Display panel cable fault detection

Inventors: Isaac Q. Wang (Austin, TX); James L. Petivan, III (Austin, TX)

Assignee: Dell Products L.P.

G01R31/52 G06F1/189 H01B9/02 H01B9/04

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12699149
App. No.: 18/478,017
Granted: Aug 4, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

An information handling system includes first and second printed circuit boards (PCBs) and a cable coupled at a first end to the first PCB and at a second end to the second PCB. The cable includes a power conductor, a ground conductor, and a signal ground conductor. The second PCB includes a power rail coupled to the power conductor, a system ground coupled to the ground conductor, and a short circuit detector coupled between the signal ground conductor and the system ground.

Claims (32)

1 . An information handling system, comprising:

a first printed circuit board (PCB);

a cable coupled at a first end to the first PCB, the cable including a power conductor, a ground conductor, and a signal ground conductor;

a baseboard management controller configured to receive an indication from the short circuit detector when the short circuit detector detects a direct current on the signal ground conductor.

2 . The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the cable includes a coaxial cable having a signal conductor and a shield conductor.

3 . The information handling system of claim 2 , wherein the shield conductor includes the signal ground conductor.

4 . The information handling system of claim 3 , wherein the short circuit detector includes a high-pass filter coupled between the signal ground conductor and the system ground.

5 . The information handling system of claim 4 , wherein the high-pass filter is configured to pass high-frequency ripple currents induced on the signal ground conductor to the system ground.

6 . The information handling system of claim 5 , wherein the high-pass filter includes a capacitor coupled between the signal ground conductor and the system ground.

7 . The information handling system of claim 4 , wherein the short circuit detector further includes a short detection circuit configured to detect a direct current on the signal ground conductor.

8 . The information handling system of claim 7 , wherein the short detection circuit includes a resistor coupled between the signal ground conductor and the system ground.

9 . The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the first PCB includes a display panel of a laptop computer and the second PCB includes a motherboard of the laptop computer, and wherein the cable is routed through a hinge between the display panel and the motherboard.

10 . A method, comprising:

providing, in an information handling system, a first printed circuit board (PCB);

providing a cable coupled at a first end to the first PCB, the cable including a power conductor, a ground conductor, and a signal ground conductor; and

providing a second PCB coupled to a second end of the cable, the second PCB including a power rail coupled to the power conductor, a system ground coupled to the ground conductor, and a short circuit detector coupled between the signal ground conductor and the system ground;

providing, in the information handling system, a baseboard management controller; and

receiving, by the baseboard management controller, an indication from the short circuit detector when the short circuit detector detects a direct current on the signal ground conductor.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the cable includes a coaxial cable having a signal conductor and a shield conductor.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the shield conductor includes the signal ground conductor.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the short circuit detector includes a high-pass filter coupled between the signal ground conductor and the system ground.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the high-pass filter is configured to pass high-frequency ripple currents induced on the signal ground conductor to the system ground.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the high-pass filter includes a capacitor coupled between the signal ground conductor and the system ground.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the short circuit detector further includes a short detection circuit configured to detect a direct current on the signal ground conductor.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the short detection circuit includes a resistor coupled between the signal ground conductor and the system ground.

18 . An information handling system, comprising:

a first printed circuit board (PCB);

a cable coupled at a first end to the first PCB, the cable including a power conductor, a ground conductor, and a signal ground conductor; and

a second PCB coupled to a second end of the cable, the second PCB including a power rail coupled to the power conductor, a system ground coupled to the ground conductor, and a short circuit detector coupled between the signal ground conductor and the system ground, wherein the short circuit detector is configured to detect a short circuit between the power conductor and the signal ground conductor;

a baseboard management controller configured to receive an indication from the short circuit detector when the short circuit detector detects the short circuit;

wherein the cable includes a coaxial cable having a signal conductor and a shield conductor, and the shield conductor includes the signal ground conductor.