Power supply system, computing board and server

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of power supply for boards. Provided are a power supply system, a computing board and a server. The system comprises: a USB-C connector, which is used for acquiring a power supply signal from a PD power adapter; a first transmission circuit, which is used for routing the power supply signal to a power supply input end of a computing board when the first transmission circuit is gated on; a second transmission circuit, which is used for performing power conversion on the power supply signal when the second transmission circuit is gated on and then routing the power supply signal to the power supply input end of the computing board; a power testing circuit, which is used for comparing the power of the power supply signal with a preset power and outputting the comparison result; and a driving circuit, which is used for separately generating, on the basis of the comparison result outputted by the power testing circuit, a driving signal for a first gating end and a second gating end, so as to gate on the first transmission circuit or the second transmission circuit. The solution of the present application has good universality and is applicable to computing boards having a relatively large power change range, and can effectively avoid the occurrence of power loss phenomena, and thus greatly improves the power supply stability and reliability for the boards.

Description

Power supply system, computing board and server

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on December 28, 2023, with application number 202311835706.5, entitled “A power supply system, computing board and server”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of board power supply technology, and in particular to a power supply system, a computing board, and a server. Background Art

[0004] In recent years, with the popularity and enhanced functionality of mobile devices, fast charging has become a pressing need for users. Traditional USB charging standards can no longer meet users' demand for charging speeds. Type-C is a form of USB interface that can be inserted from either side and supports USB standard functions such as charging, data transmission, video transmission, audio transmission, and display output. It also supports the USB-PD protocol, which can provide up to 100W of power. The USB-PD protocol allows the USB Type-C (USB-C for short) connector to power some computing devices, including mobile phones and laptops. The new USB PD 3.0 protocol also supports the Programmable Power Supply (PPS) protocol, allowing for precise adjustment of bus voltage and current.

[0005] Currently, when using the USB PD protocol to power computing devices (such as certain computing boards), it is necessary to design a separate power supply circuit for it based on the power required by the computing board. When the computing board changes power, the original power supply circuit may become unusable, or even if the power supply circuit can adapt to the power changes of the computing board, it will cause power loss to a certain extent. Therefore, improvement is urgently needed.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present application, a power supply system is provided for supplying power to a computing board, the system comprising:

[0008] USB-C connector, which is connected to the PD power adapter and is used to obtain power signals from the PD power adapter;

[0009] a first transmission circuit, wherein the first transmission circuit is provided with a first strobe terminal, and is used to guide the power supply signal to the power supply input terminal of the computing board when the first strobe terminal is strobed;

[0010] The second transmission circuit is provided with a second strobe terminal of the first transmission circuit, and is used for converting the power supply signal into power and then leading it to the power supply input terminal of the computing board when the second strobe terminal is strobed;

[0011] A power detection circuit, connected to the USB-C connector, for comparing the power of the power supply signal with a preset power and outputting a comparison result;

[0012] A driving circuit, wherein the input end of the driving circuit is connected to the output end of the power detection circuit, and the two output ends of the driving circuit are respectively connected to the first selection end and the second selection end. The driving circuit is used to generate driving signals for the first selection end and the second selection end according to the comparison result output by the power detection circuit, so as to select the first transmission circuit or the second transmission circuit.

[0013] In some possible implementations, the power detection circuit includes a comparator;

[0014] The comparator is used to compare the voltage of the power supply signal with a preset reference voltage and output the comparison result through the output terminal of the comparator;

[0015] Wherein, when the voltage of the power supply signal does not exceed the preset reference voltage, a preset high level is output, and when the voltage of the power supply signal does not exceed the preset reference voltage, a preset low level is output.

[0016] In some possible implementations, the power detection circuit further includes a first resistor and a second resistor;

[0017] A first resistor and a second resistor are connected in series, an end of the first resistor away from the second resistor is connected to a power supply signal, and an end of the second resistor away from the first resistor is grounded;

[0018] The positive input terminal of the comparator is connected to a power supply with a voltage value equal to a preset high level, the negative input terminal of the comparator is connected to the series terminal of the first resistor and the second resistor, and the output terminal of the comparator is connected to the input terminal of the driving circuit.

[0019] In some possible implementations, the preset reference voltage is 12 volts.

[0020] In some possible implementations, the first transmission circuit includes a first NMOS transistor;

[0021] The drain of the first NMOS tube is connected to the power supply signal, the source of the first NMOS tube is connected to the power supply input terminal of the computing board, and the gate of the first NMOS tube serves as a first selection terminal.

[0022] In some possible implementations, the second transmission circuit includes a second NMOS transistor, a first DC-DC converter, and a third NMOS transistor;

[0023] The first DC-DC converter is used to convert the voltage of the input terminal signal to a preset voltage and output it through the output terminal;

[0024] The drain of the second NMOS transistor is connected to the power supply signal, and the source of the second NMOS transistor is connected to the input end of the first DC-DC converter;

[0025] The drain of the third NMOS transistor is connected to the output terminal of the first DC-DC converter, and the source of the second NMOS transistor is connected to the power supply input terminal of the computing board;

[0026] The gate of the second NMOS transistor and the gate of the third NMOS transistor both serve as the second selection terminal.

[0027] In some possible implementations, the system further includes a hot-swap chip, and the source of the first NMOS tube is connected to a power supply input terminal of the computing board through the hot-swap chip.

[0028] In some possible implementations, the system further includes a hot-swap chip, and the source of the second NMOS tube is connected to the power supply input terminal of the computing board through the hot-swap chip.

[0029] In some possible implementations, the driving circuit includes a first driving circuit for driving the first strobe terminal and a second driving circuit for driving the second strobe terminal.

[0030] In some possible implementations, the first driving circuit includes: a first diode, a first PMOS transistor, a second PMOS transistor, a third resistor, a fourth resistor, a fifth resistor, a sixth resistor, a first capacitor, and a second capacitor;

[0031] The cathode of the first diode is connected to the output end of the power detection circuit;

[0032] The gate of the first PMOS transistor is connected to the anode of the first diode, one end of the third resistor, and one end of the first capacitor; the source of the first PMOS transistor is grounded; the drain of the first PMOS transistor is connected to one end of the fourth resistor and the gate of the second PMOS transistor; the other end of the third resistor and the other end of the fourth resistor are both connected to a power supply having a voltage value equal to a preset high level; and the other end of the first capacitor is grounded;

[0033] The source of the second PMOS transistor is grounded, the drain of the second PMOS transistor is connected to one end of the fifth resistor, one end of the sixth resistor, and one end of the second capacitor, the other end of the fifth resistor is connected to the power supply signal, the other end of the sixth resistor is grounded, and the other end of the second capacitor is grounded. The drain of the second PMOS transistor is connected to the first selection end as the output end of the first drive circuit.

[0034] In some possible implementations, the second driving circuit includes: a second diode, a third PMOS transistor, a seventh resistor, an eighth resistor, a ninth resistor, a third capacitor, a fourth capacitor, and a fifth capacitor;

[0035] The cathode of the second diode is connected to the output end of the power detection circuit;

[0036] The gate of the third PMOS transistor is connected to the anode of the second diode, one end of the seventh resistor, and one end of the third capacitor. The other end of the seventh resistor is connected to a power supply having a voltage value equal to a preset high level. The other end of the third capacitor is grounded.

[0037] The source of the third PMOS transistor is grounded, the drain of the third PMOS transistor is connected to one end of the eighth resistor, one end of the ninth resistor, one end of the fourth capacitor, and one end of the fifth capacitor, the other end of the eighth resistor is connected to the power supply signal, the other end of the ninth resistor, the fourth capacitor, and the other end of the fifth capacitor are all grounded, and the drain of the third PMOS transistor is connected to the second selection end as the output end of the second drive circuit.

[0038] In some possible implementations, the system further includes a second DC-DC converter, which is configured to convert the voltage of the power supply signal to a voltage equal to a preset high level and then output the voltage as a power supply.

[0039] In some possible implementations, the voltage value of the preset high level is equal to 3.3 volts.

[0040] In some possible implementations, the power supply input terminal is an input terminal of a voltage regulation module on a computing board;

[0041] The voltage regulation module is used to convert the signal at the input end to a voltage equal to the voltage required for the computing chip on the computing board to work, and output it to the computing chip through the output end.

[0042] In some possible implementations, the computing chip includes a central processing unit, a graphics processing unit, a field programmable gate array, an application-specific integrated circuit chip, and a system-on-chip.

[0043] In some possible implementations, the PD power adapter uses the USB Power Delivery protocol to provide power.

[0044] In some possible implementations, the PD power adapter provides power supply signals of various power levels to the computing board according to the computing capacity of the computing board.

[0045] According to the second aspect of the present application, a computing board is also provided, and the computing board is powered by the above power supply system.

[0046] In some possible implementations, computing boards are used to process edge computing tasks.

[0047] According to a third aspect of the present application, a server is further provided. The server includes a computing board, and the computing board is powered by the above power supply system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this application or related technologies, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the embodiments or related technical descriptions. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0049] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of an existing computing board power supply system;

[0050] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a power supply system of an existing computing board in a high-power state;

[0051] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a power supply system according to one or more embodiments of the present application;

[0052] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a circuit topology structure of a power supply system provided by one or more embodiments of the present application;

[0053] FIG5 is a second flow chart of a power supply system provided by one or more embodiments of the present application;

[0054] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a computing box provided by one or more embodiments of the present application.

[0055]

Description of the accompanying drawings

[0056] 100: PD power adapter;

[0057] 200: computing board;

[0058] 300: power supply system;

[0059] 310: USB-C connector; 320: first transmission circuit; 321: first selection terminal; 330: second transmission circuit; 331: second selection terminal; 332: first DC-DC converter; 340: power detection circuit; 350: drive circuit; 351: first drive circuit; 352: second drive circuit; 360: hot-swap chip; 370: second DC-DC converter;

[0060] U1: comparator;

[0061] N1: first NMOS transistor; N2: second NMOS transistor; N3: third NMOS transistor;

[0062] P1: first PMOS tube; P2: second PMOS tube; P3: third PMOS tube;

[0063] R1: first resistor; R2: second resistor; R3: third resistor; R4: fourth resistor; R5: fifth resistor; R6: sixth resistor; R7: seventh resistor; R8: eighth resistor; R9: ninth resistor;

[0064] C1: first capacitor; C2: second capacitor; C3: third capacitor; C4: fourth capacitor; C5: fifth capacitor;

[0065] D1: first diode; D2: second diode;

[0066] VPIN: power supply signal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0067] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application more clear, the technical solutions of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of them. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making any creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0068] The terms "first," "second," and the like in this application are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not used to describe a specific order or precedence. It should be understood that the terms used in this manner are interchangeable where appropriate, so that the embodiments of this application can be implemented in an order other than that illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the objects distinguished by "first," "second," and the like generally refer to a class and do not limit the number of objects; for example, the first object can be one or more. Furthermore, the term "and / or" in this application refers to at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the objects connected are in an "or" relationship.

[0069] It should also be noted that, in the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "disposed," "installed," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they can refer to mechanical connections or electrical connections; they can refer to direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to internal connections between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0070] In related technology, Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of an existing computing board power supply system. Specifically, a 100W PD adapter is used to power a board in an edge computing device box with a Type-C USB port. Both the adapter and the board's Type-C USB port support the USB PD protocol. The 100W PD adapter also includes a USB PD controller, which communicates with the board's USB PD controller using the PD protocol, delivering a maximum power output of 20V / 5A, 100W.

[0071] Typically, edge computing boxes require a 12V power supply, which normally operates at approximately 30W. If running big data computing, the maximum power can reach approximately 90W. While the Type-C USB provides 90W of power, the PD protocol requires a 20V input voltage. The power supply method shown in Figure 1 does not meet the 12V power requirements of the computing box. A power brick or DC-DC converter (DCDC) must be used to convert the 20V to 12V, as shown in Figure 2. However, the power supply method shown in Figure 2 presents a problem: if the computing box requires approximately 30W of power for normal operation, the 12V input from the Type-C USB precisely meets the 12V voltage requirement. In this case, the power signal output by the PD adapter must also pass through the power brick or DC-DC converter. Due to the conversion efficiency issues of the power brick or DC-DC converter, some power loss will occur.

[0072] The following describes a power supply system, a computing board, and a server of the present application in conjunction with FIG3 to FIG6 .

[0073] FIG3 is a flow chart of a power supply system provided in the present application. This embodiment provides a power supply system 300 for supplying power to a computing board 200. The power supply system 300 includes a USB-C connector 310, a first transmission circuit 320, a second transmission circuit 330, a power detection circuit 340, and a drive circuit 350. The following describes each component in detail.

[0074] The USB-C connector 310 is connected to the PD power adapter 100 and is used to obtain the power supply signal PVIN from the PD power adapter 100; wherein the PD power adapter 100 adopts the USB Power Delivery protocol for power supply.

[0075] Specifically, the USB Power Delivery protocol, abbreviated as USB PD protocol, also known as the power transmission protocol, is based on the power transmission concept proposed after USB3.2 Gen2. The power transmission protocol can expand the charging capacity by 10 times, up to 100 watts.

[0076] The first transmission circuit 320 is provided with a first strobe terminal 321 for guiding the power supply signal PVIN to the power supply input terminal of the computing board 200 when the first strobe terminal 321 is strobed;

[0077] The second transmission circuit 330 and the first transmission circuit 320 are provided with a second strobe terminal 331 for converting the power supply signal PVIN into power and then leading it to the power supply input terminal of the computing board 200 when the second strobe terminal 331 is strobed;

[0078] A power detection circuit 340 is connected to the USB-C connector 310 and is configured to compare the power of the power supply signal PVIN with a preset power and output a comparison result;

[0079] In the specific implementation process, the power detection circuit 340 can be implemented by detecting the voltage or current of the power supply signal output by the PD power adapter 100. The preset power can be determined according to the rated power of the computing board, or the preset power can also be determined according to the amount of conventional computing tasks of the computing board. For example, for example, the power of the computing board when processing conventional computing tasks is 12V, 3A (i.e., 36W). At this time, the reference power can be set to 36W, and the corresponding power detection circuit can detect whether the power supply signal voltage output by the PD power adapter exceeds 12V, or can detect whether the power supply signal current output by the PD power adapter exceeds 3A. Of course, it can also detect the current and voltage of the power supply signal output by the PD power adapter at the same time.

[0080] It should be noted that the preset power values ​​listed in this embodiment are only for illustration and should not be construed as limiting the present application.

[0081] The driving circuit 350 has an input end connected to the output end of the power detection circuit 340, and two output ends of the driving circuit 350 are respectively connected to the first selection end 321 and the second selection end 331. The driving circuit 350 is used to generate driving signals for the first selection end 321 and the second selection end 331 according to the comparison result output by the power detection circuit 340, so as to select the first transmission circuit 320 or the second transmission circuit 330.

[0082] The power supply system of this embodiment adopts two transmission circuits. One is to directly lead the power supply signal output by the PD power adapter to the first transmission circuit of the computing board. The other is to first convert the power supply signal output by the PD power adapter into power and then introduce it into the second transmission circuit of the computing board. The power detection circuit compares the power of the power supply signal with the preset power. Finally, the driving circuit uses the comparison result to select the first transmission circuit or the second transmission circuit. In this way, the power supply circuit is dynamically adjusted according to the actual output power of the PD power adapter. It has excellent versatility and is suitable for computing boards with a large power variation range. It can effectively avoid the occurrence of power loss and significantly improve the power supply stability and reliability of the board.

[0083] In some possible implementations, as shown in FIG4 , the power detection circuit 340 includes a comparator U1 ;

[0084] The comparator U1 is used to compare the voltage of the power supply signal PVIN with a preset reference voltage, and output the comparison result through the output terminal of the comparator U1; preferably, in the specific implementation process, the preset reference voltage is set to 12 volts.

[0085] When the voltage of the power supply signal PVIN does not exceed the preset reference voltage, a preset high level is output; and when the voltage of the power supply signal PVIN does not exceed the preset reference voltage, a preset low level is output.

[0086] In some possible implementations, referring again to FIG. 4 , the power detection circuit 340 further includes a first resistor R1 and a second resistor R2 ;

[0087] A first resistor R1 and a second resistor R2 are connected in series, an end of the first resistor R1 away from the second resistor R2 is connected to the power supply signal PVIN, and an end of the second resistor R2 away from the first resistor R1 is grounded;

[0088] The positive input terminal of the comparator U1 is connected to a power supply with a voltage value equal to a preset high level, the negative input terminal of the comparator U1 is connected to the series terminal of the first resistor R1 and the second resistor R2, and the output terminal of the comparator U1 is connected to the input terminal of the driving circuit 350.

[0089] The power supply system of this embodiment can detect the output power of the PD power adapter by detecting the voltage of the power supply signal, and automatically determine whether the power supply signal exceeds the preset power through the comparator, thereby providing an accurate judgment basis for subsequent switching of the transmission circuit.

[0090] In some possible implementations, please continue to refer to FIG4 , the first transmission circuit 320 includes a first NMOS transistor N1;

[0091] The drain of the first NMOS transistor N1 is connected to the power supply signal PVIN, the source of the first NMOS transistor N1 is connected to the power supply input terminal of the computing board 200 , and the gate of the first NMOS transistor N1 serves as the first selection terminal 321 .

[0092] The power supply system of this embodiment uses the first NMOS transistor to enable the power supply signal to be directly transmitted to the computing board, thereby avoiding manual modification and switching of the power supply circuit, and is low-cost and easy to implement.

[0093] In some possible implementations, please continue to refer to FIG4 , the second transmission circuit 330 includes a second NMOS transistor N2 , a first DC-DC converter 332 , and a third NMOS transistor N3 ;

[0094] The first DC-DC converter 332 is used to convert the voltage of the input terminal signal to a preset voltage and output it through the output terminal;

[0095] The drain of the second NMOS transistor N2 is connected to the power supply signal PVIN, and the source of the second NMOS transistor N2 is connected to the input terminal of the first DC-DC converter 332;

[0096] The drain of the third NMOS transistor N3 is connected to the output terminal of the first DC-DC converter 332, and the source of the second NMOS transistor N2 is connected to the power supply input terminal of the computing board 200;

[0097] The gate of the second NMOS transistor N2 and the gate of the third NMOS transistor N3 both serve as the second selection terminal 331 .

[0098] The power supply system of this embodiment uses the second NMOS tube to adjust the power supply signal voltage before it is selected by the computing board, eliminating the need for manual modification and switching of the power supply circuit, and is low-cost and easy to implement.

[0099] In some possible implementations, the power supply system 300 further includes a hot-swap chip 360 , and the source of the first NMOS transistor N1 is connected to the power supply input terminal of the computing board 200 via the hot-swap chip 360 .

[0100] In some possible implementations, the power supply system further includes a hot-swap chip 360 , and the source of the second NMOS transistor N2 is connected to the power supply input terminal of the computing board 200 via the hot-swap chip 360 .

[0101] The power supply system of this embodiment ensures the power safety of the computing board by passing the power supply signal or the power supply signal after voltage conversion through the hot-swappable chip before introducing the power supply signal into the computing board. This can avoid damage to the chip on the computing board and help improve the power safety of the computing board.

[0102] In some possible implementations, referring to FIG. 4 , the driving circuit 350 includes a first driving circuit 351 for driving the first strobe terminal 321 and a second driving circuit 352 for driving the second strobe terminal 331 .

[0103] In some possible implementations, referring to FIG. 4 , the first driving circuit 351 includes: a first diode D1, a first PMOS transistor P1, a second PMOS transistor P2, a third resistor R3, a fourth resistor R4, a fifth resistor R5, a sixth resistor R6, a first capacitor C1, and a second capacitor C2;

[0104] The cathode of the first diode D1 is connected to the output terminal of the power detection circuit 340;

[0105] The gate of the first PMOS transistor P1 is connected to the anode of the first diode D1, one end of the third resistor R3, and one end of the first capacitor C1. The source of the first PMOS transistor P1 is grounded. The drain of the first PMOS transistor P1 is connected to one end of the fourth resistor R4 and the gate of the second PMOS transistor P2. The other end of the third resistor R3 and the other end of the fourth resistor R4 are both connected to a power supply having a voltage value equal to a preset high level. The other end of the first capacitor C1 is grounded.

[0106] The source of the second PMOS transistor P2 is grounded, the drain of the second PMOS transistor P2 is connected to one end of the fifth resistor R5, one end of the sixth resistor R6, and one end of the second capacitor C2, the other end of the fifth resistor R5 is connected to the power supply signal PVIN, the other end of the sixth resistor R6 is grounded, and the other end of the second capacitor C2 is grounded. The drain of the second PMOS transistor P2 is connected to the first selection end 321 as the output end of the first drive circuit 351.

[0107] The power supply system of this embodiment converts the comparator output into gating control of the first transmission circuit by combining the first diode and two PMOSs, that is, the gating control of the first transmission circuit is automatically completed according to the comparison result output by the power detection circuit. The first drive circuit has a simple structure, low device cost, and is easy to inspect and maintain.

[0108] In some possible implementations, referring to FIG. 4 , the second driving circuit 352 includes: a second diode D2 , a third PMOS transistor P3 , a seventh resistor R7 , an eighth resistor R8 , a ninth resistor R9 , a third capacitor C3 , a fourth capacitor C4 , and a fifth capacitor C5 ;

[0109] The cathode of the second diode D2 is connected to the output terminal of the power detection circuit 340;

[0110] The gate of the third PMOS transistor P3 is connected to the anode of the second diode D2, one end of the seventh resistor R7, and one end of the third capacitor C3. The other end of the seventh resistor R7 is connected to a power supply having a voltage value equal to a preset high level. The other end of the third capacitor C3 is grounded.

[0111] The source of the third PMOS transistor P3 is grounded, the drain of the third PMOS transistor P3 is connected to one end of the eighth resistor R8, one end of the ninth resistor R9, one end of the fourth capacitor C4, and one end of the fifth capacitor C5, the other end of the eighth resistor R8 is connected to the power supply signal PVIN, the other end of the ninth resistor R9, the fourth capacitor C4, and the other end of the fifth capacitor C5 are all grounded, and the drain of the third PMOS transistor P3 is connected to the second selection terminal 331 as the output end of the second drive circuit 352.

[0112] The power supply system of this embodiment converts the comparator output into gating control for the second transmission circuit by combining the second diode and the third PMOS. That is, the gating control of the second transmission circuit is automatically completed according to the comparison result output by the power detection circuit. The second drive circuit has a simple structure, low device cost, and is easy to inspect and maintain.

[0113] In some possible implementations, as shown in FIG5 , the power supply system further includes a second DC-DC converter 370 , which is configured to convert the voltage of the power supply signal PVIN to a voltage equal to a preset high level as a power output.

[0114] It should be noted that, in order to facilitate understanding, the power detection circuit and the driving circuit are omitted in FIG5 . During normal use, the power supply system should include the above two circuits. The specific connection method can be shown in FIG3 .

[0115] In some possible implementations, the voltage value of the preset high level is equal to 3.3 volts.

[0116] The power supply system of this embodiment converts the power supply input signal to 3.3 volts through a second DC-DC converter, and then uses the 3.3 volts to power multiple devices in the power supply system. This not only ensures the normal operation of each device, but also eliminates the need to introduce a separate power supply for the device, which helps to reduce design costs.

[0117] In some possible implementations, the power input terminal is a power input terminal of a voltage regulation module on the computing board 200;

[0118] In this embodiment, the voltage regulator module (VRM) is a device that provides a suitable supply voltage for the processing chip. It can be directly soldered to the motherboard or installed using a module daughter card. Because it can convert and adjust the supply voltage, the voltage regulator module can be integrated into the processor or set separately.

[0119] The voltage regulating module is used to convert the signal at the input end to a voltage equal to the voltage required for the operation of the computing chip on the computing board 200, and output it to the computing chip through the output end.

[0120] Exemplarily, the voltage regulating module can convert the voltage of the input signal into multiple voltage values, such as converting 12V into 1.2V, 3.3V or 5V, and of course converting 9V into 1.2V, 3.3V or 5V.

[0121] In some possible implementations, the computing chip includes a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit chip (ASIC), and a system-on-chip (SOC).

[0122] In some possible implementations, the PD power adapter 100 provides the computing board 200 with power supply signals PVIN of various power levels according to the computing workload of the computing board 200 .

[0123] In some possible implementations, in order to facilitate understanding of the solution of the present application, the working principle of the power supply system will be described in detail below by using the power supply system of the present application to power the computing board of the computing box.

[0124] Please refer to Figure 6. The computing box includes: the main control chip is a SOC, and the peripheral circuits include DDR4, M.2 hard drive, SAS hard drive, Flash, clock generator (Clock Generator), complex programmable logic device (CPLD) and QSFP (quad-channel pluggable optical module connector), RJ45, UART, HDMI and other interfaces. Take the power supply system shown in Figure 5 as an example to power the computing box. PVIN is the input voltage of Type-C USB, that is, the power supply signal, P3V3 represents the output voltage of DCDC2, P12V_V1 is the input voltage of DCDC1, P12V_V2 is the output voltage of DCDC1, and P12V_V3 is the input voltage of Hot Swap. The specific working process of the power supply system is as follows:

[0125] First, download the program to the USB PD controller Flash of the computing device box, and identify 12V and 20V according to the USB PD protocol. When the PD100W adapter is powered on, PVIN enters DCDC2 in Figure 5, and then DCDC2 outputs P3V3.

[0126] When the computing device box is operating normally and consuming less than 36W, PVIN = 12V. At the same time, PVIN is divided by resistors R1 and R2, assuming the divided voltage is 3V, and enters pin 3 of U1. If the voltage at comparator U1's +IN (pin 1) is greater than the voltage at -IN (pin 3), U1's Output (pin 4) outputs a high level. This causes pins 2 of D1 and D2 to be high, turning P1 and P3 on, P2, N2, and N3 off, and N1 on. This means that Switch_1 is on, and Switch_2 and Switch_3 are off. At this point, PVIN = 12V, which passes through switch Switch_1 and becomes P12V_V3. This voltage is then fed through the Hot Swap input to the downstream VRM, providing power to the computing board in the computing box.

[0127] When the computing device box switches from normal operation to big data computing, power consumption exceeds 36W. The PVIN output increases. When PVIN output exceeds 15V, the PVIN voltage is divided by resistors R1 and R2, reaching a voltage greater than 3.3V and entering pin 3 of U1. The voltage at comparator U1's +IN (pin 1) is less than the voltage at -IN (pin 3), causing U1's Output (pin 4) to output a low level. This causes pins 2 of D1 and D2 to be low, closing P1 and P3, opening P3, N2, and N3, and closing N1. This means that Switch_1 is closed, while Switch_2 and Switch_3 are open. At this point, PVIN = 20V passes through switch Switch_2, becoming P12V_V1 and inputting DCDC1. DCDC1 then outputs P12V_V2, which passes through Switch_3 and becomes P12V_V3. This voltage is then fed through the hot swap chip to the downstream VRM, providing power to the computing board in the computing box.

[0128] The power supply system of the present application has at least the following beneficial effects: on the one hand, when the computing device is working normally, the Type-C USB power input 12V can directly meet the voltage and power consumption requirements of the computing box, without the need for voltage conversion through a DC-DC converter, thereby reducing power consumption loss; on the other hand, when the computing device is performing big data calculations, the Type-C USB power input 20V can be automatically switched to voltage conversion through a DC-DC converter, which can also meet the needs of the computing box; it realizes automatic determination of the actual power of the power adapter and automatically switches the power supply signal transmission circuit according to the actual power.

[0129] In some possible implementations, the present application further provides a computing board card, which is powered by the power supply system of the above embodiment, and the power supply system includes:

[0130] USB-C connector, which is connected to the PD power adapter and is used to obtain power signals from the PD power adapter;

[0131] a first transmission circuit, wherein the first transmission circuit is provided with a first strobe terminal, and is used to guide the power supply signal to the power supply input terminal of the computing board when the first strobe terminal is strobed;

[0132] The second transmission circuit is provided with a second strobe terminal of the first transmission circuit, and is used for converting the power supply signal into power and then leading it to the power supply input terminal of the computing board when the second strobe terminal is strobed;

[0133] A power detection circuit, connected to the USB-C connector, for comparing the power of the power supply signal with a preset power and outputting a comparison result;

[0134] A driving circuit, wherein the input end of the driving circuit is connected to the output end of the power detection circuit, and the two output ends of the driving circuit are respectively connected to the first selection end and the second selection end. The driving circuit is used to generate driving signals for the first selection end and the second selection end according to the comparison result output by the power detection circuit, so as to select the first transmission circuit or the second transmission circuit.

[0135] The computing board of this embodiment adopts two transmission circuits. One is to directly lead the power supply signal output by the PD power adapter to the first transmission circuit of the computing board. The other is to first convert the power supply signal output by the PD power adapter into power and then introduce it into the second transmission circuit of the computing board. The power of the power supply signal is compared with the preset power through the power detection circuit. Finally, the driving circuit uses the comparison result to select the first transmission circuit or the second transmission circuit. In this way, the power supply circuit is dynamically adjusted according to the actual output power of the PD power adapter. It has excellent versatility and is suitable for computing boards with a large power variation range. It can effectively avoid the occurrence of power loss and significantly improve the power supply stability and reliability of the board.

[0136] In some possible implementations, computing boards are used to process edge computing tasks.

[0137] In some possible implementations, the present application further provides a server, which includes a computing board. The computing board is powered by the power supply system of the above embodiment, and the power supply system includes:

[0138] USB-C connector, which is connected to the PD power adapter and is used to obtain power signals from the PD power adapter;

[0139] a first transmission circuit, wherein the first transmission circuit is provided with a first strobe terminal, and is used to guide the power supply signal to the power supply input terminal of the computing board when the first strobe terminal is strobed;

[0140] The second transmission circuit is provided with a second strobe terminal of the first transmission circuit, and is used for converting the power supply signal into power and then leading it to the power supply input terminal of the computing board when the second strobe terminal is strobed;

[0141] A power detection circuit, connected to the USB-C connector, for comparing the power of the power supply signal with a preset power and outputting a comparison result;

[0142] A driving circuit, wherein the input end of the driving circuit is connected to the output end of the power detection circuit, and the two output ends of the driving circuit are respectively connected to the first selection end and the second selection end. The driving circuit is used to generate driving signals for the first selection end and the second selection end according to the comparison result output by the power detection circuit, so as to select the first transmission circuit or the second transmission circuit.

[0143] The server of this embodiment adopts two transmission circuits. One is to directly lead the power supply signal output by the PD power adapter to the first transmission circuit of the computing board card, and the other is to first convert the power supply signal output by the PD power adapter into power and then introduce it into the second transmission circuit of the computing board card. The power of the power supply signal is compared with the preset power through the power detection circuit. Finally, the driving circuit uses the comparison result to select the first transmission circuit or the second transmission circuit, thereby realizing dynamic adjustment of the power supply circuit according to the actual output power of the PD power adapter. It has excellent versatility and is suitable for computing boards with a large power variation range. It can effectively avoid the occurrence of power loss and significantly improve the power supply stability and reliability of the board card.

[0144] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A power supply system, characterized in that, For powering a computing board, the system includes: A USB-C connector, which is connected to a PD power adapter and is used to obtain a power supply signal from the PD power adapter; A first transmission circuit, which is provided with a first gating end and is used to lead the power supply signal to the power supply input end of the computing board when the first gating end is gated; A second transmission circuit, which is provided with a second gating end and is used to lead the power supply signal to the power supply input end of the computing board after power conversion when the second gating end is gated; A power detection circuit, which is connected to the USB-C connector and is used to compare the power of the power supply signal with a preset power and output a comparison result; and A drive circuit, the input end of which is connected to the output end of the power detection circuit, and the two output ends of which are respectively connected to the first gating end and the second gating end. The drive circuit is used to generate drive signals for the first gating end and the second gating end respectively according to the comparison result output by the power detection circuit to gate the first transmission circuit or the second transmission circuit.

2. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein, The power detection circuit includes a comparator; The comparator is used to compare the voltage of the power supply signal with a preset reference voltage and output a comparison result through the output end of the comparator; Wherein, a preset high level is output when the voltage of the power supply signal does not exceed the preset reference voltage, and a preset low level is output when the voltage of the power supply signal does not exceed the preset reference voltage.

3. The power supply system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The power detection circuit further includes a first resistor and a second resistor; The first resistor and the second resistor are connected in series. One end of the first resistor far from the second resistor is connected to the power supply signal, and one end of the second resistor far from the first resistor is grounded; The positive input end of the comparator is connected to a power supply with a voltage value equal to the preset high level, the negative input end of the comparator is connected to the series connection end of the first resistor and the second resistor, and the output end of the comparator is connected to the input end of the drive circuit.

4. The power supply system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The preset reference voltage is 12 volts.

5. The power supply system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first transmission circuit includes a first NMOS transistor; The drain of the first NMOS transistor is connected to the power supply signal, the source of the first NMOS transistor is connected to the power supply input end of the computing board, and the gate of the first NMOS transistor serves as the first gating end.

6. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein The second transmission circuit includes a second NMOS transistor, a first DC-DC converter, and a third NMOS transistor; The first DC-DC converter is used to convert the voltage of the input signal to a preset voltage and output it through the output end; The drain of the second NMOS transistor is connected to the power supply signal, and the source of the second NMOS transistor is connected to the input end of the first DC-DC converter; The drain of the third NMOS transistor is connected to the output end of the first DC-DC converter, and the source of the second NMOS transistor is connected to the power supply input end of the computing board; The gates of both the second NMOS transistor and the third NMOS transistor serve as the second gating end.

7. The power supply system according to claim 5, characterized in that The system further includes a hot-swap chip, and the source of the first NMOS transistor is connected to the power supply input terminal of the computing board through the hot-swap chip.

8. The power supply system according to claim 6, wherein The system further includes a hot-swap chip, and the source of the second NMOS transistor is connected to the power supply input terminal of the computing board through the hot-swap chip.

9. The power supply system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The driving circuit includes a first driving circuit for driving the first gating end and a second driving circuit for driving the second gating end.

10. The power supply system according to claim 9, wherein The first driving circuit includes: a first diode, a first PMOS transistor, a second PMOS transistor, a third resistor, a fourth resistor, a fifth resistor, a sixth resistor, a first capacitor, and a second capacitor; The cathode of the first diode is connected to the output terminal of the power detection circuit; The gate of the first PMOS transistor is connected to the anode of the first diode, one end of the third resistor, and one end of the first capacitor. The source of the first PMOS transistor is grounded. The drain of the first PMOS transistor is connected to one end of the fourth resistor and the gate of the second PMOS transistor. The other ends of the third resistor and the fourth resistor are both connected to a power supply with a voltage value equal to a preset high level. The other end of the first capacitor is grounded; The source of the second PMOS transistor is grounded. The drain of the second PMOS transistor is connected to one end of the fifth resistor, one end of the sixth resistor, and one end of the second capacitor. The other end of the fifth resistor is connected to the power supply signal. The other end of the sixth resistor is grounded. The other end of the second capacitor is grounded. The drain of the second PMOS transistor serves as the output terminal of the first driving circuit and is connected to the first gating end.

11. The power supply system according to claim 9, wherein The second driving circuit includes: a second diode, a third PMOS transistor, a seventh resistor, an eighth resistor, a ninth resistor, a third capacitor, a fourth capacitor, and a fifth capacitor; The cathode of the second diode is connected to the output terminal of the power detection circuit; The gate of the third PMOS transistor is connected to the anode of the second diode, one end of the seventh resistor, and one end of the third capacitor. The other end of the seventh resistor is connected to a power supply with a voltage value equal to a preset high level. The other end of the third capacitor is grounded; The source of the third PMOS transistor is grounded. The drain of the third PMOS transistor is connected to one end of the eighth resistor, one end of the ninth resistor, one end of the fourth capacitor, and one end of the fifth capacitor. The other end of the eighth resistor is connected to the power supply signal. The other ends of the ninth resistor, the fourth capacitor, and the fifth capacitor are all grounded. The drain of the third PMOS transistor serves as the output terminal of the second driving circuit and is connected to the second gating end.

12. The power supply system according to claim 2 or 9, characterized in that, The system further includes a second DC-DC converter, which is used to convert the voltage of the power supply signal to a voltage value equal to the preset high level and then output it as a power supply.

13. The power supply system according to claim 12, characterized in that, The voltage value of the preset high level is equal to 3.3 volts.

14. The power supply system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power supply input terminal is the input terminal of the voltage regulation module on the computing board; The voltage regulation module is used to convert the signal at the input end to a voltage equal to the voltage required for the operation of the computing chip on the computing board, and output it to the computing chip through the output end.

15. The power supply system according to claim 14, characterized in that The computing chip includes a central processing unit, a graphics processing unit, a field programmable gate array, an application specific integrated circuit chip, and a system-on-chip.

16. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein The PD power adapter is powered by the USB Power Delivery protocol.

17. The power supply system according to claim 16, wherein The PD power adapter provides power supply signals with multiple powers for the computing board according to the computing amount of the computing board.

18. A computing board card, characterized in that, The computing board is powered by the power supply system described in any one of claims 1 to 17.

19. The computing board according to claim 18, wherein The computing board is used to process edge computing tasks.

20. A server, characterized in that, The server includes a computing board, and the computing board is powered by the power supply system described in any one of claims 1-17.

Images