Method and system for controlling and monitoring an array of point-of-load regulators
A power control system comprises a plurality of POL regulators, at least one serial data bus operatively connecting the plurality of POL regulators, and a system controller connected to the serial data bus and adapted to send and receive digital data to and from the plurality of POL regulators. The serial data bus further comprises a first data bus carrying programming and control information between the system controller and the plurality of POL regulators. The serial data bus may also include a second data bus carrying fault management information between the system controller and the plurality of POL regulators. The power control may also include a front-end regulator providing an intermediate voltage to the plurality of POL regulators on an intermediate voltage bus.
1. A power delivery management system, the system comprising:
a plurality of digital power regulating devices, wherein each of the plurality of digital power regulating devices provides a plurality of functions, wherein each of the plurality of digital power regulating devices is operable to provide power to one or more loads; and
a control and communication bus, wherein each one of the plurality of digital power regulating devices is coupled to the control and communication bus;
wherein each one of the plurality of digital power regulating devices includes a controller operable to control the functions of a corresponding one of the plurality of digital power regulating devices; and
wherein the plurality of digital power regulating devices are operable to communicate with each other over the control and communication bus to exchange information to coordinate their functions.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of digital power regulating devices is also adapted to coordinate and/or control the functions of one or more other ones of the plurality of digital power regulating devices.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the other ones of the plurality of digital power regulating devices are adapted to provide status information over the control and communication bus to the at least one of the plurality of digital power regulating devices.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of functions comprise one or more power delivery functions; wherein each controller is operable to control the one or more power delivery functions of a corresponding one of the digital power regulating devices.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least a subset of the plurality of digital power regulating devices each comprise the same functions.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the plurality of digital power regulating devices comprises a voltage converter unit.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the voltage converter unit comprises a DC (direct current) to DC voltage converter.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control and communication bus is a digital bus.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the control and communication bus comprises one or more digital communication paths, wherein each one of the one or more digital communication paths comprises one or more dedicated signals.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein each individual one of the plurality of digital power regulating devices is operable to be programmed and/or configured across the control and communication bus.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein two or more of the plurality of digital power regulating devices are operable to be grouped together in a current sharing configuration.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein each one of the plurality of digital power regulating devices is operable to provide feedback data to all other ones of the plurality of digital power regulating devices.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the feedback data comprises real-time data.
14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the functions of the plurality of digital power regulating devices comprise at least one of:
phase displacement;
current sharing; and
voltage programming and voltage tracking.
15. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one master control device coupled to the control and communication bus, wherein the at least one master control device is operable to centrally control the plurality of digital power regulating devices to implement advanced features.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the advanced features comprise reconfiguring and/or reprogramming one or more of the plurality of digital power regulating devices.
17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control and communication bus is a serial bus.
18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the master control device is adapted to control the plurality of digital power regulating devices over the control and communication bus.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the control and communication bus is a serial digital control and communication bus.
20. The system of claim 18 , wherein said communicating with the plurality of digital power regulating devices comprises each one of the plurality of digital power regulating devices providing feedback data to the master control device.
21. The system of claim 18 , wherein the master control device comprises a controller operable to execute functions corresponding to each of the plurality of digital power regulating devices to control the plurality of digital power regulating devices.
22. The system of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of digital power regulating devices provide status information over the control and communication bus to the master control device.
23. A digital power regulating device for use in a power delivery management system, the digital power regulating device including a power delivery circuit adapted to deliver regulated power to one or more loads, the digital power regulating device further comprising a controller operable to provide a plurality of functions pertaining to control over the power delivery circuit, the controller being further operable to communicate with other like digital power regulating devices over a control and communication bus to exchange information and to coordinate their functions.
24. The digital power regulating device of claim 23 , wherein the controller is also adapted to coordinate and/or control the functions of one or more of the other like digital power regulating devices.
25. The digital power regulating device of claim 23 , wherein the controller is also adapted to receive status information from one or more of the other like digital power regulating devices over the control and communication bus.
26. The digital power regulating device of claim 23 , wherein the controller is also adapted to send status information to one or more of the other like digital power regulating devices over the control and communication bus.
27. The digital power regulating device of claim 23 , wherein the plurality of functions comprise at least one power delivery function.
28. The digital power regulating device of claim 23 , wherein the power delivery circuit comprises a voltage converter unit.
29. The digital power regulating device of claim 28 , wherein the voltage converter unit comprises a DC (direct current) to DC voltage converter.
30. The digital power regulating device of claim 23 , wherein the controller is operable to be programmed and/or configured across the control and communication bus.
31. The digital power regulating device of claim 23 , wherein the controller is operable to couple the digital power regulating device with at least one other like digital power regulating device in a current sharing configuration.
32. The digital power regulating device of claim 23 , wherein the controller is operable to provide feedback data to at least one other like digital power regulating device.
33. The digital power regulating device of claim 32 , wherein the feedback data comprises real-time data.
34. The digital power regulating device of claim 23 , wherein the plurality of functions comprise at least one of:
phase displacement;
current sharing; and
voltage programming and voltage tracking.
35. The digital power regulating device of claim 23 , wherein the controller is operable to serve as a master controller to centrally control the other like digital power regulating devices over the control and communication bus.
36. The digital power regulating device of claim 35 , wherein the controller is operable to control reconfiguring and/or reprogramming of at least one of the other like digital power regulating devices.
37. The digital power regulating device of claim 35 , wherein the controller is further operable to receive feedback data from at least one of the other like digital power regulating devices.
38. A method for operating a digital power regulating device within a power delivery management system, the digital power regulating device being operably coupled together by a control and communication bus, the method comprising:
controlling functions of the digital power regulating device to provide power to one or more loads; and
communicating with at least one other digital power regulating device over the control and communication bus to exchange information to coordinate their respective functions.
39. The method of claim 38 , further comprising controlling the functions of the at least one other digital power regulating device.
40. The method of claim 38 , further comprising providing status information over the control and communication bus to the at least one other digital power regulating device.
41. The method of claim 38 , further comprising receiving status information over the control and communication bus from the at least one other digital power regulating device.
42. The method of claim 38 , wherein the controlling functions comprise controlling one or more power delivery functions.
43. The method of claim 38 , further comprising programming the digital power regulating device using information received across the control and communication bus.
44. The method of claim 38 , further comprising grouping at least two of the digital power regulating devices in a current sharing configuration.
45. The method of claim 38 , further comprising providing feedback data to at least one other digital power regulating device.
46. The method of claim 45 , wherein the feedback data comprises real-time data.
47. The method of claim 38 , wherein the controlling functions further comprises controlling at least one of:
phase displacement;
current sharing; and
voltage programming and voltage tracking.
48. The method of claim 38 , further comprising centrally controlling plural digital power regulating devices.
49. The method of claim 48 , further comprising reconfiguring and/or reprogramming at least one of the plural digital power regulating devices.