Protective Film Temperature Sensing for Server Motherboard Power Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Server motherboards can experience abnormal situations like short circuits, leading to high currents and heat generation, which can cause the substrate to burn at elevated temperatures, posing a risk of failure and damage to modules.
Innovation Solution
A protective film is applied to the substrate, with an equivalent electrical parameter that changes as the film's shape alters with temperature, allowing a power supply circuit to detect these changes and stop power output when the temperature exceeds a predetermined level, preventing further heat accumulation and potential burns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a protective film is applied to the substrate to detect temperature changes, then the reliability of the server motherboard is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective film integrates multiple functions: it serves as both a protective covering and a temperature-sensitive detection element. The film's electrical parameters change with temperature, allowing it to function as both a physical protector and a sensing mechanism, thereby improving reliability without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective film is designed to perform multiple roles simultaneously: mechanical protection of the substrate, temperature sensing through electrical parameter changes, and triggering the power supply circuit to disconnect when overheating is detected. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by achieving enhanced reliability through a single integrated component rather than multiple separate systems.
2Reliability
If fuses are installed at each PCB position to prevent burning, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the protection function from multiple distributed fuses and consolidates it into a single power supply circuit controlled by the protective film's temperature-sensitive electrical parameters. This removes the need for multiple fuses at different PCB positions, reducing device complexity while maintaining reliability through centralized thermal monitoring and power control.
3Reliability
If the power supply circuit continuously monitors the protective film's electrical parameters, then the reliability is improved, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply circuit employs periodic or event-driven monitoring of the protective film's electrical parameters rather than continuous monitoring. The circuit checks the electrical parameters at intervals or triggers monitoring when specific conditions are detected, allowing reliable temperature monitoring while reducing energy consumption compared to constant real-time monitoring.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution effectively protects the PCB and modules by preventing power supply voltage output when excessive heat is detected, reducing the risk of substrate burning and module damage, while avoiding the need for fuses at each PCB position, thus lowering costs and simplifying protection measures.
Implementation Method 1
The equivalent electrical parameter of the protective film changes as a shape of the protective film changes. The shape changes when a temperature of the server mother board is greater than a predetermined temperature.
Data Source
AI summary
A server motherboard includes a protective film, a substrate, and a power supply circuit. An equivalent electrical parameter of the protective film changes as a shape of the protective film changes. The shape changes when a temperature of the server mother board is greater than a predetermined temperature. A portion of at least one side surface of the substrate is covered by the protective film. The power supply circuit is electrically connected to the protective film and configured to detect the equivalent electrical parameter of the protective film. The power supply circuit stops outputting a power supply voltage to the substrate when a change of the equivalent electrical parameter is detected.