Modular power distribution system for information processing devices

1 . A modular power distribution subsystem for an information processing device, comprising:

one or more power distribution boards; and

a plurality of bus bars,

wherein each power distribution board comprises:

a first edge-connector socket configured to receive a first power supply unit (PSU) edge connector;

a second edge-connector socket configured to receive a second PSU edge connector, the second edge-connector socket having a different form factor than the first edge-connector socket; and

a plurality of power-pin sockets, each configured to receive a power pin of one of the bus bars,

wherein the power distribution boards are connectable, by the bus bars and the power-pin sockets, to a system board of the information processing device in a plurality of different configurations that accommodate a plurality of different types of PSU and/or a plurality of different positional arrangements of PSUs.

2 . The modular power distribution subsystem of claim 1 ,

wherein the plurality of different configurations include at least a first configuration and a second configuration;

wherein in a state of the modular power distribution subsystem installed in the information processing device, in the first configuration, the first edge-connector sockets of the power distribution boards are arranged to receive the first PSU edge connectors of first power supply units; and

wherein in the second configuration, the second edge-connector sockets of the power distribution boards are arranged to receive the second PSU edge connectors of second power supply units, the second PSU edge connectors being different from the first PSU edge connectors.

3 . The modular power distribution subsystem of claim 2 ,

wherein, in the first configuration, each of the power distribution boards is oriented with their respective first edge-connector socket facing in a first direction relative to the system board and their respective second edge-connector socket facing in a second direction relative to the system board, the second direction opposite the first direction; and

wherein, in the second configuration, each of the power distribution boards is oriented with their respective second edge-connector socket facing in the first direction and their respective first edge-connector socket facing in the second direction.

4 . The modular power distribution subsystem of claim 2 ,

wherein the one or more power distribution boards comprises a plurality of distribution boards; and

wherein, in the first configuration and in the second configuration, the power distribution boards are positioned adjacent one another and are connected, by the respective power-pin sockets of the power distribution boards and by the bus bars, to each other and to the system board in a daisy-chain arrangement.

5 . The modular power distribution subsystem of claim 4 ,

wherein the plurality of different configurations include:

a first variation of the first configuration in which the power distribution boards are positioned adjacent one another on a first side of the system board;

a second variation of the first configuration in which the power distribution boards are positioned adjacent one another on a second side of the system board, opposite the first side;

a first variation of the second configuration in which the power distribution boards are positioned adjacent one another on the first side of the system board; and

a second variation of the second configuration in which the power distribution boards are positioned adjacent one another on the second side of the system board.

6 . The modular power distribution subsystem of claim 4 ,

wherein the plurality of different configurations including at least a third configuration in which a first group comprising one or more of the power distribution boards is positioned on a first side of the system board and a second group comprising one or more of the power distribution boards is positioned on a second side of the system board.

7 . The modular power distribution subsystem of claim 6 ,

wherein in the third configuration, the first edge-connector sockets of the power distribution boards are arranged to receive first PSU edge connectors of first power supply units; and

the plurality of different configurations including at least a fourth configuration in which the first group comprising one or more of the power distribution boards is positioned on the first side of the system board and the second group comprising one or more of the power distribution boards is positioned on the second side of the system board and the second edge-connector sockets of the power distribution boards are arranged to receive second PSU edge connectors of second power supply units.

8 . The modular power distribution subsystem of claim 2 ,

wherein the one or more power distribution boards comprises a first power distribution board and a second power distribution board;

wherein, in the first and second configurations, the first and second power distribution boards are positioned adjacent one another on a first side of the system board;

wherein, in the first configuration, a first pair of the power-pin sockets of the second power distribution board are connected to the system board by a first pair of the bus bars, and a first pair of the power-pin sockets of the first power distribution board are connected to a second pair of the power-pin sockets of the second power distribution board by a second pair of the bus bars; and

wherein, in the second configuration, the second pair of the power-pin sockets of the second power distribution board are connected to the system board by the first pair of the bus bars, and a second pair of the power-pin sockets of the first power distribution board are connected to the first pair of the power-pin sockets of the second distribution board by the second pair of the bus bars.

9 . The modular power distribution subsystem of claim 8 ,

wherein in the first and second configurations the first and second power distribution boards are horizontally adjacent to one another.

10 . The modular power distribution subsystem of claim 8 ,

wherein in the first and second configurations the first and second power distribution boards are vertically adjacent to one another.

11 . The modular power distribution subsystem of claim 2 ,

wherein the one or more power distribution boards comprises a first power distribution board and a second power distribution board;

wherein the plurality of different configurations include a third configuration in which the first power distribution board is positioned adjacent a first side of the system board and the second power distribution boards is positioned adjacent a second side of the system board, opposite the first side.

12 . The modular power distribution subsystem of claim 11 ,

wherein the plurality of configurations include a fourth configuration in which the first power distribution board is positioned adjacent the first side of the system board and the second power distribution board is positioned adjacent the second side of the system board;

wherein, in the third configuration, a first pair of the power-pin sockets of the first power distribution board are connected to the system board by a first pair of the bus bars, a second pair of the power-pin sockets of the second power distribution board are connected to the system board by a second pair of the bus bars, and the first edge-connector sockets of the first and second power distribution boards are arranged to receive the first PSU edge connectors; and

wherein, in the fourth configuration, a second pair of the power-pin sockets of the first power distribution board are connected to the system board by the first pair of the bus bars, a first pair of the power-pin sockets of the second power distribution board are connected to the system board by the second pair of the bus bars, and the second edge-connector sockets of the first and second power distribution boards are arranged to receive the second PSU edge connectors.