Universal power converter having variable voltage capability and method therefor
A power supply includes an LLC resonant power converter to provide a first reference signal having a first voltage. The power supply also includes a DC-DC power converter to provide a second reference signal having a second voltage. The DC-DC converter receives power from the first reference signal. The power supply further includes a switch circuit including a first input to receive the first reference signal, a second input to receive the second reference signal, an input to receive a switch control message, and an output coupled to a power rail. The switch circuit is configured to connect the first reference signal and the second reference signal to the power rail based on the switch control message.
1. A modular power supply to provide power to an information handling system, the modular power supply device comprising:
an inductor-inductor-capacitor (LLC) resonant power converter having an input to receive an alternating current reference signal and an output to provide a first reference signal having a first voltage;
a DC-DC power converter having an input to receive the first reference signal and an output to provide a second reference signal having a second voltage that is different than the first voltage;
a switch circuit including a first input to receive the first reference signal, a second input to receive the second reference signal, a third input to receive a switch control message, and an output coupled to a power rail, the switch circuit to selectively enable coupling of the first reference signal and the second reference signal to the power rail based on the switch control message generated at the information handling system; and
a universal serial bus (USB) type C connector to couple the power rail to an external power input at the information handling system and to couple the switch control message to the switch circuit via a configuration channel of the USB type C connector,
wherein the switch circuit includes:
a first transistor to selectively couple an output of the LLC resonant power converter to the power rail;
a second transistor to selectively couple an output of the LLC resonant power converter to a first terminal of an inductor, a second terminal of the inductor coupled to the power rail; and
a third transistor to selectively couple the first terminal of the inductor to a ground reference voltage.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the switch circuit is further to disconnect both of the first reference signal and the second reference signal from the power rail based on the switch control message.
3. A method for providing power at a selectable voltage level to an information handling system, the method comprising:
receiving a first message from the information handling system at a modular power supply, the first message received at a configuration channel of a universal serial bus (USB) type C connector, the first message requesting the modular power supply to provide power at a first voltage to a power rail coupled to an external input at the information handling system via the USB type C connector;
selectively activating a first transistor in response to receiving the first message, the first transistor to couple an output of an inductor-inductor-capacitor (LLC) resonant power converter to the power rail, the LLC resonant power converter receiving an alternating current reference signal;
receiving a second message from the information handling system at the modular power supply, the second message received at the configuration channel of the USB type C connector, the second message requesting the modular power supply to provide power at a second voltage to the power rail, the second voltage different than the first voltage; and
selectively activating a second transistor and a third transistor in response to receiving the second message, the second transistor to couple an output of the LLC resonant power converter to the power rail via an inductor and the third transistor to couple the power rail to a ground reference voltage via the inductor.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first voltage corresponds to a nominal operating voltage of the information handling system receiving power from the modular power supply, and the second voltage corresponds to a standby operating voltage of the information handling system.
5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising receiving the alternating current reference signal at an input of the modular power supply.
6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second voltage is less than the first voltage.
7. The method of claim 3 , wherein the modular power supply provides greater than fifty watts of power.
8. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
receiving a third message at the modular power supply, the third message requesting the modular power supply to disable providing power at the power rail; and
disable coupling the output of the LLC resonant power converter and the output of the DC-DC power converter to the power rail in response to receiving the third message.
9. A method comprising:
providing a first message from an information handling system to a modular power supply, the first message requesting the modular power supply to provide power at a first voltage to a power rail, the power rail coupled to the information handling system via a universal serial bus (USB) type C connector, the first message received at the modular power supply via a communication channel interface provided by the USB type C connector;
receiving power at the first voltage at the information handling system in response to providing the first message, the power at the first voltage provided by an LLC resonant power converter included at the modular power supply by selectively activating a first transistor in response to the first message, the first transistor coupling the LLC resonant power converter to the power rail;
providing a second message from the information handling system to the modular power supply, the second message requesting the modular power supply to provide power at a second voltage to the power rail, the second voltage different than the first voltage, the second message received at the modular power supply via the communication channel interface provided by the USB type C connector; and
receiving power at the second voltage at the information handling system in response to providing the second message, the power at the second voltage provided by a DC-DC power converter included at the modular power supply, the DC-DC power converter receiving power from the LLC resonant power converter by selectively activating a second transistor and a third transistor in response to the second message, the second transistor coupling the LLC resonant power converter to the power rail via an inductor, and the third transistor coupling the power rail to a ground reference voltage via the inductor.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first message and the second message are encoded using bi-phase marked encoding/decoding.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first voltage corresponds to a nominal operating voltage of the information handling system receiving power from the modular power supply, and the second voltage corresponds to a standby operating voltage of the information handling system.
12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising receiving the alternating current at an input of the modular power supply.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second voltage is less than the first voltage.
14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first message and the second message are encoded using binary frequency-shift keying.
15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
providing a third message to the modular power supply, the third message requesting the power supply to disable providing power at the power rail.