Built-in Power Management Circuit with Bi-directional Bus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power management systems for motherboards require additional meters for voltage, current, and power measurement, leading to increased size and cost, complex wire connections, one-way signal transmission, and inability to collect motherboard signals.
Innovation Solution
A system power management circuit using a bi-directional two-wire bus for transmitting actual current and voltage signals between a power supply and motherboard, featuring a printed circuit board with detection circuits and a hardware monitor that converts signals into digital format for transmission via I2C or SM bus.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If an additional meter is used for measuring voltage, current, and power, then measurement capability is improved, but device size and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the measurement functions (voltage, current, power detection) and the hardware monitor into a single integrated circuit board, eliminating the need for separate external meters. The detection circuits are directly integrated with the hardware monitor chip, which performs both signal conditioning and digital conversion functions in one unit, thereby reducing device size and cost while maintaining measurement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The hardware monitor chip performs multiple functions including voltage detection, current detection, power calculation, signal conversion to digital format, and communication with the motherboard via two-wire bus. This multi-functional integration replaces what would traditionally require multiple separate measurement devices, resolving the contradiction between measurement capability and device complexity.
2Reliability
If two lead wires are used for each independent power source, then connection reliability is improved, but wire complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The two-wire bus serves multiple functions simultaneously: it carries both data communication signals and power management signals between the detection circuit board and the motherboard. This multi-functional use of just two wires replaces what would traditionally require multiple separate lead wires for each power source connection, reducing wire complexity while maintaining connection reliability through the standardized bus interface.
3Device complexity
If one-way signal transmission is used, then circuit simplicity is improved, but communication versatility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The two-wire bus implements dynamic bidirectional communication, where the direction of signal flow can change based on communication needs. The hardware monitor can transmit digital signals to the motherboard, and the motherboard can send control signals back to the hardware monitor through the same two wires. This dynamic switching of transmission direction provides communication versatility while maintaining circuit simplicity compared to having separate dedicated transmit and receive lines.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention has disclosed a system power management circuit comprising: a printed circuit board and a hardware monitor. The printed circuit board includes at least a first power connector, a second power connector, and more than one detection circuits disposed thereon; wherein the first power connector is used for electrically connecting a power supply, the second power connector is used for electrically connecting a power connector of a motherboard, inputs of the detection circuits are electrically connected to the first power connector, respectively. The hardware monitor is electrically connected to outputs of the detection circuits, and used for converting electrical signals outputted from the outputs of the detection circuits into corresponding digital signals, as well as for transmitting the digital signals to the motherboard via a two-wire bus, the two-wire bus is bi-directional, and may be an I2C or a SM bus.