Implementing dynamic regulator output current limiting

1. An apparatus for implementing dynamic regulator output current limiting comprising:

a regulator includes a regulator input receiving an input voltage and input power and said regulator including a redundant regulator system;

a controller coupled to said regulator; said controller receiving a measured input power of said regulator input and said controller receiving an operational mode from said regulator of operational modes of N+2, N+1, phase or phases running;

said controller relating the measured input power to a regulator output current and a regulator over current trip point, and said controller dynamically providing regulator output current limiting; said controller decreasing a load frequency only in operational node N when the measured input power is greater than a regulator over current threshold and enabling running at full frequency in operational modes N+2, N+1.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 includes an inline shunt resistor in said regulator input being used to measure the regulator input power.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 2 includes a hardware operational amplifier (Op-amp) comparator circuit connected to said inline shunt resistor.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 3 includes a high speed comparator; the measured input power being read with said high speed comparator.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 includes said controller receiving vital product data (VPD) from said regulator.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 further includes said controller changing a soft over current (OC) trip point as a function of said operational modes of N+2, N+1 or N phase or phases running.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said controller relating the measured input power to a regulator output current includes said controller identifying a multiplier as a function of the current regulator output voltage set point, and said controller using said identified multiplier Bf(Pvid) to identify a current capping limit CCAP.

8. A method for implementing dynamic regulator output current limiting comprising:

providing a regulator includes a regulator input receiving an input voltage and input power and providing a redundant regulator system;

providing a controller coupled to said regulator;

said controller receiving a measured input power of said regulator input and said controller receiving an operational mode from said regulator of operational modes of N+2,N+1, or N phases running;

said controller relating the measured input power to a regulator output current and a regulator over current trip point,

said controller dynamically providing regulator output current limiting; and

said controller decreasing a load frequency only in operational mode N when the measured input power is greater than a regulator over current threshold and enabling running at full frequency in operational modes N+2, N+1.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 includes providing an inline shunt resistor in said regulator input; and using said inline shunt resistor to measure the regulator input power.

10. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein using said inline shunt resistor to measure the regulator input power includes providing a hardware operational amplifier (Op-amp) comparator circuit connected to said inline shunt resistor.

11. The method as recited in claim 9 includes providing a high speed comparator; and reading the measured input power with said high speed comparator DAC.

12. The method as recited in claim 8 includes said controller receiving vital product data (VPD) from said regulator.

13. The method as recited in claim 8 includes said controller changing a soft over current (OC) trip point as a function of said operational modes of N+2, N+1 or N phase or phases running.

14. The method as recited in claim 8 includes said controller identifying a multiplier as a function of the current regulator output voltage set point, and said controller using said identified multiplier to identify a current capping limit CCAP.

15. The method as recited in claim 8 includes said controller comparing a measured input current to said regulator with an identified current capping limit.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 includes said controller decreasing a regulator output load responsive to said measured input current being greater than said identified current capping limit.

17. The method as recited in claim 15 includes said controller increasing a regulator output load responsive to said measured input current being less than said identified current capping limit.

18. The method as recited in claim 15 includes said controller identifying a multiplier as a function of the current regulator output voltage set point responsive to said compared measured input current and said identified current capping limit.

19. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein said controller relating the measured input power to said regulator output current and said regulator over current trip point includes said controller measuring an average input current during a set time interval.