current caused by asynchronous power-on of the power supply unit in the parallel connection architecture of the power supply unit in the related art.

[0005] The present application provides a power supply unit, comprising: a voltage conversion unit and an overcurrent protection unit;

[0006] The overcurrent protection unit comprises a first sampling circuit, a first voltage configuration circuit, a first voltage comparator and an overcurrent protection control circuit;

[0007] The first end of the first sampling circuit is arranged at the output end of the voltage conversion unit, the second end of the first sampling circuit is connected with the first input end of the first voltage comparator, the variable voltage output end of the first voltage configuration circuit is connected with the second input end of the first voltage comparator, the output end of the first voltage comparator is connected with the first end of the overcurrent protection control circuit, and the second end of the overcurrent protection control circuit is connected with the enable end of the voltage conversion unit.

[0008] The present application further provides a server power supply system, comprising multiple power supply units connected in parallel;

[0009] The power supply unit comprises a voltage conversion unit and an overcurrent protection unit.

[0010] The overcurrent protection unit comprises a first sampling circuit, a first voltage configuration circuit, a first voltage comparator and an overcurrent protection control circuit.

[0011] The first end of the first sampling circuit is arranged at the output end of the voltage conversion unit, the second end of the first sampling circuit is connected with the first input end of the first voltage comparator, the variable voltage output end of the first voltage configuration circuit is connected with the second input end of the first voltage comparator, the output end of the first voltage comparator is connected with the first end of the overcurrent protection control circuit, and the second end of the overcurrent protection control circuit is connected with the enable end of the voltage conversion unit.

[0012] According to the application, the overcurrent protection unit of the power supply unit is arranged as an adjustable overcurrent protection unit comprising a first sampling circuit, a first voltage configuration circuit, a first voltage comparator and an overcurrent protection control circuit, the output end of the first sampling circuit and the variable voltage output end of the first voltage configuration circuit are connected with the two input ends of the first voltage comparator, the output end of the first voltage comparator is connected with the first end of the overcurrent protection control circuit, and the second end of the overcurrent protection control circuit is connected with the enable end of the voltage conversion unit, so as to realize an adjustable overcurrent protection unit based on a variable reference voltage to realize a variable overcurrent point, thereby adjusting the overcurrent protection control parameter of the power supply unit according to the inrush current when the server is started, avoiding the problem of overcurrent self-locking due to the inrush current when some power supply units are powered on first, improving the power supply stability of the parallel architecture of the power supply unit, and further improving the system operation stability of the server. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0013] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application, the drawings needed in the embodiments will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor.

[0014] Figure 1 A power supply unit parallel structure diagram is provided for the embodiments of the present application.

[0015] Figure 2 A structure schematic diagram of an overcurrent protection unit is provided for the embodiments of the present application.

[0016] Figure 3 Another structure schematic diagram of an overcurrent protection unit is provided for the embodiments of the present application.

[0017] Figure 4 A circuit diagram of a copper foil sampling provided for an embodiment of the present application;

[0018] Figure 5 A surge current schematic diagram when a power supply unit provided for an embodiment of the present application is powered on;

[0019] Figure 6 An overcurrent protection trigger schematic diagram when a power supply unit provided for an embodiment of the present application is powered on;

[0020] Figure 7 A power supply unit power-on timing diagram provided for an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 8 A structure schematic diagram of a soft start unit of a power supply unit provided for an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present application, but not all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, any other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0023] It should be noted that, in the description of the present application, the terms “comprise”, “contain” or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that the process, method, article or device comprising a series of elements not only includes those elements, but also includes other elements not explicitly listed or inherent to such process, method, article or device. The terms “first”, “second” and the like in the present application are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0024] In order for those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the present application, the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the drawings and specific embodiments.

[0025] Some key terms used in the embodiments of the present application will be explained first.

[0026] The purpose of the power supply unit (PSU) of the server is to convert the input power (usually alternating current AC or direct current DC) into the direct current voltage (such as 12V, 5V, 3.3V, etc.) required by the server system to meet the power supply requirements of various components inside the server. The power supply unit can adopt various different designs and forms, such as power brick (Power Brick) form.

[0027] A power brick is a small, modular power conversion device that is typically used to convert a power supply of one voltage level to a power supply of another voltage level. In a server system, power bricks are typically used to convert an input voltage (e.g., 54 VDC) to a voltage required by the system (e.g., 12 V).

[0028] When multiple power supply units are used in parallel, due to individual differences, some power supply units may be powered on first and some power supply units may be powered on later. If the equivalent capacitance of the output end is large, a large inrush current may be generated at the moment of starting, which may trigger the overcurrent protection action of the power supply unit that is powered on first. Thereafter, as long as the AC power of the system is continuously powered, the power supply unit will be in an overcurrent self-locking state and will not output power. At this time, other power supply units are still normally supplying power. When the system is fully loaded, other power supply units may work under overload, the operating temperature of the power supply unit may increase, the conversion efficiency may decrease, and the stability and performance of the system power supply may be greatly reduced.

[0029] To solve the problem of overcurrent self-locking of the power supply unit that is powered on first due to inrush current in the parallel architecture of the power supply unit, embodiments of the present application provide a power supply unit and a server power supply system. The overcurrent protection unit of the power supply unit is set to an adjustable overcurrent protection unit including a first sampling circuit, a first voltage configuration circuit, a first voltage comparator, and an overcurrent protection control circuit. The first sampling circuit collects the current of the output end of the voltage conversion unit and outputs it as a sampling voltage. The output end of the first sampling circuit and the variable voltage output end of the first voltage configuration circuit are connected to the two input ends of the first voltage comparator. The output end of the first voltage comparator is connected to the first end of the overcurrent protection control circuit. The second end of the overcurrent protection control circuit is connected to the enable end of the voltage conversion unit. An adjustable overcurrent protection unit based on a variable reference voltage is realized to adjust the overcurrent protection control parameters of the voltage supply unit according to the inrush current when the server is started, avoid the problem of overcurrent self-locking of the power supply unit that is powered on first due to inrush current, improve the power supply stability of the parallel architecture of the power supply unit, and further improve the system operation stability of the server.

[0030] Figure 1 A power supply unit parallel structure diagram is provided for embodiments of the present application. Figure 2 A structure diagram of an overcurrent protection unit is provided for embodiments of the present application.

[0031] As Figure 1 shown, the power supply unit provided by the embodiments of the present application can include a voltage conversion unit and an overcurrent protection unit.

[0032] AsFigure 2 As shown in the embodiment of the present application, the overcurrent protection unit comprises a first sampling circuit, a first voltage configuration circuit, a first voltage comparator and an overcurrent protection control circuit.

[0033] The first end of the first sampling circuit is arranged at the output end of the voltage conversion unit, the second end of the first sampling circuit is connected with the first input end of the first voltage comparator, the variable voltage output end of the first voltage configuration circuit is connected with the second input end of the first voltage comparator, the output end of the first voltage comparator is connected with the first end of the overcurrent protection control circuit, and the second end of the overcurrent protection control circuit is connected with the enable end of the voltage conversion unit.

[0034] As shown in the embodiment of the present application, the overcurrent protection unit comprises a first sampling circuit, a first voltage configuration circuit, a first voltage comparator and an overcurrent protection control circuit. Figure 2 As shown in the embodiment of the present application, the overcurrent protection unit comprises a first sampling circuit, a first voltage configuration circuit, a first voltage comparator and an overcurrent protection control circuit.

[0035] The voltage conversion unit can be a direct current-direct current (DC-DC) voltage conversion unit, which is used to convert the input voltage at the input end VIN into an output voltage and then output the output voltage through the output end VOUT.

[0036] Using the power supply unit provided by the embodiment of the present application, the reference voltage can be configured according to the actual working scene of the power supply unit, and the overcurrent point of the overcurrent protection unit can be adjusted. For example, for the inrush current at the starting moment of the power supply unit, the overcurrent point can be moderately raised according to the output rated current of the power supply unit, so as to avoid weakening the overcurrent protection capability of the output end of the power supply unit while ensuring that the instantaneous inrush current does not trigger the overcurrent of a single power supply unit.

[0037] The power supply unit and the server power supply system provided by the embodiment of the present application, by setting the overcurrent protection unit of the power supply unit as an adjustable overcurrent protection unit including a first sampling circuit, a first voltage configuration circuit, a first voltage comparator and an overcurrent protection control circuit, collecting the current of the output end of the voltage conversion unit by the first sampling circuit and outputting as a sampling voltage, connecting the output end of the first sampling circuit and the variable voltage output end of the first voltage configuration circuit with the two input ends of the first voltage comparator, connecting the output end of the first voltage comparator with the first end of the overcurrent protection control circuit, and connecting the second end of the overcurrent protection control circuit with the enable end of the voltage conversion unit, an adjustable overcurrent protection unit based on variable reference voltage to realize variable overcurrent point is realized, so that the overcurrent protection control parameter of the voltage supply unit can be adjusted according to the inrush current when the server starts, the problem of overcurrent self-locking due to inrush current when part of the voltage supply unit is powered on is avoided, the power supply stability of the parallel architecture of the power supply unit is improved, and the system operation stability of the server is further improved.

[0038] The structure of the overcurrent protection unit is further introduced in the embodiment of the present application.

[0039] Figure 3 The structure diagram of another overcurrent protection unit provided by the embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0040] As shown in Figure 3 , in the embodiment of the present application, the first sampling circuit can include a copper foil and a first operational amplifier OP1; the copper foil is arranged at the output end of the voltage conversion unit, the two ends of the copper foil are respectively connected with the two input ends of the first operational amplifier OP1, and the output end of the first operational amplifier OP1 is connected with the first input end of the first voltage comparator.

[0041] That is to say, the copper foil at the output end of the voltage conversion unit can be used as a sampling resistor, and the copper foil can use the copper foil on the printed circuit board where the voltage conversion unit is located.

[0042] The first operational amplifier OP1 is used for amplifying the voltage at the two ends of the copper foil, and can select MAX9634TEUK+T. The first voltage comparator can select LM393A-SR.

[0043] Figure 4 The circuit diagram of the copper foil sampling provided by the embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0044] As shown in Figure 4 , the 12V printed circuit board copper foil of the power supply unit can be used, the resistance value of the copper foil is selected as R_SEN, the current sampling point P and the current sampling point N are arranged at the two ends of the copper foil, the currents sampled at the two points are I_SENP and I_SENN respectively, and then as shown in Figure 3As shown, the current flowing through the copper foil is denoted as IOUT (i.e. the current at the output end of the voltage conversion unit), and the voltage across the copper foil is denoted as V_ISEN. The voltage across the copper foil V_ISEN is amplified by the first operational amplifier OP1 to a first input end of the first voltage comparator.

[0045] The second input end of the first voltage comparator is connected to a variable voltage output end of the first voltage configuration circuit, and the voltage output by the variable voltage output end is the reference voltage . The first voltage comparator is configured to compare and the reference voltage , and output a signal T_EN according to the comparison result.

[0046] The first voltage configuration circuit is configured to adjust the reference voltage . In an embodiment of the present application, the first voltage configuration circuit can include a first resistance circuit and a second resistance circuit; a first end of the first resistance circuit is connected to the first DC power supply, a second end of the first resistance circuit is connected to a first end of the second resistance circuit and serves as the variable voltage output end, and a second end of the second resistance circuit is grounded; at least one of the first resistance circuit and the second resistance circuit is a variable resistance circuit.

[0047] That is, a resistance voltage dividing circuit can be formed by the first resistance circuit and the second resistance circuit, and the change of the voltage dividing value can be realized by making at least one of the first resistance circuit and the second resistance circuit a variable resistance circuit, so that the connection point of the first resistance circuit and the second resistance circuit can serve as the variable voltage output end of the first voltage configuration circuit, and the reference voltage can be adjusted.

[0048] In some optional embodiments of the present application, the second resistance circuit can include a plurality of first resistance branches and a plurality of second resistances; the first resistance branch includes a first resistance and a first switch connected in series; for the first level first resistance branch, a first end of the first resistance branch is connected to the variable voltage output end, and a second end of the first resistance branch is grounded; for the second level and subsequent first resistance branches, a first end of the first resistance branch is connected to a second end of the corresponding second resistance, a second end of the first resistance branch is grounded, and a first end of the second resistance is connected to a first end of the first resistance branch of the previous level.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 2, the first voltage configuration circuit includes a first resistance circuit and a second resistance circuit. Figure 3As shown, the first end of the first resistance circuit is connected to a direct current power supply VDD, the second end of the second resistance circuit is grounded, and the second end of the first resistance circuit and the first end of the second resistance circuit are connected as a variable voltage output end, thereby forming a resistance voltage dividing circuit. The first resistance circuit can include a resistor R11. The second resistance circuit includes a plurality of first resistance branches and second resistors (R30, R31, …, R3(n-2)). The first resistance branch can include a first resistor (R20, R21, …, R2(n-1)) and a first switch (SW0, SW1, SW2, …, SWn-1) connected in series. Then, by controlling the on-off of the first switch, the resistance value of the second resistance circuit can be changed, thereby realizing different voltage dividing values of the variable voltage output end, and realizing the adjustable reference voltage .

[0050] Based on this, the on-off of each first switch can be controlled by signals S0, S1, S2, …, Sn-1. For example, when Si (i=0, 1, 2, …, n-1) is high, the corresponding first switch SWi (i=0, 1, 2, …, n-1) is closed, and when Si (i=0, 1, 2, …, n-1) is low, the corresponding first switch SWi (i=0, 1, 2, …, n-1) is opened.

[0051] Taking n=8 as an example, assuming that the resistance values of all resistors in the first voltage configuration circuit are the same, and the voltage value of the direct current power supply VDD is , the corresponding relationship between the signal Si and the reference voltage is shown in Table 1.

[0052] Table 1

[0053]

[0054] In this way, the size of the reference voltage can be controlled by the output signal Si, thereby realizing the setting of different overcurrent points.

[0055] In another optional implementation of the embodiment of the application, the second resistance circuit can also include a plurality of second resistance branches connected in parallel between the variable voltage output end and the ground; and the second resistance branch includes a third resistor and a second switch. That is, the second resistance circuit can also be set as a circuit in which a plurality of second resistance branches are connected in parallel, and the size of the reference voltage is controlled by controlling the on-off of the second switch in each second resistance branch, thereby realizing the setting of different overcurrent points.

[0056] In some optional embodiments of the present application, the overcurrent protection control circuit can comprise a first AND gate circuit; a first input terminal of the first AND gate circuit is connected with an output terminal of the first voltage comparator, a second input terminal of the first AND gate circuit is connected with the enable control terminal of the voltage conversion unit, and an output terminal of the first AND gate circuit is connected with the enable terminal of the voltage conversion unit.

[0057] In a specific implementation, when the output voltage of the first sampling circuit is greater than the reference voltage, the first voltage comparator outputs a low level, and when the output voltage of the first sampling circuit is less than the reference voltage, the first voltage comparator outputs a high level, and the enable signal of the voltage conversion unit is set to be high level effective. Then, the signal output by the first voltage comparator and the enable signal of the voltage conversion unit are subjected to AND calculation, if the output voltage of the first sampling circuit is less than the reference voltage, i.e., the overcurrent point is not reached, the first voltage comparator outputs a high level after AND calculation with the high level enable signal, and the voltage conversion unit is enabled; if the output voltage of the first sampling circuit is greater than the reference voltage, i.e., the overcurrent point is exceeded, the first voltage comparator outputs a low level after AND calculation with the high level enable signal, and the voltage conversion unit is disabled.

[0058] In addition, the enable signal of the first voltage comparator and the voltage conversion unit can also be set to other control logics, and the first AND gate circuit is replaced by a corresponding control circuit.

[0059] Only through the gate circuit, the overcurrent protection can be triggered only when the output current of the voltage conversion unit reaches the overcurrent point. In order to avoid error disturbance, the state that the output current of the voltage conversion unit reaches the overcurrent point can also be subjected to timing judgment, so as to avoid frequent disabling of the voltage conversion unit. In the embodiments of the present application, the overcurrent protection control circuit can further comprise a first controller; a first input terminal of the first controller is connected with an output terminal of the first voltage comparator, and a first output terminal of the first controller is connected with an enable terminal of the voltage conversion unit. The overcurrent protection control circuit can further comprise a second AND gate circuit; a first input terminal of the second AND gate circuit is connected with the first output terminal of the first controller, a second input terminal of the second AND gate circuit is connected with the enable control terminal of the voltage conversion unit, and an output terminal of the second AND gate circuit is connected with the enable terminal of the voltage conversion unit.

[0060] In the embodiments of the present application, the first controller is used for timing the first signal output by the first voltage comparator, and outputs an overcurrent protection signal at the first output terminal of the first controller when the timing reaches an overcurrent protection timing time; and the first voltage comparator is used for outputting the first signal when the voltage at the first input terminal of the first voltage comparator is greater than the voltage at the second input terminal of the first voltage comparator.

[0061] The first controller can be a microcontroller unit (MC) with timing function, such as T113-S3.

[0062] In other words, the first controller can be used to time the state of the output current of the voltage conversion unit reaching the overcurrent point. If the state of the output current of the voltage conversion unit reaching the overcurrent point lasts for the overcurrent protection timer, the voltage conversion unit is then controlled to turn off. If the state of the output current of the voltage conversion unit reaching the overcurrent point does not last for the overcurrent protection timer, the timing is reset the next time the output current of the voltage conversion unit reaches the overcurrent point.

[0063] Therefore, by configuring the timing of the first controller to be the overcurrent protection timing, the timing judgment of the output current of the voltage conversion unit reaching the overcurrent point can be realized.

[0064] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the surge current when a power supply unit is powered on, provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the overcurrent protection triggering when a power supply unit is powered on, provided as an embodiment of the present invention.

[0065] like Figure 5 As shown, taking two power supply units VRM0 and VRM1 connected in parallel as an example, assuming that the overcurrent protection current (overcurrent point) of both VRM0 and VRM1 is I_OCP, at the moment of power-on, VRM0 powers on first, followed by VRM1. Therefore, VRM0 first outputs the voltage VOUT to establish the output voltage across the capacitor C at the output terminal. OUT Charging generates a momentary inrush current I_INRUSH. At this time, the entire inrush current I_INRUSH is applied to the power supply unit VRM0.

[0066] If I_OCP ≤ I_INRUSH < 2 * I_OCP, power supply unit VRM0 will trigger overcurrent protection and lock the output. Then, power supply unit VRM1 will power on and generate output voltage VOUT. After the output voltage is established, only power supply unit VRM1 supplies power to the downstream load. If the downstream load continues to operate at full load, the operating temperature of power supply unit VRM1 will inevitably rise. When the load peak current I_PK (e.g., when the acceleration card is pressurized during Electrical Data Peak Processing (EDPP)) exceeds I_OCP, there is a risk that power supply unit VRM1 will shut down.

[0067] Therefore, the overcurrent point of power supply units VRM0 and VRM1 can be appropriately raised to I_OCP'. Simultaneously, adjusting the overcurrent protection timing T_HOLD of the current holding function makes:

[0068] I OCP < I OCP'< 2 * I OCP ; (1)

[0069] T HOLD ≥ Td; (2)

[0070] Wherein, I OCP is the original overcurrent point of the power supply unit, T HOLD is the overcurrent protection timing time, and Td is the duration of the surge current triggering overcurrent point at the output end of the voltage supply unit.

[0071] When the overcurrent points and overcurrent protection timing times of the power supply units VRM0 and VRM1 are adjusted by the first voltage configuration circuit to satisfy (1) and (2), it can be ensured that the power supply units VRM0 and VRM1 will not trigger overcurrent protection when starting up under the condition of starting up in sequence.

[0072] In the embodiment of the present application, the configuration of the first voltage configuration circuit can also be realized by the first controller. The second output end of the first controller can be connected with the output voltage adjusting end of the first voltage configuration circuit. If the specific structure of the first voltage configuration circuit is as introduced in the embodiment of the present application, the resistance adjusting end of the first voltage configuration circuit is the control end of each first switch or the control end of the second switch.

[0073] The power supply unit provided by the embodiment of the present application can also comprise a first nonvolatile storage component (such as the storage component shown in Figure 3 The first controller is further used to read the overcurrent protection control parameters stored in the first nonvolatile storage component and control the output voltage of the first voltage configuration circuit according to the overcurrent protection control parameters. The first nonvolatile storage component is used to store the overcurrent protection control parameters of the overcurrent protection unit, such as overcurrent protection reference voltage and overcurrent protection timing time, etc. If the first voltage configuration circuit is as shown in Figure 3 The overcurrent protection reference voltage in the overcurrent protection control parameters can be represented by the value of signal Si (i=0, 1, 2, …, n-1).

[0074] The first nonvolatile storage component can adopt Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), for example, M24256-BRMN6TP.

[0075] To realize the adjustment of the overcurrent protection control parameter, the first nonvolatile storage component can be connected with the first debugging interface of the power supply unit to receive the overcurrent protection control parameter written from the first debugging interface; the overcurrent protection control parameter includes at least one of the overcurrent protection reference voltage and the overcurrent protection timing time. The first debugging interface can adopt an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) interface, and the overcurrent protection control parameter can be written to the first nonvolatile storage component through a hardware device such as a baseboard management controller (BMC) or a debug dongle connected to the first debugging interface, so that the first controller can read the overcurrent protection control parameter from the first nonvolatile storage component and configure the overcurrent protection timing time and offline configure or online update the reference voltage output by the first voltage configuration circuit.

[0076] Then Figure 3 The working process of the overcurrent protection unit shown in the figure includes: the output current of the power supply unit will generate a voltage signal V_ISEN after passing through the copper foil (such as Figure 4 The signal is amplified by the first operational amplifier OP1 and output signal . The signal is compared with the reference voltage inside the power supply unit (wherein, The register value [Sn-1,…,S2,S1,S0] can be set by the first nonvolatile storage component).

[0077] At the same time, the first controller reads the overcurrent protection timing time from the first nonvolatile storage component, configures the register value [Dm-1,…,D2,D1,D0], and realizes the setting of the overcurrent protection timing time T_HOLD; wherein m represents the number of time points of the overcurrent protection timing time. T_HOLD is realized based on the register inside the first controller, such as setting D=[D15,…,D2,D1,D0], then the overcurrent protection timing time T_HOLD can be represented by the following formula:

[0078] ;

[0079] Wherein, is the clock period when the first controller works, is the timing value.

[0080] When ≥ , indicating that the surge current output from the voltage conversion unit exceeds the overcurrent point, i.e. triggering the overcurrent protection action. At this time, the first voltage comparator generates a high-level signal T_EN after processing, and the first controller detects the high-level signal T_EN for the overcurrent protection timing time T_HOLD, and then outputs a control signal VRM_SHUT. The VRM_SHUT and the enable signal of the voltage conversion unit are calculated by AND operation, and then the output signal EN_VRM' controls the voltage conversion unit to be turned off, so that the power supply unit stops working. When the overcurrent protection action is not triggered, and the power supply unit normally outputs voltage.

[0081] In the embodiment of the present application, the first controller can also be used to configure the first voltage configuration circuit according to the first overcurrent protection control parameter after starting; and the first controller is further configured to configure the first voltage configuration circuit according to the second overcurrent protection control parameter after determining that the device where the power supply unit is located completes the startup process.

[0082] That is to say, during the startup process of the device, the power supply unit will be impacted by the surge current, and at this time the first overcurrent protection control parameter can be set to adapt to the surge current. After the device enters the running state, the current at the output end of the power supply unit is affected by the working condition of the device, and at this time the second overcurrent protection control parameter can be set to adapt to the working condition of the device.

[0083] In the embodiment of the present application, the startup process and the normal running stage can be distinguished by setting a startup monitoring time, i.e. the time of the startup process of the device is determined by pre-test, and the startup monitoring time exceeding this time is set as the time of using the first overcurrent protection control parameter. When the timing exceeds the startup monitoring time, the second overcurrent protection control parameter is used.

[0084] The difference between the first overcurrent protection control parameter and the second overcurrent protection control parameter can be different overcurrent protection reference voltages and / or different overcurrent protection timing times.

[0085] When the power supply unit is applied to a power supply system with multiple power supply units in parallel, if each power supply unit is not started at the same time, the situation of being impacted by the surge current is often different. In the embodiment of the present application, the first controller configures the first voltage configuration circuit according to the first overcurrent protection control parameter, which can further include: the first controller determines the first overcurrent protection control parameter according to the startup order of the power supply unit in the power supply unit of the device, and configures the first voltage configuration circuit according to the first overcurrent protection control parameter.

[0086] ​For example, under the same size of inrush current, the power supply unit started first is more likely to trigger the over-current protection due to the greater inrush current impact, so the first over-current control parameter of each power supply unit can be configured in the manner that the earlier the start order is, the higher the first over-current protection control parameter (the greater the over-current protection reference voltage and / or the greater the over-current protection timing time) is.

[0087] The above embodiment introduces a way of writing the over-current protection control parameter into the first non-volatile storage component by the external debugging device to realize the configuration of the over-current protection unit. In addition, in other optional embodiments of the present embodiment, the adaptive configuration of the over-current protection unit can also be realized by the first controller.

[0088] In the present embodiment, the first controller can also be used to record the historical sampling data of the output end of the voltage conversion unit, and determine the over-current protection control parameter of the power supply unit according to the historical sampling data; the over-current protection control parameter includes at least one of the over-current protection reference voltage and the over-current protection timing time.

[0089] In order to reduce the impact of the inrush current on the power supply unit at the start moment, the power supply unit can also include a soft start unit. In a specific implementation, the soft start unit can be implemented by a resistance-capacitance circuit, or other forms of soft start units can be used to realize the delay from the power input end VIN of the power supply unit to the start of the voltage conversion unit.

[0090] It can be seen that in the power supply system with multiple power supply units in parallel, the start order of each power supply unit is not only affected by the hardware difference of the power supply unit, but also affected by the delay control effect of the soft start unit.

[0091] Figure 7 A power supply unit power-on timing diagram is provided for the present embodiment.

[0092] As shown in Figure 7 , after the power supply unit input voltage (P54V IN) is valid, the power supply unit enable signal (EN VRM) is then sent to control the voltage conversion unit enable, but at this time the voltage conversion unit does not output voltage, but waits to receive the soft start control signal (SS) before the power supply unit output voltage (P12V) starts to work, and then the power supply unit power-on complete pin (PG) outputs the power supply unit power-on complete signal (VRM PG). It can be seen that the time of the power supply unit output voltage is synchronized with the soft start control signal, and the rise time of the power supply unit output voltage reaching the rated value, that is, the soft start time Tss.

[0093] In order to realize the synchronous start of different power supply units as much as possible, in the embodiment of the present application, in the case that the power supply unit comprises a soft start unit, the soft start time setting pin of the soft start unit can be connected with the soft start time setting pin of other power supply units in the device where the power supply unit is located.

[0094] As shown in Figure 1 , the soft start time setting pin of the soft start unit of the power supply unit can be led out of the power supply unit, and the soft start time setting pins of different power supply units are connected to make the soft start time of different power supply units tend to be the same.

[0095] In the case that the soft start unit can be built by a resistance-capacitance circuit, the soft start time setting pin is one end of the first capacitor in the resistance-capacitance circuit.

[0096] Figure 8 A structure diagram of a soft start unit of a power supply unit provided by the embodiment of the present application is shown in Figure 8 . As shown in the figure, the soft start unit comprises a resistor R1 and a first capacitor C1, the first end of the resistor R1 is connected with the voltage output end VOUT of a voltage conversion unit U1, the second end of the resistor R1 is connected with the first end of the first capacitor C1, and the second end of the first capacitor C1 is grounded. At this time, the soft start time setting pin is one end of the first capacitor C1 connected with the resistor R1. Then, the soft start time setting pins of different power supply units are connected together, which is equivalent to connecting the first capacitors in different power supply units in parallel, and the soft start time of each power supply unit is determined by the capacitance value of the parallel capacitor circuit.

[0097] In order to further reduce the influence of the inrush current, as shown in Figure 3 , the soft start time setting pin can also be connected with a second capacitor Css outside the power supply unit, so as to connect the first capacitor and the second capacitor Css in parallel. That is to say, a second capacitor Css can also be arranged outside the power supply unit, and the soft start time setting pins of each power supply unit are connected with the second capacitor Css, so as to connect the first capacitors and the second capacitor Css in parallel to form a capacitor with larger capacitance value, thereby further prolonging the soft start time of each power supply unit.

[0098] The capacitance value of the first capacitor and the second capacitor Css connected in parallel is Css', and the soft start time of each power supply unit is shown in the following formula:

[0099] Tss=k*Css';

[0100] Wherein, Tss is the soft start time, and k is a proportional constant.

[0101] Therefore, the embodiment of the present application leads out the soft start time setting pin of the internal control voltage conversion unit of the power supply unit, and connects the soft start time setting pins of the parallel power supply units together, and connects the second capacitor Css outside the power supply unit, so that the soft start climbing actions of the multiple power supply units are synchronized when the power supply units are parallel, and the inrush current of the start is reduced. The overcurrent protection control parameter is set by the overcurrent protection unit inside the power supply unit to adapt to the inrush current in the start stage, so as to prevent the single power supply unit from triggering the overcurrent protection self-locking.

[0102] The embodiment of the present application also provides a server power supply system, which comprises multiple parallel power supply units.

[0103] The power supply unit comprises a voltage conversion unit and an overcurrent protection unit.

[0104] The overcurrent protection unit comprises a first sampling circuit, a first voltage configuration circuit, a first voltage comparator and an overcurrent protection control circuit.

[0105] The first end of the first sampling circuit is arranged at the output end of the voltage conversion unit, the second end of the first sampling circuit is connected with the first input end of the first voltage comparator, the variable voltage output end of the first voltage configuration circuit is connected with the second input end of the first voltage comparator, the output end of the first voltage comparator is connected with the first end of the overcurrent protection control circuit, and the second end of the overcurrent protection control circuit is connected with the enable end of the voltage conversion unit.

[0106] In the embodiment of the present application, the power supply unit can also comprise a soft start unit, and the soft start time setting pins of the soft start units of different power supply units are interconnected.

[0107] As shown in FIG. 1, Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1, two power supply units (VRM0, VRM1) are parallel, and the branches of different acceleration cards (acceleration card 0, acceleration card 1, …, acceleration card 7) are connected at the back end, and the electric fuses (EFUSE) (electric fuse 0, electric fuse 1, …, electric fuse 7) are arranged on each acceleration card branch. Two power supply units are parallel, and the input power supply (P54V_IN) is converted into the output power supply (P12V). The voltage input ends VIN of the two power supply units are interconnected, the voltage output ends VOUT are interconnected, and the current sharing bus pins (ISHARE) are interconnected (to realize the load balancing adjustment when the two power supply units work). PG_VRM0 and PG_VRM1 are the power-on completion pins (PG) of the two power supply units, respectively, and are used to indicate the output voltage establishment completion indication signal.

[0108] The power supply unit provided by the embodiment of the application is applied to the design of an artificial intelligence server. If eight accelerator cards are arranged on a system substrate, the accelerator cards are divided into two groups, the total power of four accelerator cards in each group is 1800W, and a 2000W power supply unit is selected. A soft start unit (Soft Start0 and Soft Start1), a first nonvolatile storage component, an overcurrent protection unit and a debugging interface are added to the 2000W power supply unit (VRM0 and VRM1). The soft start time setting pin (SS) is interconnected. According to the rated current Imax of the 2000W power supply unit, the overcurrent point (the overcurrent protection reference voltage is set) of the power supply unit can be set according to 1.2~1.5*Imax. According to the overcurrent point and the size of the capacitive load at the output end of the power supply unit, the soft start time of the power supply unit is determined, and a suitable soft start capacitor (second capacitor Css) is selected.

[0109] The embodiment of the application provides a control method of a power supply unit, which is applied to a first controller in the power supply unit, and can include: outputting a low level to an input end of a second AND gate circuit when a first signal output by a first voltage comparator is received at a first input end, so as to turn off a voltage conversion unit through AND calculation of the second AND gate circuit and an enable signal of the voltage conversion unit; outputting a high level to the input end of the second AND gate circuit when a second signal output by the first voltage comparator is received at the first input end, so as to control the on-off of the voltage conversion unit based on the enable signal of the voltage conversion unit through AND calculation of the second AND gate circuit and the enable signal of the voltage conversion unit.

[0110] The first controller is located in an overcurrent protection unit of the power supply unit, and the overcurrent protection unit further includes a first sampling circuit, a first voltage configuration circuit, a first voltage comparator and an overcurrent protection control circuit. The overcurrent protection control circuit includes the first controller and a second AND gate circuit. A first end of the first sampling circuit is arranged at an output end of a voltage conversion unit, a second end of the first sampling circuit is connected with a first input end of the first voltage comparator, a variable voltage output end of the first voltage configuration circuit is connected with a second input end of the first voltage comparator, an output end of the first voltage comparator is connected with a first end of the overcurrent protection control circuit, and a second end of the overcurrent protection control circuit is connected with an enable end of the voltage conversion unit.

[0111] The control method of the power supply unit provided by the embodiment of the application can further include: timing the first signal output by the first voltage comparator, and outputting an overcurrent protection signal at the first output end of the first controller when the timing reaches an overcurrent protection timing time; and the first voltage comparator is used to output the first signal when the voltage at the first input end of the first voltage comparator is greater than the voltage at the second input end of the first voltage comparator.

[0112] The control method of the power supply unit provided by the embodiment of the present application can further include: reading the over-current protection control parameter stored in the first nonvolatile storage component, and controlling the output voltage of the first voltage configuration circuit according to the over-current protection control parameter.

[0113] The control method of the power supply unit provided by the embodiment of the present application can further include: configuring the first voltage configuration circuit according to the first over-current protection control parameter after starting; and configuring the first voltage configuration circuit according to the second over-current protection control parameter after determining that the device where the power supply unit is located completes the start-up process.

[0114] The control method of the power supply unit provided by the embodiment of the present application can further include: determining the first over-current protection control parameter according to the start-up sequence of the power supply unit in the power supply units of the device where the power supply unit is located, and configuring the first voltage configuration circuit according to the first over-current protection control parameter.

[0115] The control method of the power supply unit provided by the embodiment of the present application can further include: recording the historical sampling data of the output end of the voltage conversion unit, and determining the over-current protection control parameter of the power supply unit according to the historical sampling data; the over-current protection control parameter includes at least one of the over-current protection reference voltage and the over-current protection timing time.

[0116] The features of the embodiments of the control device of the power supply unit can be referred to the related descriptions of the embodiments of the control method of the power supply unit, which will not be repeated here.

[0117] The embodiment of the present application further provides a control device of a power supply unit, which is applied to a first controller in the power supply unit, and can include: a first control unit, configured to output a low level to the input end of a second AND gate circuit when a first signal output by a first voltage comparator is received at a first input end, so as to turn off the voltage conversion unit through AND calculation between the voltage conversion unit and the enable signal of the voltage conversion unit; and a second control unit, configured to output a high level to the input end of the second AND gate circuit when a second signal output by the first voltage comparator is received at the first input end, so as to control the on-off of the voltage conversion unit based on the enable signal of the voltage conversion unit through AND calculation between the voltage conversion unit and the enable signal of the voltage conversion unit.

[0118] The first controller is located in an overcurrent protection unit of the power supply unit, and the overcurrent protection unit further comprises a first sampling circuit, a first voltage configuration circuit, a first voltage comparator and an overcurrent protection control circuit; the overcurrent protection control circuit comprises the first controller and a second AND gate circuit. A first end of the first sampling circuit is arranged at an output end of the voltage conversion unit, a second end of the first sampling circuit is connected with a first input end of the first voltage comparator, a variable voltage output end of the first voltage configuration circuit is connected with a second input end of the first voltage comparator, an output end of the first voltage comparator is connected with a first end of the overcurrent protection control circuit, and a second end of the overcurrent protection control circuit is connected with an enable end of the voltage conversion unit.

[0119] The control device of the power supply unit further comprises a timing unit configured to time a first signal output by the first voltage comparator and output an overcurrent protection signal at the first output end of the first controller when the timing reaches an overcurrent protection timing time.

[0120] The control device of the power supply unit further comprises a reading unit configured to read an overcurrent protection control parameter stored in the first nonvolatile storage component and control an output voltage of the first voltage configuration circuit according to the overcurrent protection control parameter.

[0121] The control device of the power supply unit further comprises a first configuration unit configured to configure the first voltage configuration circuit according to a first overcurrent protection control parameter after starting, and configure the first voltage configuration circuit according to a second overcurrent protection control parameter after determining that a device where the power supply unit is located completes a start-up process.

[0122] The control device of the power supply unit further comprises a second configuration unit configured to determine the first overcurrent protection control parameter according to a start-up sequence of the power supply unit in power supply units of a device where the power supply unit is located, and configure the first voltage configuration circuit according to the first overcurrent protection control parameter.

[0123] The control device of the power supply unit further comprises a third configuration unit configured to record historical sampling data of the output end of the voltage conversion unit, and determine an overcurrent protection control parameter of the power supply unit according to the historical sampling data; the overcurrent protection control parameter comprises at least one of an overcurrent protection reference voltage and an overcurrent protection timing time.

[0124] The features of the embodiments of the control device of the power supply unit can be referred to the related descriptions of the embodiments of the control method of the power supply unit, which will not be repeated here.

[0125] An embodiment of the present application further provides an electronic device, comprising a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program, and the processor being configured to execute the computer program to perform the steps in any of the above-mentioned power supply unit control method embodiments.

[0126] An embodiment of the present application further provides a non-volatile storage medium, the non-volatile storage medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program is configured to perform the steps in any of the above-mentioned power supply unit control method embodiments when executed.

[0127] In an example embodiment, the above-mentioned non-volatile storage medium can include, but is not limited to, a U disk, a Read-Only Memory (ROM), a Random Access Memory (RAM), a mobile hard disk, a magnetic disk or an optical disk, and various storage media capable of storing a computer program.

[0128] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product, the computer program product comprising a computer program, the computer program being executed by a processor to implement the steps in any of the above-mentioned power supply unit control method embodiments.

[0129] An embodiment of the present application further provides another computer program product, comprising a non-volatile storage medium, the non-volatile storage medium storing a computer program, the computer program being executed by a processor to implement the steps in any of the above-mentioned power supply unit control method embodiments.

[0130] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the method according to the above-mentioned embodiments can be realized by means of software and the necessary general hardware platform, and of course, it can also be realized by hardware, but in many cases, the former is a better embodiment.

[0131] The skilled person can further appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of the examples described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware, computer software or a combination of both. In order to clearly illustrate the interchangeability of hardware and software, the components and steps of the examples have been described in general terms in the above description. Whether the functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. The skilled person can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of the present application.

[0132] The power supply unit and the server power supply system provided by the present application are described in detail above. The principles and implementation manners of the present application are described by using specific examples in this paper, and the above description of the examples is only applicable to help understand the method of the present application and its core idea. It should be pointed out that, for ordinary skilled persons in the technical field, some improvements and modifications can be made to the present application without departing from the principles of the present application, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A power supply unit characterized by comprising: The application relates to a voltage conversion unit, an overcurrent protection unit and a soft start unit. The overcurrent protection unit comprises a first sampling circuit, a first voltage configuration circuit, a first voltage comparator and an overcurrent protection control circuit. The first end of the first sampling circuit is arranged at the output end of the voltage conversion unit, the second end of the first sampling circuit is connected with the first input end of the first voltage comparator, the variable voltage output end of the first voltage configuration circuit is connected with the second input end of the first voltage comparator, the output end of the first voltage comparator is connected with the first end of the overcurrent protection control circuit, and the second end of the overcurrent protection control circuit is connected with the enable end of the voltage conversion unit. The overcurrent protection control circuit comprises a first controller, the first input end of the first controller is connected with the output end of the first voltage comparator, the first output end of the first controller is connected with the enable end of the voltage conversion unit, and the second output end of the first controller is connected with the output voltage adjusting end of the first voltage configuration circuit. The first controller is used for adjusting the overcurrent protection current of the power supply unit and the overcurrent protection timing time of the power supply unit under the condition that a plurality of power supply units are connected in parallel, so that the adjusted overcurrent protection current is greater than the original overcurrent protection current of the power supply unit, the adjusted overcurrent protection current is less than twice the original overcurrent protection current of the power supply unit, and the overcurrent protection timing time is greater than or equal to the duration of the overcurrent trigger point of the original surge current of the output end of the voltage supply unit. The soft start time setting pin of the soft start unit is connected with the soft start time setting pin of other power supply units of the device where the power supply unit is located. The first voltage configuration circuit comprises a first resistance circuit and a second resistance circuit.

2. The power supply unit of claim 1, wherein The first end of the first resistance circuit is connected with a first direct current power supply, the second end of the first resistance circuit is connected with the first end of the second resistance circuit and serves as the variable voltage output end, and the second end of the second resistance circuit is grounded. At least one of the first resistance circuit and the second resistance circuit is a variable resistance circuit. The second resistance circuit comprises a plurality of first resistance branches and a plurality of second resistances.

3. The power supply unit of claim 2, wherein The first resistance branch comprises a first resistance and a first switch connected in series. For the first-stage first resistance branch, the first end of the first resistance branch is connected with the variable voltage output end, and the second end of the first resistance branch is grounded. For the second-stage and subsequent first resistance branches, the first end of the first resistance branch is connected with the second end of the corresponding second resistance, the second end of the first resistance branch is grounded, and the first end of the second resistance is connected with the first end of the first resistance branch of the previous stage. The second resistance circuit comprises a plurality of second resistance branches connected in parallel between the variable voltage output end and the ground.

4. The power supply unit of claim 2, wherein The second resistance branch comprises a third resistance and a second switch. The overcurrent protection control circuit comprises a first AND gate circuit.

5. The power supply unit of claim 1, wherein ​ The first input end of the first AND gate circuit is connected with the output end of the first voltage comparator, the second input end of the first AND gate circuit is connected with the enable control end of the voltage conversion unit, and the output end of the first AND gate circuit is connected with the enable end of the voltage conversion unit.

6. The power supply unit of claim 1, wherein The overcurrent protection control circuit further comprises a second AND gate circuit. The first input end of the second AND gate circuit is connected with the first output end of the first controller, the second input end of the second AND gate circuit is connected with the enable control end of the voltage conversion unit, and the output end of the second AND gate circuit is connected with the enable end of the voltage conversion unit.

7. The power supply unit of claim 1, wherein The first controller is configured to time the first signal output by the first voltage comparator, and output an overcurrent protection signal at the first output end of the first controller when the timing reaches an overcurrent protection timing time. The first voltage comparator is configured to output the first signal when the voltage at the first input end of the first voltage comparator is greater than the voltage at the second input end of the first voltage comparator.

8. The power supply unit of claim 1, wherein, The first non-volatile storage component is further connected with the first debugging interface of the power supply unit to receive the overcurrent protection control parameter written from the first debugging interface. The first controller is further configured to configure the first voltage configuration circuit according to a first overcurrent protection control parameter after startup.

9. The power supply unit of claim 8, wherein, The first controller is further configured to configure the first voltage configuration circuit according to a second overcurrent protection control parameter after determining that the device in which the power supply unit is located completes the startup process. The first controller is further configured to configure the first voltage configuration circuit according to the first overcurrent protection control parameter, comprising:

10. The power supply unit of claim 1, wherein, The first controller determines the first overcurrent protection control parameter according to the startup sequence of the power supply unit in the power supply unit of the device, and configures the first voltage configuration circuit according to the first overcurrent protection control parameter. The first controller is further configured to record historical sampling data of the output end of the voltage conversion unit, and determine the overcurrent protection control parameter of the power supply unit according to the historical sampling data.

11. The power supply unit of claim 10, wherein, The overcurrent protection control parameter comprises at least one of an overcurrent protection reference voltage and an overcurrent protection timing time. The first sampling circuit comprises a copper foil and a first operational amplifier.

12. The power supply unit of claim 1, wherein, The copper foil is arranged at the output end of the voltage conversion unit, two ends of the copper foil are respectively connected with two input ends of the first operational amplifier, and the output end of the first operational amplifier is connected with the first input end of the first voltage comparator. The soft start unit comprises a resistance-capacitance circuit, and the soft start time setting pin is one end of a first capacitor in the resistance-capacitance circuit.

13. The power supply unit of claim 1, wherein, ​ ​ 14. The power supply unit of claim 1, wherein, ​ 15. The power supply unit of claim 14, wherein, The soft start time setting pin is also connected with a second capacitor outside the power supply unit, so that the first capacitor and the second capacitor are connected in parallel.

16. A server power supply system, comprising: The power supply unit comprises a plurality of power supply units connected in parallel. The power supply unit comprises a voltage conversion unit, an overcurrent protection unit and a soft start unit. The overcurrent protection unit comprises a first sampling circuit, a first voltage configuration circuit, a first voltage comparator and an overcurrent protection control circuit. The first end of the first sampling circuit is arranged at the output end of the voltage conversion unit, the second end of the first sampling circuit is connected with the first input end of the first voltage comparator, the variable voltage output end of the first voltage configuration circuit is connected with the second input end of the first voltage comparator, the output end of the first voltage comparator is connected with the first end of the overcurrent protection control circuit, and the second end of the overcurrent protection control circuit is connected with the enable end of the voltage conversion unit. The overcurrent protection control circuit comprises a first controller, the first input end of the first controller is connected with the output end of the first voltage comparator, the first output end of the first controller is connected with the enable end of the voltage conversion unit, and the second output end of the first controller is connected with the output voltage adjusting end of the first voltage configuration circuit. The first controller is used to adjust the overcurrent protection current of the power supply unit and the overcurrent protection timing time of the power supply unit in the case of a plurality of power supply units connected in parallel, so that the adjusted overcurrent protection current is greater than the original overcurrent protection current of the power supply unit, the adjusted overcurrent protection current is less than twice the original overcurrent protection current of the power supply unit, and the overcurrent protection timing time is greater than or equal to the duration of the overcurrent trigger point of the original surge current of the output end of the voltage supply unit. The soft start time setting pins of the soft start units of different power supply units are interconnected.

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