Vertical power supply system

Abstract

The invention provides a vertical power supply system, which comprises a processor, a mainboard and a vertical power supply circuit, and is characterized in that the vertical power supply circuit comprises a PB bearing plate and a PB module; the processor is connected to the first surface of the mainboard through a plurality of first fixing pieces, and the PB bearing plate is connected to the second surface of the mainboard through a plurality of second fixing pieces; the plurality of second fixing pieces are in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of first fixing pieces, and the second fixing pieces are connected with the first fixing pieces corresponding to the second fixing pieces through via holes in the main board; the PB module is connected to the PB bearing plate through a plurality of third fixing pieces, and the PB module is used for converting an input power supply into a target power supply; and the target power supply supplies power to the processor through the plurality of third fixing pieces, the PB bearing plate, the plurality of second fixing pieces, the via holes in the mainboard and the plurality of first fixing pieces. According to the technical scheme, power supply transmission loss can be reduced, and heat dissipation of the power supply system is good.

Description

A vertical power supply system Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of circuit design technology, and in particular to a vertical power supply system. Background Art

[0002] With the growing demand for applications such as artificial intelligence and big data, higher requirements are placed on processor performance, and the processor's operating current continues to increase, such as the operating current reaching 1000A and above.

[0003] When the processor is powered by a power supply, the power supply and the processor are located on the same plane, so that the distance between the power supply and the processor is relatively far, such as 2 to 3 cm, resulting in large power transmission loss. The large power transmission loss is released in the form of heat, which in turn leads to poor heat dissipation of the power supply system.

[0004] For example, power transmission loss is calculated as follows: I*I*DCR, where DCR (Direct Current Resistance) is related to the power transmission distance. The longer the power transmission distance, the greater the DCR.

[0005] Obviously, when the working current is large (such as 1000A) and the distance between the power supply and the processor is far (such as 2 to 3 cm), the power transmission loss is large and the heat dissipation of the power supply system is poor.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present application provides a vertical power supply system, which includes: a processor, a mainboard, and a vertical power supply circuit, wherein the vertical power supply circuit includes a power supply block (PB) carrier board and a PB module;

[0008] The processor is connected to the first side of the mainboard via a plurality of first fixing members, and the PB carrier board is connected to the second side of the mainboard via a plurality of second fixing members; the first side is the front side, and the second side is the back side, or the first side is the back side, and the second side is the front side;

[0009] The plurality of second fixing members correspond to the plurality of first fixing members one by one, and the second fixing members are connected to the first fixing members corresponding to the second fixing members through via holes on the mainboard;

[0010] The PB module is connected to the PB carrier board via a plurality of third fixing members, and the PB module is used to convert the input power into the target power;

[0011] The target power supply supplies power to the processor through the multiple third fixing members, the PB carrier board, the multiple second fixing members, the via holes on the mainboard, and the multiple first fixing members.

[0012] In one example, the vertical power supply circuit further includes an input capacitor and an output capacitor corresponding to the PB module, the PB module is connected to the input capacitor, and the PB module is connected to the output capacitor;

[0013] The input power enters the PB module through the input capacitor;

[0014] In one example, after the PB module converts the input power into the target power, the target power passes through the output capacitor and the plurality of third fixing members and enters the PB carrier board.

[0015] In an example, there are multiple PB modules. For each PB module, the PB module corresponds to multiple input capacitors and multiple output capacitors, and the number of output capacitors is greater than the number of input capacitors.

[0016] In one example, the PB module is used to convert an input power supply of a first voltage into a target power supply of a second voltage; the first voltage is a voltage supported by an external power supply, the second voltage is a voltage supported by the processor, and the first voltage is greater than the second voltage.

[0017] When the second fixing member corresponds to the first fixing member, the power type supported by the second fixing member is the same as the power type supported by the first fixing member; the power type is a positive power pole or a negative power pole.

[0018] In one example, when the PB module is connected to the PB carrier board via a plurality of third fixing members, the PB module and the plurality of third fixing members are placed on the front side of the PB carrier board;

[0019] When the PB carrier board is connected to the second surface of the main board via a plurality of second fixing members, the plurality of second fixing members are placed on the back surface of the PB carrier board.

[0020] In one example, the first fixing member includes a ball grid array (BGA) solder ball; the second fixing member includes a BGA solder ball; and the third fixing member includes a BGA solder ball.

[0021] In one example, the processor is a high-performance processor used in artificial intelligence or big data;

[0022] The high-performance processor includes a high-performance CPU, a high-performance GPU, and a high-performance DPU.

[0023] In one example, the PB carrier board is a PB carrier board optimized by a target optimization method;

[0024] The target optimization method includes at least one of the following:

[0025] Copper plating optimization method, stacking optimization method, via optimization method, blind hole optimization method.

[0026] The vias on the mainboard are vias that support electrical conduction, and the vias include copper-plated vias.

[0027] As can be seen from the above technical solution, by proposing a vertical power supply system, the processor and the PB carrier board are designed back-to-back. That is, the processor is connected to the first side of the motherboard via multiple first fixings, and the PB carrier board is connected to the second side of the motherboard via multiple second fixings. This significantly reduces the distance between the processor and the PB carrier board. Because the distance between the processor and the PB carrier board is relatively small, when the PB module supplies power to the processor via the PB carrier board, power transmission losses can be reduced, and heat dissipation of the power supply system is improved.

[0028] For example, when operating at high currents (e.g., 1000A), even a small change in the distance between the PB carrier board and the processor can limit power transmission losses. For example, if the distance is reduced from 2-3cm to 2-3mm, the distance is reduced by an order of magnitude, and the power transmission loss limit is reduced.

[0029] By adopting PB modules to realize power supply, power supply cost can be reduced and power efficiency can be improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments of the present application or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings of the embodiments of the present application.

[0031] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the horizontal power supply method proposed in this application;

[0032] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the vertical power supply method proposed in this application;

[0033] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of the vertical power supply system proposed in this application;

[0034] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of the vertical power supply circuit proposed in this application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The terms used in the embodiments of this application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application. The singular forms "a," "the," and "the" used in this application and claims are also intended to include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" used herein refers to any or all possible combinations of one or more associated listed items.

[0036] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used to describe various information in the embodiments of the present application, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from each other. For example, without departing from the scope of the present application, the first information may also be referred to as the second information, and similarly, the second information may also be referred to as the first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" used may also be interpreted as "at the time of" or "when" or "in response to determining".

[0037] When powering a processor through a power supply, a horizontal power supply is typically used. This means the power supply and processor are located in the same plane. Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of this horizontal power supply. The VRM (Voltage Regulator Module) can be the power supply, and the processor can be the powered device. Obviously, the VRM and processor are located in the same plane.

[0038] In Figure 1, the solid line represents the positive power connection between the VRM and the processor, and the dashed line represents the negative power connection between the VRM and the processor. Ground (GND) can be used to represent the negative power connection. The positive and negative power connections can be routed on the motherboard.

[0039] As shown in Figure 1, when the power supply and processor are located on the same plane, the distance between them is relatively large, such as 2 to 3 cm. This results in significant power transmission losses, which are released as heat, leading to poor heat dissipation in the power supply system.

[0040] For example, power transmission loss is calculated as follows: I*I*DCR. DCR refers to the resistance of an electronic component or circuit under direct current (DC) conditions. DCR affects current flow efficiency and power loss. DCR is related to the power transmission distance, increasing with greater transmission distance.

[0041] With the growing demand for applications like artificial intelligence and big data, processor performance is being increasingly demanded. Processor operating currents are constantly increasing, reaching 1000A and above (e.g., I = 1000A). Obviously, when operating currents are high (e.g., 1000A), if the distance between the power supply and the processor is long (e.g., 2-3cm), power transmission losses are significant and heat dissipation from the power supply system is poor.

[0042] In response to the above findings, this application proposes a vertical power supply system. Based on the vertical power supply system, a vertical power supply method can be used when powering the processor through the power supply. For example, the vertical power supply method means that the power supply and the processor are placed back-to-back on two sides of the motherboard (such as the front and back).

[0043] Refer to Figure 2, which is a schematic diagram of the vertical power supply method. The VRM can be the power supply and the processor can be the powered device. Obviously, the VRM and the processor are placed back to back on two sides of the motherboard.

[0044] In Figure 2, the solid line represents the positive power connection between the VRM and the processor, and the dashed line represents the negative power connection between the VRM and the processor. Ground (GND) can be used to represent the negative power connection. The positive and negative power connections can be routed on the motherboard.

[0045] As shown in Figure 2, when the power supply and processor are placed back-to-back on opposite sides of the motherboard, the distance between them is relatively close, for example, 2 to 3 mm. Clearly, this distance is reduced by an order of magnitude compared to the horizontal power supply arrangement, and the DCR is also reduced by an order of magnitude.

[0046] Compared with the horizontal power supply method, the vertical power supply method can significantly reduce the power supply transmission loss. When the smaller power supply transmission loss is released in the form of heat, it will lead to better heat dissipation of the power supply system.

[0047] For example, power transmission loss is calculated as follows: I*I*DCR. DCR is related to the power transmission distance; the shorter the power transmission distance, the smaller the DCR. Obviously, when the operating current is high (such as 1000A), a closer distance between the power supply and the processor can significantly reduce power transmission loss.

[0048] This application proposes a vertical power supply system, which may include: a processor, a motherboard, and a vertical power supply circuit. The vertical power supply circuit may be a power supply, and the vertical power supply circuit may include a PB (Power Block) carrier board and a PB module (i.e., a small package power module).

[0049] In one example, the vertical power supply circuit may only supply power to the processor, but not to other devices (such as memory, hard disk, etc.) except the processor. That is, the vertical power supply circuit is a power supply for the processor.

[0050] In one example, the processor may be a high-performance processor, such as a high-performance processor used in artificial intelligence or big data. Of course, the processor may also be a high-performance processor used in other scenarios.

[0051] For example, in artificial intelligence or big data, high-performance processors are required to perform computing and other processing functions. Therefore, a separate power supply can be provided for the high-performance processor, that is, the power supply can be used to power the high-performance processor alone, rather than having the power supply power multiple devices simultaneously.

[0052] For example, high-performance processors may include, but are not limited to, high-performance CPUs (Central Processing Units), high-performance GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), and high-performance DPUs (Data Processing Units). CPUs, GPUs, and DPUs can be collectively referred to as xPUs. Of course, CPUs, GPUs, and DPUs are just a few examples and are not limiting.

[0053] In one example, the mainboard may also be referred to as a motherboard. The mainboard is a circuit board used to carry a processor and a vertical power supply circuit. There is no restriction on the structure and design of the mainboard.

[0054] In one example, the vertical power circuit can be a power supply, and the vertical power circuit can power the processor using a vertical power supply method, that is, the vertical power circuit and the processor are placed back-to-back on opposite sides of the motherboard. For example, the vertical power circuit can be placed on the front of the motherboard and the processor can be placed on the back of the motherboard, or the vertical power circuit can be placed on the back of the motherboard and the processor can be placed on the front of the motherboard.

[0055] The vertical power supply circuit can include a PB carrier board and a PB module. The PB module can be placed on the PB carrier board. The PB carrier board is a circuit board used to carry the PB module, while the PB module is a small package power module used to provide power, that is, the PB module is used to build the power supply of the processor.

[0056] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the vertical power supply system, which can include an xPU, a motherboard, a PB carrier board, and a PB module. The xPU can be a CPU, GPU, DPU, etc., and the xPU serves as a processor. The motherboard can serve as the main board. The PB carrier board and PB module can serve as a vertical power circuit, that is, the vertical power circuit includes the PB carrier board and PB modules.

[0057] As shown in Figure 3, the processor is connected to the first side of the motherboard via multiple first fasteners, and the PB carrier board is connected to the second side of the motherboard via multiple second fasteners. The first side can be the front side, and the second side can be the back side, or the first side can be the back side, and the second side can be the front side. Figure 3 uses the example of a processor connected to the front side of the motherboard via multiple first fasteners, and the PB carrier board connected to the back side of the motherboard via multiple second fasteners.

[0058] In one example, the first fixing member may include, but is not limited to, a BGA (Ball Grid Array) solder ball. Of course, the first fixing member may also be another type of solder ball, or any other type of fixing member that can securely connect the processor to the motherboard. In addition to its secure connection function, the first fixing member also has a conductive function, enabling electricity to flow from the motherboard to the processor.

[0059] The second fixing member may include, but is not limited to, a BGA solder ball. Alternatively, the second fixing member may be another type of solder ball, or another type of fixing member, as long as it can securely connect the PB carrier board to the motherboard. The second fixing member also has a conductive function, i.e., it can conduct electricity from the PB carrier board to the motherboard.

[0060] In an example, the number of the first fixing members may be greater than or equal to the number of the second fixing members. In FIG3 , an example is given in which the number of the first fixing members is greater than the number of the second fixing members.

[0061] The plurality of second fixing members correspond one-to-one with the plurality of first fixing members. For each second fixing member, the second fixing member corresponds to one first fixing member, and the second fixing member corresponds to at most one first fixing member. For each first fixing member, the first fixing member may correspond to one second fixing member, and the first fixing member may correspond to at most one second fixing member, or the first fixing member may not correspond to any second fixing member.

[0062] For example, assuming the plurality of second fixing elements include second fixing elements b1-b3, and the plurality of first fixing elements include first fixing elements a1-a7, then second fixing element b1 corresponds to first fixing element a3, second fixing element b2 corresponds to first fixing element a4, and second fixing element b3 corresponds to first fixing element a5. However, first fixing elements a1, a2, a6, and a7 do not correspond to any second fixing elements.

[0063] In one example, when multiple second fixing members correspond one-to-one with multiple first fixing members, each second fixing member is connected to the corresponding first fixing member via a via on the mainboard, i.e., the second fixing member and the first fixing member are connected via the via. For example, second fixing member b1 is connected to first fixing member a3 via via c1 on the mainboard, second fixing member b2 is connected to first fixing member a4 via via c2 on the mainboard, and second fixing member b3 is connected to first fixing member a5 via via c3 on the mainboard.

[0064] For example, vias on a motherboard can be conductive vias, and these vias can include, but are not limited to, copper-plated vias, meaning they support electrical conductivity. Of course, other types of vias are also acceptable, as long as they support electrical conductivity. For example, via c1 between the second fixture b1 and the first fixture a3 is a copper-plated via, via c2 between the second fixture b2 and the first fixture a4 is a copper-plated via, and via c3 between the second fixture b3 and the first fixture a5 is a copper-plated via.

[0065] For example, when the second fixing member corresponds to the first fixing member, the power type supported by the second fixing member is the same as the power type supported by the first fixing member, wherein the power type can be the positive power pole or the negative power pole (such as the negative power pole represented by the ground (GND)). For example, the power type supported by the second fixing member b1 is the same as the power type supported by the first fixing member a3, such as the second fixing member b1 supports the positive power pole, and the first fixing member a3 supports the positive power pole. The power type supported by the second fixing member b2 is the same as the power type supported by the first fixing member a4, such as the second fixing member b2 supports the negative power pole, and the first fixing member a4 supports the negative power pole. The power type supported by the second fixing member b3 is the same as the power type supported by the first fixing member a5, such as the second fixing member b3 supports the negative power pole, and the first fixing member a5 supports the negative power pole.

[0066] In one example, the power type supported by the second fixture refers to the pin definition of the PB carrier board. That is, when a pin of the PB carrier board contacts the second fixture, the pin definition of that pin serves as the power type supported by the second fixture. For example, if a pin of the PB carrier board contacts the second fixture b1, and the pin definition of that pin is a positive power source, the power type of the second fixture b1 is a positive power source.

[0067] The power type supported by the first fixture refers to the pin definition of the processor (e.g., processor chip). That is, when a processor pin contacts the first fixture, the pin definition of that pin serves as the power type supported by the first fixture. For example, if a processor pin contacts first fixture a3 and the pin definition of that pin is a positive power source, the power type of first fixture a3 is a positive power source.

[0068] To sum up, the power type supported by the second fixing part is the same as the power type supported by the first fixing part, which means that the pin definition corresponding to the second fixing part is the same as the pin definition corresponding to the first fixing part, and the PB carrier board can convert the output of the PB module into an output pin that corresponds one-to-one to the input pin of the processor.

[0069] Continuing with FIG3 , the PB module can be connected to the PB carrier board via multiple third fixings, and the PB carrier board can be connected to the main board via multiple second fixings. For example, when the PB module is connected to the PB carrier board via multiple third fixings, the PB module and multiple third fixings are placed on the front of the PB carrier board, i.e., the PB module is connected to the front of the PB carrier board via multiple third fixings. When the PB carrier board is connected to the main board via multiple second fixings, multiple second fixings are placed on the back of the PB carrier board, i.e., the back of the PB carrier board is connected to the main board via multiple second fixings. Or,

[0070] When the PB module is connected to the PB carrier board via multiple third fixings, the PB module and the multiple third fixings are placed on the back of the PB carrier board, meaning the PB module is connected to the back of the PB carrier board via the multiple third fixings. When the PB carrier board is connected to the mainboard via multiple second fixings, the multiple second fixings are placed on the front of the PB carrier board, meaning the front of the PB carrier board is connected to the mainboard via the multiple second fixings.

[0071] FIG3 takes the placement of the PB module and a plurality of third fixing members on the front side of the PB carrier board as an example.

[0072] In one example, the third fixing member may include, but is not limited to, a BGA solder ball. Alternatively, the third fixing member may be another type of solder ball, or another type of fixing member that can securely connect the PB module to the PB carrier board. The third fixing member also has a conductive function, enabling electrical conduction from the PB module to the PB carrier board.

[0073] In one example, the number of third fixing members may be greater than the number of second fixing members, the number of third fixing members may be equal to the number of second fixing members, or the number of third fixing members may be less than the number of second fixing members. There is no restriction on the number of third fixing members and it can be set according to actual application.

[0074] In one example, the PB carrier board may be a PB carrier board optimized using a target optimization method, that is, the PB carrier board is optimized using a target optimization method, and there is no restriction on this optimization method. By optimizing the PB carrier board using the target optimization method, the DCR direct current impedance can be reduced.

[0075] For example, target optimization methods may include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: copper optimization, stackup optimization, via optimization, and blind via optimization. Copper optimization refers to optimizing the copper of the PB carrier board traces during the design process, such as optimizing copper size, copper thickness, and copper area. These optimization methods are used to reduce the DC resistance (DCR).

[0076] The stacking optimization method refers to optimizing the stacking of the PB carrier board during the design process of the PB carrier board. For example, if the PB carrier board includes multiple stacking layers, these stacking layers are optimized to reduce the DCR DC impedance.

[0077] The via optimization method refers to: during the design process of the PB carrier board, the vias of the PB carrier board are optimized, and the DCR DC impedance is reduced by optimizing the vias of the PB carrier board.

[0078] The blind hole optimization method refers to: during the design process of the PB carrier board, the blind holes of the PB carrier board are optimized, and the DCR DC impedance is reduced by optimizing the blind holes of the PB carrier board.

[0079] Continuing to refer to Figure 3, the PB module converts the input power into the target power. After obtaining the target power, the target power passes through the PB module, multiple third fixings, the PB carrier board, multiple second fixings, the vias on the mainboard, and multiple first fixings to power the processor.

[0080] For example, the target power supply can be ultimately provided to the processor through multiple third fixing members, a PB carrier board, multiple second fixing members, vias on the mainboard, and multiple first fixing members, thereby powering the processor through the target power supply. That is, the processor can be powered only through the target power supply without powering other devices.

[0081] For example, the PB carrier board provides the target power supply to multiple second fixing parts, the multiple second fixing parts provide the target power supply to the vias on the mainboard, the vias on the mainboard provide the target power supply to multiple first fixing parts, and the multiple first fixing parts provide the target power supply to the processor, that is, the processor is powered by the target power supply.

[0082] In one example, the PB module can obtain input power. For example, an external power supply can provide the input power to the PB module via the mainboard, the plurality of second fixing members, the PB carrier board, and the plurality of third fixing members.

[0083] The PB module is soldered to the PB carrier board. The PB module is a small-package power module that provides power. After receiving input power, the PB module converts the input power to a target power source. For example, the PB module can convert input power of a first voltage to a target power source of a second voltage.

[0084] For example, the first voltage is a voltage supported by an external power supply, and thus the voltage of the input power supply is the first voltage. The second voltage is a voltage supported by a processor, and thus the voltage of the target power supply is the second voltage.

[0085] The first voltage may be greater than the second voltage. For example, the first voltage may be 12V, and the second voltage may be 1V or 0.75V. There is no limitation on the first voltage and the second voltage.

[0086] After receiving input power at a first voltage, the PB module can convert the first voltage input power to a target power at a second voltage (there are no restrictions on the conversion method), and then provide the target power at the second voltage to the PB carrier board via multiple third fixings. The PB carrier board provides the target power at the second voltage to the processor via multiple second fixings, vias on the mainboard, and multiple first fixings.

[0087] In one example, since the PB carrier board and the processor are back-to-back, the power transmission distance is short. Therefore, after obtaining the target power supply, the PB carrier board can directly power the processor through the vias on the mainboard, that is, the target power supply reaches the processor through multiple second fixings, the vias on the mainboard, and multiple first fixings.

[0088] The PB carrier board aggregates the outputs of multiple PB modules. For example, it can obtain the target power of multiple PB modules and aggregate the target power of multiple PB modules to obtain the aggregated target power. The PB carrier board provides this aggregated target power to the processor through vias on the motherboard.

[0089] Referring to Figure 4, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the vertical power supply circuit, Figure 4 is a top view of the vertical power supply circuit. In addition to the PB carrier board and the PB module, the vertical power supply circuit may further include capacitors corresponding to the PB modules. The capacitors can be divided into input capacitors and output capacitors. Therefore, the vertical power supply circuit may further include input capacitors and output capacitors corresponding to the PB modules. The PB module is connected to the input capacitor (this connection relationship is not shown in Figure 4), and the PB module is connected to the output capacitor (this connection relationship is not shown in Figure 4).

[0090] As shown in FIG4 , when PB modules are deployed on a PB carrier board, there can be multiple PB modules. The number of PB modules can be set according to the requirements of the processor, the size of the PB carrier board, and the size of the PB modules.

[0091] For example, in order to meet the power supply requirements of the processor, 9 PB modules are required to power the processor at the same time, and based on the size of the PB carrier board and the size of the PB module, 9 PB modules can be deployed on the PB carrier board at the same time. Therefore, 9 PB modules or more PB modules can be deployed on the PB carrier board.

[0092] As shown in FIG4 , for each PB module, the PB module may correspond to multiple input capacitors and multiple output capacitors. There is no restriction on the number of input capacitors and the number of output capacitors, and they may be set arbitrarily.

[0093] For example, in order to meet the needs of the processor, the number of output capacitors is relatively large. By designing multiple output capacitors, the processor can obtain a larger power supply, thereby meeting the needs of high-performance computing.

[0094] For example, the number of output capacitors may be greater than the number of input capacitors. Of course, the number of output capacitors may also be less than the number of input capacitors, or the number of output capacitors may be equal to the number of input capacitors.

[0095] In an example, for each PB module, when the PB module obtains input power, the input power enters the PB module through an input capacitor (ie, a plurality of input capacitors corresponding to the PB module).

[0096] In an example, for each PB module, after the PB module converts the input power into the target power, the target power passes through the output capacitor (i.e., multiple output capacitors corresponding to the PB module) and multiple third fixing parts into the PB carrier board, and the target power passes through the output capacitor and multiple third fixing parts in turn into the PB carrier board.

[0097] As can be seen from the above technical solution, by proposing a vertical power supply system, the processor and the PB carrier board are designed back-to-back. That is, the processor is connected to the first side of the motherboard via multiple first fixings, and the PB carrier board is connected to the second side of the motherboard via multiple second fixings. This significantly reduces the distance between the processor and the PB carrier board. Because the distance between the processor and the PB carrier board is relatively small, when the PB module supplies power to the processor via the PB carrier board, power transmission losses can be reduced, and heat dissipation of the power supply system is improved.

[0098] For example, when operating at high currents (e.g., 1000A), even a small change in the distance between the PB carrier board and the processor can limit power transmission losses. For example, if the distance is reduced from 2-3cm to 2-3mm, the distance is reduced by an order of magnitude, and the power transmission loss limit is reduced.

[0099] By adopting PB modules to realize power supply, power supply cost can be reduced and power efficiency can be improved.

[0100] Compared to horizontal power supply, vertical power supply reduces transmission losses and improves power efficiency. Verification results show that for 100,000 servers, this can save 400 million yuan in electricity costs over its lifecycle.

[0101] Based on the same application concept as the above-mentioned vertical power supply system, a vertical power supply system is proposed in an embodiment of the present application. The vertical power supply system may include: a processor, a motherboard and a vertical power supply circuit, and the vertical power supply circuit may include a PB carrier board and a PB module.

[0102] The processor may be connected to the first side of the motherboard via a plurality of first fixing members, and the PB carrier board may be connected to the second side of the motherboard via a plurality of second fixing members. The first side may be the front side, and the second side may be the back side, or the first side may be the back side, and the second side may be the front side;

[0103] The plurality of second fixing members correspond one to one with the plurality of first fixing members, and for each second fixing member, the second fixing member is connected to the first fixing member corresponding to the second fixing member through a via hole on the mainboard;

[0104] The PB module is connected to the PB carrier board via a plurality of third fixing members, the PB module being configured to convert an input power source into a target power source;

[0105] The target power supply provides power to the processor via the plurality of third fixing members, the PB carrier board, the plurality of second fixing members, the vias on the mainboard, and the plurality of first fixing members. It should be noted that the target power supply is only used to power the processor (a single processor) and is not used to power other devices besides the processor.

[0106] In one example, the vertical power supply circuit may further include an input capacitor and an output capacitor corresponding to the PB module, the PB module being connected to the input capacitor, and the PB module being connected to the output capacitor;

[0107] The input power enters the PB module through the input capacitor; after the PB module converts the input power into the target power, the target power enters the PB carrier board through the output capacitor and multiple third fixing members.

[0108] In an example, there may be multiple PB modules. For each PB module, the PB module corresponds to multiple input capacitors and multiple output capacitors, and the number of output capacitors is greater than the number of input capacitors.

[0109] In one example, the PB module is used to convert an input power supply of a first voltage into a target power supply of a second voltage; the first voltage may be a voltage supported by an external power supply, the second voltage may be a voltage supported by a processor, and the first voltage is greater than the second voltage, such as the first voltage is 12V and the second voltage is 1V.

[0110] In one example, when the second fixing member corresponds to the first fixing member, the power type supported by the second fixing member (such as the pin definition corresponding to the second fixing member) is the same as the power type supported by the first fixing member (such as the pin definition corresponding to the first fixing member); the power type is the positive pole of the power supply or the negative pole of the power supply.

[0111] In one example, when the PB module is connected to the PB carrier board through multiple third fixings, the PB module and multiple third fixings are placed on the front side of the PB carrier board; when the PB carrier board is connected to the second side of the main board through multiple second fixings, multiple second fixings are placed on the back side of the PB carrier board.

[0112] In one example, the first fixing member may include but is not limited to a BGA solder ball; the second fixing member may include but is not limited to a BGA solder ball; and the third fixing member may include but is not limited to a BGA solder ball.

[0113] In one example, the processor may be a high-performance processor used in artificial intelligence or big data; a high-performance processor may include but is not limited to a high-performance CPU, a high-performance GPU, and a high-performance DPU.

[0114] In one example, the PB carrier board can be a PB carrier board optimized using a target optimization method; the target optimization method can include but is not limited to at least one of the following: copper plating optimization method, stacking optimization method, via optimization method, blind hole optimization method, and there is no restriction on this.

[0115] In one example, the via on the motherboard is a via that supports electrical conduction, and the via includes a copper-plated via.

[0116] As can be seen from the above technical solution, by proposing a vertical power supply system, the processor and the PB carrier board are designed back-to-back. That is, the processor is connected to the first side of the motherboard via multiple first fixings, and the PB carrier board is connected to the second side of the motherboard via multiple second fixings. This significantly reduces the distance between the processor and the PB carrier board. Because the distance between the processor and the PB carrier board is relatively small, when the PB module supplies power to the processor via the PB carrier board, power transmission losses can be reduced, and heat dissipation of the power supply system is improved.

[0117] For example, when operating at high currents (e.g., 1000A), even a small change in the distance between the PB carrier board and the processor can limit power transmission losses. For example, if the distance is reduced from 2-3cm to 2-3mm, the distance is reduced by an order of magnitude, and the power transmission loss limit is reduced.

[0118] By adopting PB modules to realize power supply, power supply cost can be reduced and power efficiency can be improved.

[0119] The foregoing is merely an embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application may have various changes and variations. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application should all be included within the scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A vertical power supply system, characterized in that: The vertical power supply system includes: a processor, a mainboard and a vertical power supply circuit, wherein the vertical power supply circuit includes a power supply block PB carrier board and a PB module; The processor is connected to the first side of the mainboard via a plurality of first fixing members, and the PB carrier board is connected to the second side of the mainboard via a plurality of second fixing members; the first side is the front side, and the second side is the back side, or the first side is the back side, and the second side is the front side; The plurality of second fixing members correspond to the plurality of first fixing members one by one, and the second fixing members are connected to the first fixing members corresponding to the second fixing members through via holes on the mainboard; The PB module is connected to the PB carrier board via a plurality of third fixing members, and the PB module is used to convert the input power into the target power; The target power supply supplies power to the processor through the multiple third fixing members, the PB carrier board, the multiple second fixing members, the via holes on the mainboard, and the multiple first fixing members.

2. The vertical power supply system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vertical power supply circuit further includes an input capacitor and an output capacitor corresponding to the PB module, the PB module is connected to the input capacitor, and the PB module is connected to the output capacitor; The input power enters the PB module through the input capacitor; After the PB module converts the input power into the target power, the target power passes through the output capacitor and the plurality of third fixing members and enters the PB carrier board.

3. The vertical power supply system according to claim 2, characterized in that: There are multiple PB modules. For each PB module, the PB module corresponds to multiple input capacitors and multiple output capacitors, and the number of output capacitors is greater than the number of input capacitors.

4. The vertical power supply system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The PB module is configured to convert an input power supply of a first voltage into a target power supply of a second voltage; The first voltage is a voltage supported by an external power supply, the second voltage is a voltage supported by the processor, and the first voltage is greater than the second voltage.

5. The vertical power supply system according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the second fixing member corresponds to the first fixing member, the power type supported by the second fixing member is the same as the power type supported by the first fixing member; the power type is a positive power pole or a negative power pole.

6. The vertical power supply system according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the PB module is connected to the PB carrier board via a plurality of third fixing members, the PB module and the plurality of third fixing members are placed on the front side of the PB carrier board; When the PB carrier board is connected to the second surface of the main board via a plurality of second fixing members, the plurality of second fixing members are placed on the back surface of the PB carrier board.

7. The vertical power supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The first fixing member includes a ball grid array package BGA solder ball; The second fixing member includes a BGA solder ball; The third fixing member includes a BGA solder ball.

8. The vertical power supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The processor is a high-performance processor used in artificial intelligence or big data; The high-performance processor includes a high-performance CPU, a high-performance GPU, and a high-performance DPU.

9. The vertical power supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The PB load plate is a PB load plate optimized by a target optimization method; The target optimization method includes at least one of the following: Copper plating optimization method, stacking optimization method, via optimization method, blind hole optimization method.

10. The vertical power supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The vias on the mainboard are vias that support electrical conduction, and the vias include copper-plated vias.

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