Power supply switching circuit, power supply circuit, control method, server and server cluster

Abstract

The invention discloses a power supply switching circuit, a power supply circuit, a control method, a server and a server cluster, and relates to the technical field of power supply switching, the circuit comprises a first power supply branch, a second power supply branch and a switching control module; the switching control module comprises a comparator and a control part, the first input end of the comparator is connected with the reference power supply end, the second input end of the comparator is suitable for being connected with a power inlet port of a corresponding power supply branch, the first input end of the control part is connected with the output end of the comparator, and the second input end of the control part is in communication connection with an external control module; the output end of the control element is connected with the on-off control end of the corresponding power supply branch, and when the enable signal fails, the control element can still control the power supply branch based on the output of the comparator, so that the technical problem of abnormal power supply when the controller fails and the control of the power supply switching circuit fails in the prior art can be solved, and the reliability of the power supply switching circuit is improved. The technical effect of improving the power supply control stability is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of power supply switching technology, and in particular to power supply switching circuits, power supply circuits, control methods, servers, and server clusters. Background Technology

[0002] The power supply circuit is used to provide power signals to electrical equipment to ensure its normal operation.

[0003] To ensure power supply stability, related technologies employ power switching circuits connected to multiple power modules, all of which are in an on-state. A controller manages the switching of power supply branches for each module, achieving power switching—for example, switching to a backup power supply when the primary power supply fails. However, if the controller malfunctions, its control over the power switching circuit fails, leading to power supply anomalies. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a power switching circuit, a power supply circuit, a control method, a server, and a server cluster, in order to at least solve the problem of abnormal power supply when the controller fails and the control of the power switching circuit fails in the related art.

[0005] This application provides a power supply switching circuit, including: a first power supply branch, a second power supply branch, and a switching control module. The power input port of the first power supply branch is connected to a first power supply, the power input port of the second power supply branch is connected to a second power supply, and the power output ports of the first and second power supply branches are respectively connected to a load. The switching control module includes: a comparator and a controller. The first input terminal of the comparator is connected to a reference power supply terminal, the second input terminal of the comparator is adapted to connect to the power input port of the corresponding power supply branch, the first input terminal of the controller is connected to the output terminal of the comparator, the second input terminal of the controller is communicatively connected to an external control module, and the output terminal of the controller is connected to the on / off control terminal of the corresponding power supply branch.

[0006] This application provides a server power supply circuit, including: a first voltage conversion module, a second voltage conversion module, a power supply switching circuit of any one of the above, and an enable control module. The power input port of the first voltage conversion module is connected to the Ethernet interface of the server. The power input port of the power supply switching circuit is connected to the power output ports of the first voltage conversion module and the second voltage conversion module, respectively. The power output port of the power supply switching circuit is connected to the power supply port of at least one basic management module. The enable control module is communicatively connected to the second input terminal of the control unit.

[0007] This application provides a control method for the power supply circuit of a server employing any of the above methods, comprising: acquiring the output voltages of a first voltage conversion module and a second voltage conversion module respectively; when it is determined from the output voltages of the first voltage conversion module and the second voltage conversion module that both the first voltage conversion module and the second voltage conversion module are in an effective power supply state, identifying the maximum voltage value among the output voltages of the first voltage conversion module and the second voltage conversion module, using the voltage conversion module corresponding to the maximum voltage value as the target power supply module, and controlling the power supply switching circuit based on the target power supply module.

[0008] This application provides a server, including any of the server power supply circuits described above.

[0009] This application provides a server cluster, including: a plurality of servers as described above; a cluster resource scheduler, which is communicatively connected to the plurality of servers and configured to generate service scheduling instructions when the server cluster is in a low-business period, and to generate service recovery instructions when the server cluster exits a low-business period.

[0010] This application provides a switching control module comprised of a comparator and a controller. The comparator compares the reference voltage provided by the reference power supply with the supply voltage output by the power supply unit to generate a level signal based on the output voltage of the power supply unit. The controller uses the level signal output by the comparator and the enable signal from the external control module to control the on / off state of the power supply branch. Even if the communication between the power supply switching circuit and the external control module is abnormal, or if the external control module malfunctions and causes the enable signal output by the external control module to fail, the controller can still control the on / off state of the power supply branch based on the valid level signal output by the comparator. Therefore, this invention solves the technical problem of abnormal power supply when the controller fails and the control of the power supply switching circuit fails in related technologies, thereby improving the stability of power supply control. Attached Figure Description

[0011] To more clearly illustrate the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0012] Figure 1 This is a connection diagram of a power supply switching circuit provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 A circuit diagram of a power supply switching circuit provided for a specific embodiment of this application; Figure 3This is a connection diagram of a server power supply circuit provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 A connection diagram of a server power supply circuit provided in one embodiment of this application; Figure 5 A circuit diagram of a server power supply circuit provided for a specific embodiment of this application; Figure 6 A circuit diagram of a first voltage conversion module provided in a specific embodiment of this application; Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating a control method for a server power supply circuit provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 8 A flowchart illustrating a control method for a server power supply circuit according to a specific embodiment of this application; Figure 9 A block diagram of a server provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a server cluster connection provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0013] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of this application.

[0014] It should be noted that, in the description of this application, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. The terms "first," "second," etc., in this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0015] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0016] An embodiment of this application provides a power supply switching circuit.

[0017] Combination Figure 1As shown, the power supply switching circuit 10 of this application embodiment includes: a first power supply branch 11, a second power supply branch 12, and a switching control module 13. The power input port of the first power supply branch 11 is connected to a first power supply, the power input port of the second power supply branch 12 is connected to a second power supply, and the power output ports of the first power supply branch 11 and the second power supply branch 12 are respectively connected to the load. The switching control module 13 includes: a comparator and a controller. The first input terminal of the comparator is connected to a reference power supply terminal, the second input terminal of the comparator is adapted to connect to the power input port of the corresponding power supply branch, the first input terminal of the controller is connected to the output terminal of the comparator, the second input terminal of the controller is communicatively connected to an external enable control module, and the output terminal of the controller is connected to the on / off control terminal of the corresponding power supply branch.

[0018] Specifically, the first power supply and the second power supply are different preset power supplies. The first power supply supplies power to the load through the first power supply branch 11, and the second power supply supplies power to the load through the second power supply branch 12. The first power supply branch 11 and the second power supply branch 12 are respectively equipped with a switching control module 13 for controlling the on / off state of the power supply branch.

[0019] Comparator U1 and controller U2 constitute a switching control module 13 for controlling the on / off state of the first power supply branch 11. Comparator U1 compares the supply voltage P12V_POE_STBY_REF provided by the first power supply with the reference voltage Vref provided by the reference power supply, and outputs a comparison signal VIN_SENSE_U1 based on hardware connection. For example, when the inverting input of comparator U1 is connected to the reference power supply and the non-inverting input of comparator U1 is connected to the first power supply, if P12V_POE_STBY_REF is greater than the reference voltage Vref, the first power supply is considered to be in a valid power supply state, and the comparison signal VIN_SENSE_U1 output by comparator U1 is high; if P12V_POE_STBY_REF is less than the reference voltage Vref, the first power supply is considered to be in a invalid power supply state, and the comparison signal VIN_SENSE_U1 output by comparator U1 is low. With the non-inverting input of comparator U1 connected to the reference power supply and the inverting input connected to the first power supply, when P12V_POE_STBY_REF is greater than the reference voltage Vref, the first power supply is considered to be in a valid power supply state, and the comparison signal VIN_SENSE_U1 output by comparator U1 is low; when P12V_POE_STBY_REF is less than the reference voltage Vref, the first power supply is considered to be in a invalid power supply state, and the comparison signal VIN_SENSE_U1 output by comparator U1 is high. The control unit U2 generates a control signal based on the comparison signal VIN_SENSE_U1 output by comparator U1 and the enable signal CPLD_EN_U2 given by the external control module to control the on / off state of the first power supply branch 11. Taking the controller U2 as an NOR gate as an example, when both VIN_SENSE_U1 and CPLD_EN_U2 are low, the controller U2 outputs a high level; when either VIN_SENSE_U1 or CPLD_EN_U2 is high, the controller U2 outputs a low level.

[0020] Assuming the non-inverting input of comparator U1 is connected to the reference power supply, and the inverting input of comparator U1 is connected to the first power supply, the external control module outputs a low level CPLD_EN_U2 when indicating that the first power supply branch 11 is on, a high level CPLD_EN_U2 when indicating that the first power supply branch 11 is off, and a low level CPLD_EN_U2 when the external control module is in a failed state. The control unit U2 is a NOR gate. Therefore, when P12V_POE_STBY_REF is greater than the reference voltage Vref and the external control module indicates that the first power supply branch 11 is on, the control unit U2 outputs a high level to control the first power supply branch 11 to be on; when P12V_POE_STBY_REF is less than the reference voltage Vref, and / or the external control module indicates that the first power supply branch 11 is off, the control unit U2 outputs a low level to control the first power supply branch 11 to be off. Furthermore, when the external control module is in a fault state, the controller U2 receives a low-level CPLD_EN_U2 signal. At this time, the controller U2 can control the on / off state of the first power supply branch 11 based on the VIN_SENSE_U1 signal output by the comparator U1. For example, when P12V_POE_STBY_REF is greater than the reference voltage Vref, VIN_SENSE_U1 is low, and the controller U2 outputs a high-level signal to control the first power supply branch 11 to conduct; when P12V_POE_STBY_REF is less than the reference voltage Vref, VIN_SENSE_U1 is high, and the controller U2 outputs a low-level signal to control the first power supply branch 11 to disconnect. Therefore, even when the external control module fails, the first power supply branch 11 can still be controlled to conduct through hardware circuit design, improving the stability of power supply control. It can be understood that when the first power supply branch 11 is conducting, the power supply voltage provided by the first power supply is output to the load; when the first power supply branch 11 is disconnected, the first power supply does not supply power to the load.

[0021] Comparator U3 and controller U4 constitute a switching control module 13 for controlling the on / off state of the second power supply branch 12. Comparator U3 compares the supply voltage P12V_STBY_REF provided by the second power supply with the reference voltage Vref provided by the reference power supply, and outputs a comparison signal VIN_SENSE_U3 based on hardware connection. For example, when the inverting input of comparator U3 is connected to the reference power supply and the non-inverting input of comparator U3 is connected to the second power supply, if P12V_STBY_REF is greater than the reference voltage Vref, the second power supply is considered to be in a valid power supply state, and the comparison signal VIN_SENSE_U3 output by comparator U3 is high; if P12V_STBY_REF is less than the reference voltage Vref, the second power supply is considered to be in a invalid power supply state, and the comparison signal VIN_SENSE_U3 output by comparator U3 is low. With the non-inverting input of comparator U3 connected to the reference power supply and the inverting input connected to the second power supply, when P12V_STBY_REF is greater than the reference voltage Vref, the second power supply is considered to be in a valid power supply state, and the comparison signal VIN_SENSE_U3 output by comparator U3 is at a low level; when P12V_STBY_REF is less than the reference voltage Vref, the second power supply is considered to be in a invalid power supply state, and the comparison signal VIN_SENSE_U3 output by comparator U3 is at a high level. The control unit U4 generates a control signal based on the comparison signal VIN_SENSE_U3 output by comparator U3 and the enable signal CPLD_EN_U4 given by the external control module to control the on / off state of the second power supply branch 12. Taking the controller U4 as an NOR gate as an example, when both VIN_SENSE_U3 and CPLD_EN_U4 are low, the controller U4 outputs a high level; when either VIN_SENSE_U3 or CPLD_EN_U4 is high, the controller U4 outputs a low level.

[0022] Assuming the non-inverting input of comparator U3 is connected to the reference power supply, and the inverting input of comparator U3 is connected to the second power supply, the external control module outputs a low level CPLD_EN_U4 when indicating that the second power supply branch 12 is on, a high level CPLD_EN_U4 when indicating that the second power supply branch 12 is off, and a low level CPLD_EN_U4 when the external control module is in a failed state. The control unit U4 is a NOR gate. Therefore, when P12V_STBY_REF is greater than the reference voltage Vref and the external control module indicates that the second power supply branch 12 is on, the control unit U4 outputs a high level to control the second power supply branch 12 to be on; when P12V_STBY_REF is less than the reference voltage Vref, and / or the external control module indicates that the second power supply branch 12 is off, the control unit U4 outputs a low level to control the second power supply branch 12 to be off. Furthermore, when the external control module is in a fault state, the controller U4 receives a low-level CPLD_EN_U4 signal. At this time, the second power supply branch 12 can be controlled to turn on or off based on the VIN_SENSE_U3 signal output by the comparator U3. For example, when P12V_STBY_REF is greater than the reference voltage Vref, VIN_SENSE_U3 is low, and the controller U4 outputs a high-level signal to turn on the second power supply branch 12. When P12V_STBY_REF is less than the reference voltage Vref, VIN_SENSE_U3 is high, and the controller U4 outputs a low-level signal to turn off the second power supply branch 12. Therefore, even when the external control module fails, the second power supply branch 12 can still be controlled to turn on or off through hardware circuit design, improving power supply control stability. It can be understood that when the second power supply branch 12 is on, the power supply voltage provided by the second power supply is output to the load; when the second power supply branch 12 is off, the second power supply does not supply power to the load.

[0023] This embodiment constructs a hardware power supply control circuit using a comparator. The level signal output by the comparator and the enable signal provided by the external control module are used together to control the on / off state of the power supply branch. In this case, if the communication between the power supply switching circuit and the external control module is abnormal, or if the external control module fails and the enable signal output by the external control module fails, the controller can still control the on / off state of the power supply branch based on the valid level signal output by the comparator. This solves the technical problem of abnormal power supply when the controller fails and the control of the power supply switching circuit fails in related technologies, and improves the stability of power supply control.

[0024] Combination Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments of this application, the first input terminal of the comparator is a non-inverting input terminal, the second input terminal of the comparator is an inverting input terminal, and the control element is an OR gate.

[0025] Specifically, the switching control module 13 corresponding to the first power supply branch 11 includes a comparator U1 and a control unit U2, where the control unit U2 is an OR gate. The comparator U1, acting as a hardware-level monitoring unit, outputs a corresponding drive signal VIN_SENSE_U1. The output VIN_SENSE_U1 of the comparator U1 and the control signal CPLD_EN_U2 from the external control module are used as inputs to the control unit U2. The output of the control unit U2 directly controls the on / off state of the first power supply branch 11. When P12V_POE_STBY_REF is greater than the reference voltage Vref, the power supply voltage provided by the first power supply is considered normal, and the comparator U1 outputs a low level. When P12V_POE_STBY_REF is less than the reference voltage Vref, there is no input voltage, the power supply voltage provided by the first power supply is abnormal, and the comparator U1 outputs a high level. When both VIN_SENSE_U1 and CPLD_EN_U2 are low, the controller U2 outputs a low level to control the first power supply branch 11 to be turned on; when either VIN_SENSE_U1 or CPLD_EN_U2 is high, the controller U2 outputs a high level to control the first power supply branch 11 to be turned off.

[0026] The switching control module 13 corresponding to the second power supply branch 12 includes a comparator U3 and a control unit U4, where the control unit U4 is an OR gate. The comparator U3, acting as a hardware-level monitoring unit, outputs a corresponding drive signal VIN_SENSE_U3. The output VIN_SENSE_U3 of the comparator U3 and the control signal CPLD_EN_U4 of the external control module are used as inputs to the control unit U4. The output of the control unit U4 directly controls the on / off state of the second power supply branch 12. When P12V_STBY_REF is greater than the reference voltage Vref, the power supply voltage provided by the second power supply is considered normal, and the comparator U3 outputs a low level. When P12V_STBY_REF is less than the reference voltage Vref, there is no input voltage, the power supply voltage provided by the second power supply is abnormal, and the comparator U3 outputs a high level. When both VIN_SENSE_U3 and CPLD_EN_U4 are low, the controller U4 outputs a low level to control the second power supply branch 12 to be turned on; when either VIN_SENSE_U3 or CPLD_EN_U4 is high, the controller U4 outputs a high level to control the second power supply branch 12 to be turned off.

[0027] In this embodiment, comparators U1 and U3 are used as hardware-level monitoring units. When the corresponding power supply voltage is detected to be normal, the comparator outputs a low level; if there is no input voltage or the input voltage is lower than the reference voltage Vref, it outputs a high level. The output VIN_SENSE_U1 of comparator U1 and the control signal CPLD_EN_U2 of the CPLD are connected to the corresponding OR gate, i.e., control unit U2. The output VIN_SENSE_U3 of comparator U3 and the control signal CPLD_EN_U4 of the CPLD are connected to the corresponding OR gate, i.e., control unit U4. The output of the OR gate directly controls the conduction and cutoff of the corresponding power supply branch, thereby meeting the power supply stability requirements.

[0028] In some embodiments of this application, the first power supply branch 11 includes: a controllable switch Q1, the first end of the controllable switch Q1 is connected to the first power supply, the second end of the controllable switch Q1 is connected to the load, and the control end of the controllable switch Q1 is connected to the output end of the corresponding control element.

[0029] In other words, the output of the control unit U2 controls the on or off of the controllable switch Q1 to control the on / off state of the first power supply branch 11. The controllable switch Q1 can be selected according to the actual situation, for example, it can be a MOS (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor), an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor), etc.

[0030] by Figure 2 For example, the controllable switch Q1 uses a PMOS (P-channel Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) and the control element is the control element U2. When the control element U2 outputs a high level, the controllable switch Q1 is off; when the control element U2 outputs a low level, the controllable switch Q1 is on.

[0031] Furthermore, the circuit of the second power supply branch 12 can be connected in the same way as the circuit of the first power supply branch 11. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the P12V_POE_STBY and P12V_STBY power supplies are combined via controllable switches Q1 and Q2 respectively, jointly outputting P12V_STBY_ORING. Continuing with the example where both controllable switches Q1 and Q2 are PMOS transistors, both switches are in their default on state before the system is powered on. Therefore, regardless of which power supply is established first, its voltage can be successfully transmitted to the P12V_STBY_ORING output, thus supplying power to the load.

[0032] After power-on, comparators U1 and U3, acting as hardware-level monitoring units, will output corresponding MOSFET drive signals VIN_SENSE_U1 and VIN_SENSE_U3. Specifically, when the corresponding supply voltage is detected to be normal, the comparator outputs a low level; if there is no input voltage, it outputs a high level.

[0033] The output VIN_SENSE_U1 of comparator U1 and the control signal CPLD_EN_U2 from the external control module are used as inputs to control unit U2; similarly, the output VIN_SENSE_U3 of comparator U3 and the control signal CPLD_EN_U4 are used to control unit U4. The outputs of control units U2 and U4 directly control the on / off state of the corresponding PMOS transistors: when the output of the control unit is low, the PMOS transistor is turned on; when the output is high, it is turned off.

[0034] This embodiment constructs a power supply branch based on a controllable switch, which ensures the stability of the on / off control of the power supply branch.

[0035] In some embodiments of this application, the first power supply branch 11 further includes a diode D1, the anode of which is connected to the first power supply, and the cathode of which is connected to the first terminal of the controllable switch Q1.

[0036] Specifically, diode D1 is used to limit the current direction on the first power supply branch 11 to flow only from the first power supply to the load, and diode D2 is used to limit the current direction on the second power supply branch 12 to flow only from the second power supply to the load. This effectively prevents reverse leakage current between different power supply networks and prevents current from flowing back into the power supply with lower voltage or fault, thus achieving circuit protection.

[0037] Furthermore, when the controllable switch is a MOSFET, when the control MOSFET is off, the body diode of the MOSFET and the diode connected in series in the circuit are in opposite directions, forming a bidirectional blocking mechanism. For example, when the controllable switch Q1 is off, the body diode and diode D1 form a bidirectional blocking mechanism; when the controllable switch Q2 is off, the body diode and diode D2 form a bidirectional blocking mechanism. This effectively prevents reverse leakage current between different power networks and avoids false protection or conflict caused by slight differences in the output voltage of different step-down chips.

[0038] In some embodiments of this application, the first power supply branch 11 further includes an energy storage unit 111, which is connected to the second terminal of the controllable switch Q1 and the load, respectively.

[0039] Specifically, the energy storage unit 111 can be implemented using a supercapacitor or a rechargeable battery. When the controllable switch Q1 is turned on, the first power supply supplies power to the load while simultaneously charging the energy storage unit 111. Charging stops when the energy storage unit 111 reaches a preset charge level. When the controllable switch Q1 switches from the on state to the off state, or when the first power supply experiences an abnormal power outage, the energy storage unit 111 can continue to supply power to the load for a short period by discharging. Thus, by maintaining power supply during power supply branch switching or abnormal power outages, the energy storage unit 111 provides a buffer response time for power supply switching, improving the continuous stability of the power supply.

[0040] In some embodiments of this application, the energy storage unit 111 includes: at least one energy storage capacitor, one end of the at least one energy storage capacitor is connected to the second terminal of the controllable switch Q1 and the load respectively, and the other end of the at least one energy storage capacitor is grounded.

[0041] Specifically, at the instant the controllable switch Q1 is turned on, a charging process is performed based on the movement of charge between the two plates of the energy storage capacitor. When the capacitor voltage of the energy storage capacitor approaches the power supply voltage, the energy storage capacitor is fully charged. When the controllable switch Q1 switches from on to off or the first power supply is abnormally disconnected, the energy storage capacitor and the load form a power supply circuit to discharge the load.

[0042] This embodiment constructs an energy storage unit 111 using energy storage capacitors. The number of energy storage capacitors can be selected according to actual conditions. Through the charging and discharging process of the energy storage capacitors, the system voltage is kept stable, which is also beneficial for controlling hardware costs and improving circuit integration.

[0043] Furthermore, such as Figure 2 As shown, the second power supply branch 12 can also be used for energy storage capacitors. The specific working process can be referred to the working process of the first power supply branch 11, and will not be elaborated further.

[0044] In some embodiments of this application, the power supply switching circuit 10 further includes: a voltage sampling unit 14, the sampling input terminal of the voltage sampling unit 14 being connected to the power input port of the corresponding power supply branch, and the sampling output terminal of the voltage sampling unit 14 being connected to the second input terminal of the corresponding comparator.

[0045] Specifically, the power supply voltage provided by the power supply unit can be proportionally sampled by the voltage sampling unit 14 to adjust the monitored power supply voltage to the input range allowed by the comparator, so that the comparison process can be executed smoothly. In addition, a conditioning circuit can be added after the sampling point and before the comparator. The conditioning circuit may include a low-pass filter circuit to filter out high-frequency noise and improve the judgment accuracy of the comparator.

[0046] In some embodiments of this application, the voltage sampling unit 14 includes: a first resistor and a second resistor, one end of the first resistor is connected to the power input port of the corresponding power supply branch, the other end of the first resistor is connected to one end of the second resistor to form a first node, the other end of the second resistor is grounded, and the first node is connected to the second input terminal of the corresponding comparator.

[0047] Specifically, in combination Figure 2 As shown, a voltage divider sampling circuit is formed by resistors R1 and R2 to sample the output voltage of the first power supply and output voltage P12V_POE_STBY_REF to the second input terminal of comparator U1. Comparator U1 compares voltage P12V_POE_STBY_REF with reference voltage Vref and outputs signal VIN_SENSE_U1 to control unit U2. Together with control signal CPLD_EN_U2, controllable switch Q1 is controlled.

[0048] A voltage divider sampling circuit is formed by resistors R3 and R4 to sample the output voltage of the second power supply and output voltage P12V_STBY_REF to the second input terminal of comparator U3. Comparator U3 compares voltage P12V_STBY_REF with reference voltage Vref and outputs signal VIN_SENSE_U3 to control unit U4. Together with control signal CPLD_EN_U4, controllable switch Q2 is controlled.

[0049] This embodiment uses a voltage divider circuit built with two resistors as a voltage sampling unit, which reduces hardware costs and improves voltage sampling stability.

[0050] In some embodiments of this application, the switching control module 13 further includes: a reference voltage conversion module, the input terminal of which is connected to the power input port of the corresponding power supply branch, and the output terminal of which is connected to the first input terminal of the comparator.

[0051] Specifically, the reference voltage conversion module may include a voltage conversion circuit and a voltage regulation circuit to output a reference voltage with a fixed voltage value for the output of hardware control signals.

[0052] For the switching control module 13 that controls the first power supply branch 11, the input terminal of the reference voltage conversion module is connected to the power input port of the first power supply branch 11, and the output terminal is connected to the first input terminal of the comparator U1. It is used to generate the reference voltage of the comparator U1 based on the output voltage of the first power supply, and to perform hardware voltage comparison of the first power supply.

[0053] For the switching control module 13 that controls the second power supply branch 12, the input terminal of the reference voltage conversion module is connected to the power input port of the second power supply branch 12, and the output terminal is connected to the first input terminal of the comparator U3. It is used to generate the reference voltage of the comparator U3 according to the output voltage of the second power supply, and to perform hardware voltage comparison of the second power supply.

[0054] This embodiment generates a corresponding reference voltage through the corresponding power supply for the generation of hardware control signals. As a result, hardware control can start synchronously when the power supply is powered on, which improves the power supply control effect and reduces the need for additional power supply units, thus helping to control hardware costs.

[0055] Corresponding to the above embodiments, this application also provides a server power supply circuit.

[0056] As a core infrastructure in the digital economy era, the reliability, energy efficiency, and maintainability of the power supply system for servers are crucial. In related technologies, servers rely entirely on internal power supply units (PSUs) to convert AC power to DC power to supply all components. To ensure power supply reliability, redundant power supply designs are employed, meaning multiple PSU modules are used. These modules typically operate in a "load-sharing" mode, sharing the load, or in a "master-slave" mode, with one working and the other providing hot backup. The input to these PSUs usually comes from the data center's uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system or high-voltage DC system, and they themselves are energy sources, reducing overall system efficiency.

[0057] In recent years, to improve efficiency and reduce operating costs, a hybrid power supply architecture called "direct mains power supply + backup power supply" has emerged in data centers. In this architecture, one input to the server is directly connected to mains power, while the other is still connected to a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) or HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current) as backup. During normal operation, the server primarily relies on the efficient and virtually lossless mains power; when the mains power fails, it switches to backup power.

[0058] In related technologies, server power supply mainly includes the following two methods: 1. Distributed PSU Power Supply (Chassis-Level Power Supply): Each server or server chassis is equipped with one or more independent PSU modules. The PSU converts the AC or high-voltage DC power from the data center into DC power required by the internal components of the server, and then the power supply module on the motherboard further steps down the voltage to the core voltage required by chips such as the CPU (Central Processing Unit) / GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). Its advantages are: flexible deployment, mature technology, high reliability of redundant configuration, and no impact on business operations due to a single power supply failure.

[0059] 2. Centralized Power Supply (Rack-Level Power Supply): This approach aims to address the pain points of distributed power supply in high-density computing scenarios. The core idea is to separate the power supply module from individual servers and deploy it centrally at the rack level. Centralized power supply modules are installed within the rack, typically located at the bottom or side, integrating multiple high-power PSU modules, power distribution units, and sometimes backup battery units or supercapacitors. These centralized power supply modules provide converted DC power to all computing nodes and GPU Boxes (Graphics Processing Unit Boxes) within the entire rack. Its advantages include high efficiency, high power density, lower total capacity and cost, and more flexible power redundancy configuration.

[0060] However, the aforementioned server power supply solutions, whether distributed or centralized, have gradually revealed some inherent shortcomings in actual deployment and operation, mainly in three aspects: reliability, architectural flexibility, and energy efficiency. 1. Failures lead to the loss of management functions and limitations of local backup solutions.

[0061] When the AC input or main PSU fails, the power supply path to critical management units such as the BMC (Baseboard Management Controller) may be interrupted. This directly leads to the failure of remote management, log retrieval, and system diagnostic functions, causing significant difficulties for operation and maintenance. Furthermore, to ensure that critical components (SAS (Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface) chips and RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) cards) can perform data protection operations during sudden power outages, related technologies typically use supercapacitors or batteries as partial backup power sources. However, such designs not only increase system complexity and cost, but their energy storage components themselves also have limited lifespans and require regular maintenance.

[0062] 2. The power supply architecture and management system are too tightly coupled, lacking flexibility.

[0063] In the server power supply architecture of related technologies, the server's power supply (from the PSU) is highly tied to its management functions. This means that any remote management operation (such as powering on / off or restarting) depends on the normal working status of the PSU. This tight coupling cannot adapt to the decoupling requirements of power supply and management in emerging scenarios such as lightweight, modular, or edge computing, thus limiting the space for architectural innovation.

[0064] 3. Low energy efficiency under light load, which does not match the actual load characteristics.

[0065] Servers need to run 24 / 7, but their actual workload is often fluctuating and rarely operates at full capacity for extended periods. The conversion efficiency of a power supply unit (PSU) typically drops significantly under light or no-load conditions. This means that during off-peak periods, a large amount of energy is wasted on power conversion itself rather than computing tasks, leading to unnecessary energy consumption and increased operating costs.

[0066] To address at least one of the aforementioned technical problems, this application proposes a server power supply circuit. The server power supply circuit of the embodiment of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0067] Combination Figure 3 As shown, the server power supply circuit 100 of this application embodiment includes: a first voltage conversion module 20, a second voltage conversion module 30, a power supply switching circuit 10 of any one of the above, and an enable control module 40. The power input port of the first voltage conversion module 20 is connected to the Ethernet interface of the server. The power input port of the power supply switching circuit 10 is connected to the power output port of the first voltage conversion module 20 and the power output port of the second voltage conversion module 30, respectively. The power output port of the power supply switching circuit 10 is connected to the power supply port of at least one basic management module. The enable control module 40 is communicatively connected to the second input terminal of the control unit.

[0068] Specifically, the power input port of the first voltage conversion module 20 is connected to the server's Ethernet interface to draw power based on PoE (Power over Ethernet) technology. PoE technology is primarily regulated by a series of IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) standards, evolving from classic PoE to PoE++, significantly improving power output capabilities. In the latest PoE++ (802.3bt) standard, its maximum PD (Powered Device) output power reaches 71.3W, sufficient to meet the operating requirements of server BMCs, CPLDs (Complex Programmable Logic Devices), smart network cards, and other devices. Even in the currently most widely used PoE+ (802.3at) standard, its maximum usable PD power reaches 25.5W, fully meeting the power consumption requirements of BMC and CPLD chips.

[0069] The first voltage conversion module 20 is responsible for obtaining power from the Ethernet cable, converting the 48V voltage provided by the PoE cable into the 12V voltage applicable to the motherboard power supply, and also has overvoltage and overcurrent protection functions to ensure safety.

[0070] The second voltage conversion module 30 is responsible for obtaining power from the power supply unit and converting the voltage provided by the power supply unit into the 12V voltage applicable to the motherboard power supply.

[0071] The power input port of the power supply switching circuit 10 is connected to the power output ports of the first voltage conversion module 20 and the second voltage conversion module 30, respectively. For example, combined with... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the output port of the first voltage conversion module 20 is connected to the input port of the first power supply branch 11, and the output port of the second voltage conversion module 30 is connected to the input port of the second power supply branch 12. The output ports of the first power supply branch 11 and the second power supply branch 12 are respectively connected to the power supply ports of at least one basic management module, such as the server's BMC, CPLD, VR (Virtual Reality) controller, etc. The enable control module 40 is communicatively connected to the second input terminal of the control unit. Alternatively, the enable control module 40 can also be a basic management module.

[0072] This embodiment achieves seamless switching between PSU and PoE power supply through power switching circuit 10. When the main PSU fails or the AC mains power fails, PoE can immediately power critical management chips such as the BMC, CPLD, and VR controller, ensuring uninterrupted out-of-band management channels and significantly enhancing the server's power redundancy and continuous system operation capability. Even when the server's main power supply is completely unavailable (e.g., due to equipment removal, maintenance, or power module failure), a single standard Ethernet cable can power the server's basic management units such as the BMC, CPLD, and VR controller. It also supports critical maintenance operations such as BIOS configuration, BMC firmware upgrades, VR firmware flashing, and hardware parameter adjustments. This provides the server with a "maintenance channel" independent of the main power supply, enabling non-power-down maintenance (e.g., upgrades, configurations), avoiding the inconvenience of temporary power connections for operations in traditional methods, and significantly improving maintenance convenience and equipment availability.

[0073] Combination Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments of this application, at least one basic management module includes an enable control module 40. The enable control module 40 includes a baseboard management controller 41 and a complex programmable logic device 42. The power supply terminals of the baseboard management controller and the complex programmable logic device are respectively connected to the output ports of the power supply switching circuit. The voltage sampling terminal of the baseboard management controller 41 is respectively connected to the input ports of the first power supply branch 11 and the second power supply branch 12. The power supply switching control terminal of the baseboard management controller 41 is connected to the first input terminal of the complex programmable logic device 42. The enable output terminal of the complex programmable logic device 42 is communicatively connected to the second input terminal of the corresponding controller.

[0074] Specifically, with Figure 5 For example, the voltage sampling terminal of the substrate management controller 41 is connected to the voltage sampling unit in the power supply switching circuit 10, respectively. Voltages P12V_POE_STBY_REF and P12V_STBY_REF are input to the substrate management controller 41 so that the substrate management controller 41 can evaluate the power supply output of the first voltage conversion module 20 and the second voltage conversion module 30, thereby generating a control signal for the complex programmable logic device 42. For instance, the power supply effectiveness of the first voltage conversion module 20 is evaluated based on voltage P12V_POE_STBY_REF, and the power supply effectiveness of the second voltage conversion module 30 is also evaluated based on voltage P12V_STBY_REF. A control signal is generated based on the voltage effectiveness evaluation results; or, when both power conversion modules are in an effective power supply state, a more optimal voltage value is selected to generate the control signal.

[0075] The complex programmable logic device 42 generates enable signals CPLD_EN_U2 and CPLD_EN_U4 based on the control signals given by the baseboard management controller 41, and sends them to the controller so that the controller can combine the comparator output results for the control of the power supply branch.

[0076] by Figure 5 For example, controllers U2 and U4 are OR gates. When both VIN_SENSE_U1 and CPLD_EN_U2 are low, controller U2 outputs a low level, the first power supply branch 11 is turned on, and the voltage P12V_POE_STBY output by the first voltage conversion module 20 supplies power to the basic management module. When either VIN_SENSE_U1 or CPLD_EN_U2 is high, controller U2 outputs a high level, the first power supply branch 11 is turned off, and the voltage output by the first voltage conversion module 20 stops supplying power to the basic management module.

[0077] When both VIN_SENSE_U3 and CPLD_EN_U4 are low, the controller U4 outputs a low level, the second power supply branch 12 is turned on, and the voltage P12V_STBY output by the second voltage conversion module 30 supplies power to the basic management module; when either VIN_SENSE_U3 or CPLD_EN_U4 is high, the controller U4 outputs a high level, the second power supply branch 12 is turned off, and the voltage output by the second voltage conversion module 30 stops supplying power to the basic management module.

[0078] Furthermore, through the baseboard management controller 41 and the complex programmable logic device 42, the system can bypass the automatic switching of the power supply switching circuit 10 and achieve active and controlled power selection. For example, maintenance personnel can manually force the system to use PoE power supply through the BMC's management interface so that the PSU can be completely disconnected during maintenance; or set a strategy to actively switch to a more energy-efficient power supply path during off-peak periods. For example, the efficiency of the server's PSU (Power Supply Unit) is about 88% at 10% load. When the BMC reads the PSU power consumption and finds that the system has entered a very low load period and the PSU efficiency has entered a lower range, it can switch to PoE power reception and buck module power supply (i.e., power supply from the first voltage conversion module 20).

[0079] This embodiment reuses the server's baseboard management controller and complex programmable logic devices for enable control of the power switching circuit, reducing hardware costs.

[0080] In some embodiments of this application, when a switching control module 13 is provided in the first power supply branch 11 and the second power supply branch 12 respectively, the second input terminal of the complex programmable logic device 42 is connected to the output terminal of the comparator corresponding to the first power supply branch 11 and the output terminal of the comparator corresponding to the second power supply branch 12 respectively.

[0081] Specifically, the signals VIN_SENSE_U1 and VIN_SENSE_U3 output by comparators U1 and U3, respectively, are input to the complex programmable logic device 42. Among them, signal VIN_SENSE_U1 represents the Ethernet power supply status, and VIN_SENSE_U3 represents the power supply status of the power supply unit. Figure 5 For example, when VIN_SENSE_U1 is low, it indicates that the voltage P12V_POE_STBY_REF is greater than the reference voltage Vref, and the Ethernet power supply is normal; when VIN_SENSE_U1 is high, it indicates that the voltage P12V_POE_STBY_REF is less than the reference voltage Vref, and the Ethernet power supply is abnormal. When VIN_SENSE_U3 is low, it indicates that the voltage P12V_STBY_REF is greater than the reference voltage Vref, and the power supply unit is powered normally; when VIN_SENSE_U1 is high, it indicates that the voltage P12V_STBY_REF is less than the reference voltage Vref, and the power supply unit is abnormal.

[0082] The complex programmable logic device 42 identifies the Ethernet power supply status through the signal VIN_SENSE_U1 and the power supply status of the power supply unit through VIN_SENSE_U3. This reduces the logic processing flow of the board management controller 41, improves the enable response speed, and ensures power supply switching efficiency. For example, when it detects that VIN_SENSE_U1 has switched from low to high, it determines that the Ethernet power supply is abnormal and outputs a high-level CPLD_EN_U2. At the same time, if VIN_SENSE_U3 remains low, it simultaneously outputs a low-level CPLD_EN_U2 to switch to the power supply unit for power supply.

[0083] For example, when a fault occurs in the currently used 12V power supply path, causing an abnormal voltage drop, the corresponding voltage comparator (U1 or U3) will immediately detect the abnormal 12V level. Its output signal VIN_SENSE will then toggle to a high level. After detecting this signal toggle, the CPLD will release the control signals CPLD_EN_U2 and CPLD_EN_U4, making them low. Thereafter, the power supply switching circuit will primarily rely on the hardware detection signal VIN_SENSE to automatically and quickly switch the power supply path to another normal 12V input, thereby ensuring a stable 12V power supply output. In this embodiment, when the CPLD detects the comparator signal toggle, it sets both enable control signals to a low level. Power supply switching is then performed based on the comparator's output, thus reducing the identification process and ensuring power supply switching efficiency through synchronous low-level setting.

[0084] Combination Figure 2 and Figure 5As shown, in some embodiments of the present application, when the power supply switching circuit 10 includes a voltage sampling unit 14, the first voltage sampling terminal of the baseboard management controller 41 is connected to the sampling output terminal of the voltage sampling unit 14 corresponding to the first power supply branch 11, and the second voltage sampling terminal of the baseboard management controller 41 is connected to the sampling output terminal of the voltage sampling unit 14 corresponding to the second power supply branch 12.

[0085] That is to say, in this embodiment, the voltage sampling unit in the power supply switching circuit 10 is reused to obtain the output voltages of the first voltage conversion module 20 and the second voltage conversion module 30, thereby reducing the application cost.

[0086] Combined with Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments of the present application, the first voltage conversion module 20 includes: a buck chip 21 and a voltage feedback unit 22. The power input pin of the buck chip 21 is connected to the Ethernet interface, the power output pin of the buck chip 21 is connected to the feedback input terminal of the voltage feedback unit 22 and the power input port of the first power supply branch 11, the feedback output terminal of the voltage feedback unit 22 is connected to the feedback pin of the buck chip 21, and the voltage dividing resistor adjustment terminal of the voltage feedback unit 22 is connected to the power supply priority adjustment output terminal of the enable control module 40.

[0087] Specifically, the buck chip 21 is used to convert a relatively high input DC voltage into a relatively low and stable output DC voltage. For example, the Ethernet interface provides a voltage of 48V, and the buck chip 21 performs a buck processing on the 48V voltage and outputs a 12V voltage required by the server motherboard.

[0088] The feedback pin FB of the buck chip 21 is connected to the output voltage of the buck chip 21 and the ground through an external resistor voltage dividing network, that is, the voltage feedback unit 22. There is a very precise reference voltage source inside the buck chip 21. Inside the buck chip 21, the sampled voltage Vfb input through the feedback pin FB is compared with the fixed voltage Vfb_ref provided by the internal reference voltage source through an internal error amplifier. If Vfb < Vfb_ref: it means that the output voltage Vout of the buck chip 21 is too low → the output of the error amplifier increases → the control logic increases the switching duty cycle → Vout rises. If Vfb > Vfb_ref: it means that Vout is too high → the output of the error amplifier decreases → the control logic decreases the switching duty cycle → Vout drops. Thus, through this negative feedback closed loop, the buck chip 21 finally stabilizes Vfb at Vfb_ref, thereby obtaining an accurate and stable output voltage.

[0089] In this embodiment, the enable control module 40 adjusts the output voltage of the step-down chip by controlling the voltage divider resistor of the voltage feedback unit 22, thereby adjusting the output voltage of the voltage conversion module. This is applicable to various application scenarios. For example, based on the power supply priority given by the user, the output voltage of the higher-priority power supply module can be increased. Thus, during the control process, the application of the power supply module can be directly selected based on voltage comparison, improving the efficiency of power supply switching and identification.

[0090] In some embodiments of this application, the voltage feedback unit 22 includes: a fifth resistor R5, a sixth resistor R6, a seventh resistor R7, and a resistor-controlled switch Q3. One end of the fifth resistor R5 is connected to the power output pin of the step-down chip 21. The other end of the fifth resistor R5 is connected to one end of the sixth resistor R6, the first end of the resistor-controlled switch Q3, and the feedback pin of the step-down chip 21. The second end of the resistor-controlled switch Q3 is connected to one end of the seventh resistor R7. The control terminal of the resistor-controlled switch Q3 is connected to the power supply priority adjustment output terminal of the enable control module 40. The other end of the seventh resistor R7 and the other end of the sixth resistor R6 are grounded.

[0091] Specifically, the resistor-controlled switch Q3 can be selected according to the actual situation, such as a MOSFET or IGBT. Figure 6 For example, the resistor-controlled switch Q3 is an N-MOS (N-channel Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor).

[0092] exist Figure 6 In the first voltage conversion module 20 shown, a 48V to 12V step-down chip 21 is used as the core, along with an input capacitor, an output capacitor, and an output inductor to realize the voltage conversion module. Meanwhile, on the feedback pin FB of the step-down chip 21, its lower voltage divider resistor, i.e., the sixth resistor R6, is connected in parallel with a controllable resistor switch and a seventh resistor R7. This allows the controllable resistor switch Q3 to be switched on and off according to the power supply priority of the CPLD, thereby changing the lower voltage divider resistance value of FB and thus altering the output voltage of the 48V to 12V chip.

[0093] Before the system is powered on, CPLD_VOUT_CONTROL is low, the resistor-controlled switch Q3 is off, and the output level of the buck chip 21 is high. When the system needs to reduce the output voltage of the buck chip 21, CPLD_VOUT_CONTROL is pulled high, the resistor-controlled switch Q3 is turned on, the sixth resistor R6 and the seventh resistor R7 are connected in parallel, the voltage divider resistance value decreases, the output voltage of the buck chip 21 decreases, and the hardware priority of this module in the power supply system is reduced.

[0094] This embodiment uses a resistor-controlled switch Q3 to control the on / off state of the parallel resistor of the sixth resistor R6, thereby adjusting the resistance value of the voltage divider resistor, reducing hardware costs and improving control efficiency.

[0095] Embodiments of this application also provide a control method for a server power supply circuit.

[0096] like Figure 7 As shown, the control method for the server power supply circuit in this embodiment includes the following steps: S1, acquire the output voltages of the first voltage conversion module and the second voltage conversion module respectively; S2, when it is determined that both the first voltage conversion module and the second voltage conversion module are in an effective power supply state based on the output voltage of the first voltage conversion module and the second voltage conversion module, the maximum voltage value of the output voltage of the first voltage conversion module and the second voltage conversion module is identified, and the voltage conversion module corresponding to the maximum voltage value is taken as the target power supply module, so as to control the power supply switching circuit based on the target power supply module.

[0097] Specifically, the output voltages of the first and second voltage conversion modules can be obtained through corresponding sampling circuits. The sampled output voltages of the first and second voltage conversion modules are compared with a preset voltage threshold (e.g., 12V). If the output voltage of the voltage conversion module is greater than or equal to the preset voltage threshold, the voltage conversion module is considered to be in an effective power supply state; if the output voltage of the voltage conversion module is less than the preset voltage threshold, the voltage conversion module is considered to be in an ineffective power supply state.

[0098] When both the first and second voltage conversion modules are in an effective power supply state, the voltage conversion module corresponding to the maximum voltage value in the output voltage is used as the target power supply module, and a corresponding enable signal is generated. The power supply switching circuit is controlled based on the target power supply module. For example, with Figure 5 Taking the server power supply circuit shown as an example, when it is determined that the output voltage of the first voltage conversion module is large, the first voltage conversion module is used as the target power supply module, and a low-level enable signal is output to the controller U2, and a high-level enable signal is output to the controller U4.

[0099] When only one of the first and second voltage conversion modules is in an active power supply state, the output of the low-level enable signal can be maintained.

[0100] In this embodiment, when both the first and second voltage conversion modules are effectively powered, the system automatically selects the power supply with the higher voltage or higher priority to improve power quality. Furthermore, the output voltage of the voltage conversion modules can be set according to the power supply priority given by the user. For example, the output voltage of the higher-priority voltage conversion module can be adjusted to 12.2V, and the output voltage of the lower-priority voltage conversion module can be adjusted to 12.0V. This allows for direct identification of the target power supply through voltage comparison, improving identification efficiency.

[0101] In one embodiment of this application, when powering multiple basic management modules based on the first voltage conversion module, the control method of the server power supply circuit further includes: identifying the power supply capability of the Ethernet interface and the current power supply requirements of the server; when the power supply capability does not meet the current power supply requirements, performing module screening on the multiple basic management modules according to the current service execution requirements, so as to continue to supply power to some of the multiple basic management modules based on the first voltage conversion module.

[0102] In other words, considering the limited maximum output power of the PoE PD, to avoid the total load exceeding the power supply capacity of the PoE cable after switching, the BMC will intelligently determine the power supply level supported by the inserted PoE cable. Based on this information, it will further lower the enable signals of non-essential devices and temporarily shut down non-critical circuits to ensure that the PoE power supply provided to the core system is within a stable and safe power range, so as to meet the server's business execution requirements.

[0103] In one embodiment of this application, when powering at least one basic management module based on the second voltage conversion module, the control method of the server power supply circuit further includes: responding to a service scheduling instruction issued by the cluster resource scheduler, and when it is determined that the server has completed standby operation, controlling the disconnection of the first power supply branch and the connection of the second power supply branch, wherein the service scheduling instruction instructs the server to enter a standby state; identifying the power supply capability of the Ethernet interface and the standby power supply requirement of the server, and when the power supply capability exceeds the standby power supply requirement, determining a function optimization module to power at least one basic management module and the function optimization module based on the second voltage conversion module; responding to a service recovery instruction issued by the cluster resource scheduler, controlling the connection of the first power supply branch, and respectively acquiring the output voltages of the first voltage conversion module and the second voltage conversion module to control the power supply switching circuit based on the output voltage, wherein the service recovery instruction instructs the server to enter a power-on state.

[0104] Specifically, this embodiment optimizes the energy efficiency of the server cluster by performing a low-energy switching process during off-peak hours based on the service scheduling instructions given by the cluster resource scheduler. The specific process is as follows: 1. After the cluster resource scheduler determines that the server cluster has entered a low-peak period, it initiates a resource integration process to migrate and concentrate the dispersed business load on some servers, while notifying the BMC of other idle servers to prepare to enter a low-power state.

[0105] 2. After receiving the command from the scheduler, the idle server's BMC sends a command to the PSU to remotely shut down the PSU's DC output. At this time, the power switching circuit switches to PoE power supply according to the power-down switching procedure. After a successful switch, the overall power consumption of the server will be significantly reduced, with only critical management components such as the BMC, CPLD, and VR controller maintaining operation via PoE power, resulting in a decrease in overall power consumption. Additionally, depending on the power supply level supported by the PoE cable, the system can also choose to maintain power supply to devices such as smart network interface cards.

[0106] 3. When services resume, the cluster resource scheduler notifies the BMC of the low-power server to power on, the PSU resumes output, and the system enters the normal power-on process.

[0107] As a specific embodiment of this application, the server power supply circuit is as follows: Figure 5 As shown, the server power supply circuit can achieve three functions: automatic and active switching of power supply paths; power redundancy and keep-alive critical components; and system-level deep sleep and wake-up. The following is a detailed explanation of the server power supply circuit's workflow with reference to the attached diagram.

[0108] The normal power-on process of the server power supply circuit is as follows.

[0109] 1. Initial Turn-On and Power Establishment: In the power supply switching circuit 10, the P12V_POE_STBY and P12V_STBY power supplies are combined through PMOS transistors Q1 and Q2 respectively, and output to the P12V_STBY network (i.e., output P12V_STBY_ORING). Before the system is powered on, both Q1 and Q2 are in the default on state. Therefore, regardless of which 12V power supply is established first, its voltage can be successfully transmitted to the P12V_STBY network (i.e., P12V_STBY_ORING) output, thereby enabling the system to enter the S5 state and start the BMC and CPLD. The S5 state is the state after the server performs a shutdown.

[0110] 2. Voltage Monitoring and Status Indication: After the system powers on, comparators U1 and U3, along with the BMC, jointly monitor the two input voltages. Comparators U1 and U3, as hardware-level monitoring units, output corresponding MOSFET drive signals VIN_SENSE_U1 and VIN_SENSE_U3. When a normal 12V input voltage is detected, the comparator outputs a low level; if there is no input voltage, it outputs a high level.

[0111] 3. MOS transistor drive logic: The output VIN_SENSE_U1 of comparator U1 and the control signal CPLD_EN_U2 of the CPLD are used as inputs and connected to the control unit U2; similarly, the output VIN_SENSE_U3 of comparator U3 and the control signal CPLD_EN_U4 of the CPLD are connected to the control unit U4. Figure 5 In the embodiment shown, both control unit U2 and control unit U4 are OR gates. The output of the OR gate directly controls the conduction and turn-off of the corresponding PMOS transistor: the PMOS transistor is turned on when the output is low and turned off when the output is high.

[0112] 4.12V Channel Management and Electrical Isolation: Due to the difference in power-on timing caused by the physical insertion order of the two 12V power supplies, after the system stabilizes, the CPLD will, based on the voltage monitoring results provided by the BMC, pull up the CPLD_EN signal (such as CPLD_EN_U2 or CPLD_EN_U4) of the non-used power supply channel, actively turning off its corresponding PMOS transistor. This avoids potential problems caused by the direct parallel connection of the two outputs. In addition, the body diodes of PMOS transistors Q1 and Q2 are in opposite directions to the diodes D1 and D2 connected in series in the circuit, forming a bidirectional blocking mechanism, effectively preventing reverse leakage current between different power networks and avoiding false protection or conflicts caused by slight differences in the output voltage of different buck converter chips.

[0113] 5. Dynamic Power Supply Switching: When the system needs to switch power sources, the BMC first confirms that both P12V_POE_STBY and P12V_STBY power supplies are in place. After the switching conditions are met, the CPLD synchronously flips the level states of the two control signals CPLD_EN_U2 and CPLD_EN_U4, thus achieving seamless switching of the power supply path.

[0114] II. The switching action of the power supply switching circuit in case of system failure is as follows.

[0115] 1. Non-12V path fault: When a system power supply related to a non-12V power supply path fails, as long as it does not affect the stability of the 12V input voltage, the power supply switching circuit does not need to perform any switching operation. The integrity of the P12V_STBY power supply is maintained, and system operation is unaffected.

[0116] 2. 12V Path Failure: When a fault occurs in the currently used 12V power supply path, causing an abnormal voltage drop, the corresponding voltage comparator (U1 or U3) will immediately detect the abnormal 12V level. Its output signal VIN_SENSE will then flip to a high level. After detecting this signal flip, the CPLD will release the control signals CPLD_EN_U2 and CPLD_EN_U4, making them low. Thereafter, the power supply switching circuit will primarily rely on the hardware detection signal VIN_SENSE to automatically and quickly switch the power supply path to another normal 12V input, thereby ensuring a stable 12V power supply output. In this embodiment, when the CPLD detects the comparator signal flip, it sets both enable control signals to low. Power supply switching is then performed based on the comparator output, thus reducing the identification process and ensuring power supply switching efficiency through synchronous low-level setting.

[0117] 3. PoE Power Supply Capability Management: Considering the limited maximum output power of the PoE PD, to avoid the total load exceeding the power supply capacity of the PoE cable after switching, the BMC will intelligently determine the power supply level supported by the inserted PoE cable. Based on this information, the CPLD will further lower the enable signals of non-essential devices and temporarily shut down non-critical circuits to ensure that the PoE power supply provided to the core system is within a stable and safe power range.

[0118] III. The low-energy switching process for power supply switching lines during off-peak hours is as follows.

[0119] 1. After the cluster resource scheduler determines that the server cluster has entered a low-peak period, it initiates a resource integration process to migrate and concentrate the dispersed business load on some servers, while notifying the BMC of other idle servers to prepare to enter a low-power state.

[0120] 2. After receiving the command from the scheduler, the idle server BMC sends a command to the PSU to remotely shut down the PSU's DC output. At this time, the ORing line switches to PoE power supply according to the power-down switching procedure. After a successful switch, the overall power consumption of the server will be significantly reduced, with only critical management components such as the BMC, CPLD, and VR controller maintaining operation via PoE power, thus reducing overall power consumption. Additionally, depending on the power supply level supported by the PoE cable, the system can also choose to maintain power supply to devices such as smart network interface cards.

[0121] 3. When services resume, the cluster resource scheduler notifies the BMC of the low-power server to power on, the PSU resumes output, and the system enters the normal power-on process.

[0122] As a specific embodiment of this application, refer to Figure 8 The control method for the server power supply circuit may include the following steps: S101, In the initial state, the controllable switch in the power supply switching circuit is in the on state by default.

[0123] S102, when any power supply is plugged in, the power supply switching circuit automatically outputs the power supply voltage according to the circuit characteristics.

[0124] The system enters S5 state, and the server starts.

[0125] S103, after the server starts, the baseboard management controller obtains the output voltage of the two voltage conversion modules of the system and obtains the power supply capability of the current Ethernet cable.

[0126] S104, the board management controller determines whether the other power supply is online, i.e., whether both power supply circuits are online. If yes, then proceed to step S105, activate the anti-parallel connection mechanism online, and the CPLD shuts down the other 12V path; if no, then proceed to step S107.

[0127] S105 identifies the target power supply module based on the output voltage of the two voltage conversion modules, outputs a high-level enable signal to control the power supply switching circuit to disconnect the other power supply circuit and continue to supply power through the target power supply module.

[0128] S106, upon receiving a switching command, controls the enable signal to flip.

[0129] For example, when a server experiences a power failure, the power switching circuit can passively switch to the normal 12V power supply side, or when the server cluster's business load is low, the idle server's BMC can receive an instruction to actively shut down the PSU output, and the power switching circuit can switch to PoE power supply.

[0130] In addition, during the power supply process, the BMC controls the power consumption of the motherboard according to the current power supply status to ensure that it does not exceed the power supply capacity. At the same time, when the fault is cleared or the service is restored, the two 12V inputs are restored, and the power supply switching circuit returns to step S103.

[0131] S107, Maintain the current state. If the enable signal remains low, proceed to step S103.

[0132] The control method in this embodiment achieves seamless switching between PSU and PoE power supply through a power switching circuit. When the main PSU fails due to AC mains power failure, PoE can immediately power critical management chips such as the BMC, CPLD, and VR controller, ensuring uninterrupted power supply to the out-of-band management channel. This significantly enhances the server's power redundancy and system's continuous operation capability. Furthermore, it brings direct energy efficiency benefits and cost savings for large-scale deployment scenarios. Specifically: 1. Achieve power supply redundancy and protection for critical components, and enhance fault diagnosis capabilities.

[0133] When the main power supply to the server fails, the system can automatically and seamlessly switch to PoE power. This backup power channel can provide continuous power to critical chips such as the BMC, CPLD, and SAS controller (including RAID cards).

[0134] 2. Provides an independent power supply channel for maintenance, improving operational flexibility.

[0135] Even when the server's main power supply is completely unavailable (e.g., due to equipment removal, maintenance, or power module failure), a single standard Ethernet cable can power the server's basic management units, such as the BMC, CPLD, and VR controller. It also supports critical maintenance operations such as BIOS configuration, BMC firmware upgrades, VR firmware flashing, and hardware parameter adjustments. This provides the server with a "maintenance channel" independent of the main power supply, enabling maintenance (e.g., upgrades, configurations) without power interruption. This avoids the inconvenience of temporarily connecting power for operations, significantly improving maintenance convenience and equipment availability.

[0136] 3. Supports system-level deep sleep and wake-up for ultimate energy efficiency management.

[0137] By combining Dynamic Resource Scheduler (DRS) technology, this solution optimizes the energy efficiency of server clusters. It consolidates computing loads (virtual machines / containers) onto a subset of servers. For idle servers after load stripping, the system completely shuts down their PSU output via BMC commands, cutting off power to the motherboard, CPU, memory, hard drive, and other major hardware. At this point, the power consumption of the entire server drops dramatically from tens or even hundreds of watts during idle to an extremely low level (approximately tens of watts) maintained solely by PoE power, ensuring only the operation of the smallest management unit, the BMC, and entering a system-level "deep sleep" state. When business demand recovers, the BMC can automatically restore PSU output via remote network commands, quickly waking up the entire computing node and putting it back into operation. This mechanism enables data centers to dynamically adjust the number of active servers based on load conditions, significantly reducing idle energy consumption.

[0138] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the methods according to the above embodiments can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Of course, they can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method.

[0139] Embodiments of this application also provide a server. For example... Figure 9 As shown, the server 1000 in this embodiment includes the server power supply circuit 100 described above.

[0140] Embodiments of this application also provide a server cluster, such as Figure 10 As shown, the server cluster 10000 in this embodiment includes: a plurality of servers 1000 as described above; a cluster resource scheduler 2000, which is communicatively connected to the plurality of servers 10000 respectively, and is configured to generate a service scheduling instruction when the server cluster is in a low-business period, and to generate a service recovery instruction when the server cluster exits the low-business period.

[0141] Those skilled in the art will further recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate the interchangeability of hardware and software, the components and steps of the various examples have been generally described in terms of functionality in the foregoing description. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0142] The power supply switching circuit, power supply circuit, control method, server, and server cluster provided in this application have been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The descriptions of the embodiments above are only intended to help understand the method and core ideas of this application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications to this application without departing from its principles, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A power switching circuit, characterized by, The application relates to a power supply switching circuit. The power supply switching circuit comprises a first power supply branch, a second power supply branch and a switching control module, the power-in port of the first power supply branch is connected with a first power supply, the power-in port of the second power supply branch is connected with a second power supply, and the power-out port of the first power supply branch and the power-out port of the second power supply branch are respectively connected with a load. The switching control module comprises a comparator and a control component, the first input end of the comparator is connected with a reference power supply end, the second input end of the comparator is adapted to be connected with the power-in port of a corresponding power supply branch, the first input end of the control component is connected with the output end of the comparator, the second input end of the control component is connected in communication with an external control module, and the output end of the control component is connected with the on-off control end of the corresponding power supply branch.

2. The power supply switching circuit of claim 1, wherein, The first input end of the comparator is a same-phase input end, the second input end of the comparator is an inverse-phase input end, and the control component is an OR gate.

3. The power supply switching circuit of claim 1, wherein, The first power supply branch comprises a controllable switch, the first end of the controllable switch is connected with the first power supply, the second end of the controllable switch is connected with the load, and the control end of the controllable switch is connected with the output end of a corresponding control component. The controllable switch comprises a body diode, and the first power supply branch further comprises a diode, the anode of the diode is connected with the first power supply, and the cathode of the diode is connected with the first end of the controllable switch.

4. The power supply switching circuit of claim 3, wherein, The first power supply branch further comprises an energy storage unit, the energy storage unit is connected with the second end of the controllable switch and the load respectively. The energy storage unit comprises at least one energy storage capacitor, one end of the at least one energy storage capacitor is connected with the second end of the controllable switch and the load respectively, and the other end of the at least one energy storage capacitor is grounded.

5. The power supply switching circuit of claim 3, wherein, The power supply switching circuit further comprises a voltage sampling unit, the sampling input end of the voltage sampling unit is connected with the power-in port of a corresponding power supply branch, and the sampling output end of the voltage sampling unit is connected with the second input end of a corresponding comparator. The voltage sampling unit comprises a first resistor and a second resistor, one end of the first resistor is connected with the power-in port of a corresponding power supply branch, the other end of the first resistor is connected with one end of the second resistor and forms a first node, the other end of the second resistor is grounded, and the first node is connected with the second input end of a corresponding comparator.

6. The power supply switching circuit of claim 5, wherein, The switching control module further comprises a reference voltage conversion module, the input end of the reference voltage conversion module is connected with the power-in port of the corresponding power supply branch, and the output end of the reference voltage conversion module is connected with the first input end of the comparator. The application relates to a power supply switching circuit.

7. The power supply switching circuit of claim 1, wherein, ​ ​ 8. The power supply switching circuit of claim 7, wherein, ​ ​ 9. The power supply switching circuit of claim 1, wherein, ​ ​ 10. A server power supply circuit, comprising: ​ The first voltage conversion module, the second voltage conversion module, the power supply switching circuit and the enable control module according to any one of claims 1-9, the power input port of the first voltage conversion module is connected with the Ethernet interface of the server, the power input ports of the power supply switching circuit are connected with the power output ports of the first voltage conversion module and the second voltage conversion module respectively, the power output port of the power supply switching circuit is connected with the power supply port of at least one base management module, and the enable control module is connected with the second input end of the control.

11. The server power supply circuit of claim 10, wherein, The at least one base management module comprises the enable control module, the enable control module comprises a baseboard management controller and a complex programmable logic device, the power supply ports of the baseboard management controller and the complex programmable logic device are connected with the power output port of the power supply switching circuit respectively, the voltage sampling ends of the baseboard management controller are connected with the power input ports of the first power supply branch and the second power supply branch respectively, the power supply switching control end of the baseboard management controller is connected with the first input end of the complex programmable logic device, and the enable output end of the complex programmable logic device is connected with the second input end of the corresponding control.

12. The server power supply circuit of claim 11, wherein, In the case that the switching control modules are arranged in the first power supply branch and the second power supply branch respectively, the second input end of the complex programmable logic device is connected with the output end of the corresponding comparator of the first power supply branch and the output end of the corresponding comparator of the second power supply branch respectively.

13. The server power supply circuit of claim 11, wherein, In the case that the power supply switching circuit comprises a voltage sampling unit, the first voltage sampling end of the baseboard management controller is connected with the sampling output end of the voltage sampling unit corresponding to the first power supply branch, and the second voltage sampling end of the baseboard management controller is connected with the sampling output end of the voltage sampling unit corresponding to the second power supply branch.

14. The server power supply circuit of claim 10, wherein, The first voltage conversion module comprises a step-down chip and a voltage feedback unit, the power input pin of the step-down chip is connected with the Ethernet interface, the power output pin of the step-down chip is connected with the feedback input end of the voltage feedback unit and the power input port of the first power supply branch, the feedback output end of the voltage feedback unit is connected with the feedback pin of the step-down chip, and the voltage dividing resistance adjustment end of the voltage feedback unit is connected with the power supply priority adjustment output end of the control module.

15. The server power supply circuit of claim 14, wherein, The voltage feedback unit comprises a fifth resistor, a sixth resistor, a seventh resistor and a resistance controllable switch, one end of the fifth resistor is connected with the power output pin of the step-down chip, the other end of the fifth resistor is connected with one end of the sixth resistor, the first end of the resistance controllable switch and the feedback pin of the step-down chip respectively, the second end of the resistance controllable switch is connected with one end of the seventh resistor, the control end of the resistance controllable switch is connected with the power supply priority adjustment output end of the control module, and the other end of the seventh resistor is grounded.

16. A control method for a server power supply circuit according to any one of claims 10 to 15, characterized by, comprises: obtaining output voltages of the first voltage conversion module and the second voltage conversion module respectively; In a case where the output voltages of the first voltage conversion module and the second voltage conversion module are determined to be in the active power supply state, a maximum voltage among the output voltages of the first voltage conversion module and the second voltage conversion module is identified, a voltage conversion module corresponding to the maximum voltage is taken as a target power supply module, and the power supply switching circuit is controlled based on the target power supply module.

17. The control method according to claim 16, characterized by, In a case where the first voltage conversion module is used to supply power to the plurality of base management modules, the method further comprises: identifying a power supply capability of the Ethernet interface and a current power supply requirement of the server; in a case where the power supply capability does not meet the current power supply requirement, performing module screening on the plurality of base management modules according to a current service execution requirement, and continuing to supply power to part of the plurality of base management modules based on the first voltage conversion module.

18. The control method according to claim 16, wherein In a case where the second voltage conversion module is used to supply power to at least one of the base management modules, the method further comprises: in response to a service scheduling instruction issued by a cluster resource scheduler, controlling the first power supply branch to be turned off and the second power supply branch to be turned on in a case where it is determined that the server completes standby operation, wherein the service scheduling instruction indicates that the server enters a standby state; identifying a power supply capability of the Ethernet interface and a standby power supply requirement of the server, and determining a function optimization module in a case where the power supply capability exceeds the standby power supply requirement, and supplying power to at least one of the base management modules and the function optimization module based on the second voltage conversion module; in response to a service recovery instruction issued by the cluster resource scheduler, controlling the first power supply branch to be turned on, and acquiring output voltages of the first voltage conversion module and the second voltage conversion module respectively, and controlling the power supply switching circuit based on the output voltages, wherein the service recovery instruction indicates that the server enters a startup state.

19. A server, characterized by The server power supply circuit comprises the server power supply circuit according to any one of claims 10-15.

20. A server cluster, characterized by The server power supply circuit comprises: a plurality of servers according to claim 19; a cluster resource scheduler, which is communicatively connected to the plurality of servers, and is configured to generate a service scheduling instruction in a case where the server cluster is in a service low peak period, and generate a service recovery instruction in a case where the server cluster exits the service low peak period.

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