U.S. patent application number 12/386868 was filed with the patent office on 2009-08-27 for monolithic plug-in power supply.
Invention is credited to Andrei Bulucea.
Application Number | 20090213533 12/386868 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38174232 |
Filed Date | 2009-08-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090213533 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bulucea; Andrei |
August 27, 2009 |
Monolithic plug-in power supply
Abstract
A computer system is described. This computer system includes a
main power connector and one or more circuit boards rigidly
connected to the main power connector, including mechanical and
electrical connection. The main power connector has a body that
includes a plurality of contacts. The main power connector is
configured to mate with a corresponding connector, other than an
expansion slot, on a motherboard in the computer system. The
motherboard is coupled to one or more processors. A first plane
including a first circuit board in the one or more circuit boards
is substantially parallel to a symmetry plane of the body. The
symmetry plane includes a direction of insertion of the main power
connector when mated with the corresponding connector. The one or
more circuit boards include one or more switched mode power
supplies to convert an input signal to one or more output
signals.
Inventors: |
Bulucea; Andrei; (fremont,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Andrei Bulucea
38580 Goodrich Way
Fremont
CA
94536
US
|
Family ID: |
38174232 |
Appl. No.: |
12/386868 |
Filed: |
April 24, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11304650 |
Dec 15, 2005 |
7539023 |
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12386868 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
361/679.02 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R 12/52 20130101;
H01R 12/75 20130101; G06F 1/26 20130101; H01R 13/64 20130101; H05K
2201/2036 20130101; H05K 2201/10189 20130101; H05K 2201/10356
20130101; H05K 2201/042 20130101; H05K 2201/10446 20130101; G06F
1/188 20130101; H05K 1/144 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
361/679.02 |
International
Class: |
G06F 1/16 20060101
G06F001/16; H05K 7/00 20060101 H05K007/00 |
Claims
1. A computer system, comprising: one or more processors; a
motherboard, coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the
motherboard includes a first main power connector which is other
than an expansion card slot; and a power supply to provide power to
the motherboard, including: a second main power connector having a
body that includes a plurality of contacts, wherein the second main
power connector is mated to the first main power connector; and one
or more circuit boards rigidly connected to the second main power
connector, wherein a first plane including a first circuit board in
the one or more circuit boards is substantially parallel to a
symmetry plane of the body, rigidly connected includes mechanical
connection and electrical connection, the symmetry plane including
a direction of insertion of the second main power connector when
mated with the first main power connector, wherein the one or more
circuit boards include one or more switched mode power supplies to
convert an input signal to one or more output signals, the one or
more output signals providing power to the motherboard, and wherein
at least one of the one or more switched mode power supplies
includes a DC-to-DC converter, and wherein the one or more output
signals include voltages in at least a subset of a predetermined
set of voltages.
2. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising an
interconnect coupled to at least one of the one or more circuit
boards, wherein the interconnect includes a plurality or wires
coupled to one or more additional connectors, and wherein the
interconnect is configured to couple the power supply to one or
more peripheral devices.
3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the main power connector
is an ATX connector.
4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more
switched mode power supplies includes a DC-to-DC converter.
5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the one or more circuit
boards include the first circuit board and a second circuit
board.
6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of
contacts include a first set of contacts arranged in a first row
and a second set of contacts arranged in a second row, the first
row is substantially parallel to the second row, and wherein the
first circuit board is rigidly connected to the first set of
contacts and the second circuit board is rigidly connected to the
second set of contacts.
7. The computer system of claim 5, wherein a second plane including
the second circuit board is substantially parallel to the first
plane.
8. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the power supply
generates at least 3 dB less electromagnetic interference in a band
of frequencies than a power supply for use in the computer system
that has one circuit board.
9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the band of frequencies
is approximately between 0 and 30 MHz.
10. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the one or more output
signals are each substantially regulated voltages.
11. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the input signal has a
voltage approximately between 5 and 48 V.
13. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the one or more output
signals include 3.3V, 5V, 5 VSB, 12V, -12V and -5 V.
14. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the power supply has a
height less than a pre-determined value.
15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the pre-determined
value is approximately between 10 and 120 mm.
16. The computer system of claim 1, wherein a number of contacts in
the plurality of contacts is either 12, 20 or 24.
17. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the power supply has a
width less than a pre-determined value.
18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the width is less than
120 mm.
19. A computer system, comprising: means for computing; a
motherboard, coupled to the means, wherein the motherboard includes
a first main power connector which is other than an expansion card
slot; and a power supply to provide power to the motherboard,
including: a second main power connector having a body that
includes a plurality of contacts, wherein the second main power
connector is mated to the first main power connector; and one or
more circuit boards rigidly connected to the second main power
connector, wherein a first plane including a first circuit board in
the one or more circuit boards is substantially parallel to a
symmetry plane of the body, rigidly connected includes mechanical
connection and electrical connection, the symmetry plane including
a direction of insertion of the second main power connector when
mated with the first main power connector, wherein the one or more
circuit boards include one or more switched mode power supplies to
convert an input signal to one or more output signals, the one or
more output signals providing power to the motherboard, and wherein
at least one of the one or more switched mode power supplies
includes a DC-to-DC converter, and wherein the one or more output
signals include voltages in at least a subset of a pre-determined
set of voltages.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 120 to U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 11/304,650, entitled "Monolithic
Plug-In Power Supply," by Andrei Bulucea, having docket number
MB0501 and filed on Dec. 13, 2005, the contents of which is herein
incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to electronic circuits. More
specifically, the present invention relates to a monolithic power
supply.
[0004] 2. Related Art
[0005] A wide variety of devices utilize electrical power. Such
devices often include one or more power supplies to regulate and/or
convert an input electrical power signal, such as that provided by
a 60 Hz AC power line, into one or more output electrical power
signals. These output electrical power signals may be used to power
electrical circuits in these devices.
[0006] While power supplies are widely used, they do pose some
design challenges. In particular, many power supplies include bulky
components, such as transformers, that make integration with other
components more difficult. This is unfortunate, since integration
allows the cost of manufacturing, as well as the size and/or weight
of the devices to be reduced.
[0007] Some existing computers provide an illustration of these
challenges. In computers, a separate power supply is often coupled
to the motherboard using a cable harness and a multi-pin connector,
such as an ATX connector. Mechanical interference associated with
the multi-pin connector also poses constraints on the motherboard
size and layout. In particular, to allow mechanical access to the
multi-pin connector there is often a de-forested region surrounding
it on the motherboard. These limits on integration increase the
overall footprint and cost of computers, such as personal
computers, in both the standard and tower configurations.
[0008] What is needed, therefore, are compact power supplies to
overcome the problems listed above.
SUMMARY
[0009] Power supplies and systems that include power supplies that
overcome the previously described challenges are described. In one
embodiment, a power supply includes a main power connector and one
or more circuit boards rigidly connected to the main power
connector, including mechanical and electrical connection. The main
power connector has a body that includes a plurality of contacts.
The main power connector is configured to mate with a corresponding
connector on a motherboard in a computer. The motherboard is
coupled to one or more processors. A first plane including a first
circuit board in the one or more circuit boards is substantially
parallel to a symmetry plane of the body. The symmetry plane
includes a direction of insertion of the main power connector when
mated with the corresponding connector. The one or more circuit
boards include one or more switched mode power supplies to convert
an input signal to one or more output signals.
[0010] The power supply may include an interconnect coupled to at
least one of the one or more circuit boards. The interconnect may
include a plurality or wires coupled to one or more additional
connectors. The interconnect may be configured to couple the power
supply to one or more peripheral devices.
[0011] The one or more circuit boards may include the first circuit
board and a second circuit board. A second plane including the
second circuit board may be approximately parallel to the first
plane.
[0012] The plurality of contacts may include a first set of
contacts arranged in a first row and a second set of contacts
arranged in a second row. The first row may be approximately
parallel to the second row. The first circuit board may be rigidly
connected to the first set of contacts and the second circuit board
may be rigidly connected to the second set of contacts.
[0013] In some embodiments, the main power connector is an ATX
connector. In some embodiments, each of the one or more switched
mode power supplies may be a DC-to-DC converter. The one or more
output signals may each be approximately regulated voltages. The
power supply may be configured to select respective voltages of the
one or more output signals from a pre-determined set of
voltages.
[0014] In some embodiments, the power supply has a height less than
a first pre-determined value and/or a width less than a second
pre-determined value.
[0015] In some embodiments, the power supply generates at least 3
dB less electromagnetic interference in a band of frequencies than
a power supply that has one circuit board.
[0016] In another embodiment, a system includes the motherboard in
the computer. The motherboard includes a first main power
connector. A power supply includes a second main power connector
that is mated into the first main power connector and one or more
circuit boards rigidly connected to the second main power
connector, including mechanical and electrical connection. The
second main power connector has the body that includes the
plurality of contacts. The first plane including the first circuit
board in the one or more circuit boards is substantially parallel
to the symmetry plane of the body. The symmetry plane includes the
direction of insertion of the second main power connector when
mated with the first main power connector. The one or more circuit
boards include one or more switched mode power supplies to convert
an input signal to one or more output signals. The one or more
output signals provide power to the motherboard.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0017] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an existing
motherboard.
[0018] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an existing main
power connector.
[0019] FIG. 3A is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a
monolithic power supply.
[0020] FIG. 3B is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a
monolithic power supply.
[0021] FIG. 4A is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a
monolithic power supply.
[0022] FIG. 4B is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a
monolithic power supply.
[0023] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a
system.
[0024] FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a
monolithic power supply.
[0025] FIG. 7 is a schematic of electromagnetic interference as a
function of frequency for two power supplies.
[0026] FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating a process of using a
monolithic power supply.
[0027] Like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts
throughout the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0028] The following description is presented to enable any person
skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and is provided
in the context of a particular application and its requirements.
Various modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be readily
apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles
defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications
without departing from the spirit and scope of the present
invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be
limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest
scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed
herein.
[0029] Embodiments of a monolithic power supply and systems that
utilize the monolithic power supply are described. The monolithic
power supply includes a multi-pin connector and one or more circuit
boards rigidly connected to the multi-pin connector. The one or
more circuit boards are approximately parallel to a plane including
a direction of insertion of the multi-pin connector into a
corresponding connector.
[0030] In an exemplary embodiment, a mother board in a computer
includes the corresponding connector. Computers should be
understood to include notebook computers, personal computers, work
stations, main frames, and other types of computers. The
motherboard may include a printed circuit board that is coupled to
one or more processors. When connected to the corresponding
connector, the power supply has an orientation that is
approximately perpendicular to a plane of the motherboard. In the
discussion that follows this orientation is referred to as a
vertical orientation.
[0031] The monolithic power supply may allow at least partial
integration of one or more power supplies with the motherboard.
Components in the monolithic power supply may be coupled together
to form a single, integral structure. Expensive and difficult to
assemble components, such as cable harnesses may be simplified or
eliminated. The monolithic power supply may have a reduced width
and/or height with respect to existing power supplies. The
monolithic power supply may have improved thermal and/or
electromagnetic interference performance with respect to existing
power supplies. These features of the monolithic power supply may
enable increased integration, a reduction in size, a reduction in
weight and/or a reduction in the cost of devices, such as
computers.
[0032] Attention is now directed towards existing motherboards and
the challenges posed by integrating power supplies. FIG. 1 is a
block diagram illustrating an existing motherboard 110. The
motherboard 110 has a horizontal dimension 112-1 and a vertical
dimension 112-2. The motherboard 110 may include one or more
processors 114, such as one or more microprocessors (or means for
processing), and a memory controller 116. Solid state memory, such
as DRAM, may be coupled to the motherboard 110 using memory sockets
118. A video-graphics card may be coupled to the motherboard 110
using a graphics card connector 120. Additional circuit boards may
be coupled to the motherboard 110 using one or more of the
expansion slots 122. The expansion slots 122 may include one or
more PCI ports.
[0033] The motherboard 110 may also include one or more parallel
port connectors 124 and/or one or more serial port connectors 126.
Peripheral devices, such as one or more disk drives, one or more
floppy drives and/or one or more optical drives, may be coupled to
the motherboard 110 using one or more of the peripheral device
connectors 128.
[0034] The motherboard 110 may be coupled to a separate power
supply using a multi-pin main power connector 130-1. The main power
connector 130-1 may receive the core or regulated voltages that are
used to power the components on the motherboard 110. The main power
connector 130-1 may be a male connector, which is also referred to
as a header. In existing computers, a corresponding main power
connector (i.e., one that is configured to mate with the main power
connector 130-1) and a cable harness are used to couple the
motherboard 110 to the separate power supply. The corresponding
main power connector connected to the cable harness may be a female
connector, which is also referred to as a receptacle.
[0035] To reduce or eliminate mechanical interference when coupling
or de-coupling the corresponding main power connector and cable
harness to or from the main power connector 130-1, the motherboard
110 may include a region 132 surrounding the main power connector
130-1 that does not contain components. This region 132 is
sometimes referred to as a deforested region on the motherboard
110. The region 132 helps contribute to the overall footprint or
size of the motherboard 110. Existing motherboards, such as the
motherboard 110, typically have dimensions 112 of 300.times.250
mm.sup.2. The minimum dimensions 112 are currently limited to
170.times.170 mm.sup.2.
[0036] For embodiments where the motherboard 110 is in a personal
computers, the main power connector 130-1 may be an ATX-compatible
connector, i.e., a connector that compiles with an ATX power supply
standard, such as the ATX12V Power Supply Design Guide (Intel
Corporation, March 2005), the contents of which are hereby
incorporated by reference. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating
an existing ATX-compatible main power connector 130-2 that is
configured to mate into the main power connector 130-1 (FIG. 1),
i.e., the main power connector 130-2 is the corresponding main
power connector described above. Henceforth, such connectors are
referred to as ATX connectors. The main power connector 130-2 is
coupled to a cable harness 210. The main power connector 130-2
includes 20 electrical contacts arranged in two approximately
parallel rows and a polarity feature or mechanical stop 212 that
ensures a correct mechanical orientation when the main power
connector 130-2 is connected to the main power connector 130-1
(FIG. 1). When the main power connector 130-2 is connected to the
main power connector 130-1 (FIG. 1) the separate power supply is
coupled to the motherboard 110 (FIG. 1).
[0037] Attention is now directed towards embodiments of monolithic
power supplies. One approach to addressing at least some of the
integration challenges posed by power supplies is to separate the
AC and DC sub-modules contained in the separate power supply, such
as an SFX power supply that is used in some computers. In
computers, this approach may allow the multi-pin cable harness 210
to be eliminated and may allow at least the DC sub-module from the
separate power supply to be directly connected to the motherboard
110 (FIG. 1) and, thereby, to reduce the size of the final
assembly.
[0038] FIGS. 3A and 3B are block diagrams illustrating a bottom
view and a side view, respectively, of an embodiment of a
monolithic power supply 300. The power supply 300 includes the main
power connector 130-2 rigidly connected, including electrically and
mechanically, to a circuit board 310 (such as a printed circuit
board) thereby forming a monolithic assembly. In an exemplary
embodiment, the main power connector 130-2 is an ATX connector and
the rigid connection is provided, at least in part, by solder. The
circuit board 310 includes one or more components (not shown), such
as one or more integrated circuits, that implement the power
conversion function of the power supply 300.
[0039] The contacts in the main power connector 130-2 are
approximately perpendicular to a plane of the circuit board 310. In
the power supply 300, the main power connector 130-2 is proximate
to a south (S) 312 side of the circuit board 310. This
configuration is referred to as a northern orientation.
[0040] In another embodiment, the main power connector 130-2 is
proximate to an east (E) side 314 of the circuit board 310, in a
configuration referred to as a western orientation. In another
embodiment, the main power connector 130-2 is proximate to a center
316 of the circuit board 310
[0041] In some embodiments, the power supply 300 may include fewer
components or additional components. For example, there may be one
or more additional circuit boards. In some embodiments, two or more
components in the power supply 300 may be combined or a position of
at least one component may be changed.
[0042] FIGS. 4A and 4B are block diagrams illustrating side views
of an embodiment of a monolithic power supply 400 that at least
partially integrates a previously separate power supply. The power
supply 400 offers compact size, reduced mechanical interference and
simplicity, since the power supply 400 may be used with a wide
variety of motherboard designs, i.e., a plurality of power supply
configurations or models may not be needed. While exemplary
embodiments utilize the power supply 400 and/or the power supply
300 (FIGS. 3A and 3B) in conjunction with a motherboard in a
computer, it should be understood that either may be utilized in a
variety of devices and applications, including small form-factor
computers, embedded applications that have size and/or space
constraints, and systems that may not include a cable harness.
[0043] The power supply 400 includes two circuit boards 410 (such
as printed circuit boards) that are coupled to one another using
spacers 412. The circuit boards 410 may be approximately parallel
to each other. In some embodiments, the power supply 400 may
include one circuit board or three or more circuit boards. The
circuit boards 410 are each rigidly connected by connections 414 to
the main power connector 130-2 thereby forming a monolithic
assembly. Rigid connection includes mechanical and electrical
connection. In other embodiments, the circuit boards 410 may be
coupled to the main power connector 130-2 as opposed to being
connected to it.
[0044] In an exemplary embodiment, the main power connector 130-2
is an ATX connector configured to couple power signals to a
motherboard and the rigid connections 414 are provided, at least in
part, by solder. Each of the circuit boards 410 may be electrically
connected to a corresponding row of contacts in the main power
connector 130-2. The main power connector 130-2 may include 4, 12,
20 or 24 electrical contacts.
[0045] The main power connector 130-2 may be configured to mate
into the main power connector 130-1 (FIG. 1). Mating may be
accomplished by inserting the main power connector 130-2 into the
main power connector 130-1 (FIG. 1) approximately along a direction
of insertion 428.
[0046] The circuit boards 410 may be approximately parallel to a
symmetry plane 426 of a body of the main power connector 130-2. The
symmetry plane 426 may be parallel to the direction of insertion
428. Thus, the power supply 400 may have the vertical orientation,
as discussed further below with reference to FIG. 5. In some
embodiments, the circuit boards 410 are approximately parallel to a
symmetry plane of the power supply 400. In some embodiments, only
one of the circuit boards 410 is approximately parallel to the
symmetry plane 426 and/or the symmetry plane of the power supply
400.
[0047] Input electrical signals, for example, from an AC-to-DC
power supply sub-module elsewhere in a computer, may be coupled to
the power supply 400 via a cable 424-1. The cable 424-1 may be
connected to one or both of the circuit boards 410. In some
embodiments, the cable 424-1 is connected to one of the circuit
boards 410, such as circuit board 410-1, and the input signals are
then coupled to the other circuit board, such as circuit board
410-2. While the power supply 400 illustrates the cable 424-1
connected to the circuit board 410-1, in other embodiments the
cable 424-1 may be connected to the circuit board 410-2.
[0048] The circuit boards 410 include one or more components (not
shown), such as one or more integrated circuits, that implement the
power conversion function of the power supply 400. The power supply
400 may include one or more power supply circuits. The one or more
power supply circuits may include one or more DC-to-DC converter
circuits. The one or more DC-to-DC converter circuits may include
one or more switched power supplies. The one or more power supply
circuits may include step-up and/or step-down power supplies. The
one or more power supply circuits may include one or more linear
regulators, one or more charge pumps, one or more bucking circuits,
one or more boost circuits, one or more inverters, and/or one or
more push-pull configurations.
[0049] The output electrical signals from the one or more power
supply circuits may include a pre-determined set of DC voltages.
The output electrical signals may include approximately regulated
voltages. In some embodiments, the output electrical signals may be
selected from a pre-determined set of DC voltages. In some
embodiments, the output electrical signals may be adapted, adjusted
and/or configured. The adapting, adjusting and/or configuring may
be dynamic.
[0050] In an exemplary embodiment, the input electrical signals are
approximately between 5 and 48 V. The output electrical signals may
include approximately regulated voltages of 3.3V, 5V, 5 VSB, -5V,
-12V and/or 12V. These output electrical signals may be generated
using one or more electrical circuits on at least one of the
circuit boards 410.
[0051] One or more of the output electrical signals may be coupled
to one or more additional peripheral devices, such as floppy disk
drives or hard drives, using a cable 424-2 and a peripheral
connector 422. While the power supply 400 illustrates the cable
424-2 connected to the circuit board 410-2, in other embodiments
the cable 424-2 may be connected to the circuit board 410-1.
[0052] The power supply 400 may have a thickness 416 (including the
circuit boards 410 and the spacer 412) and a height 420. The
thickness 416 may be larger than a thickness 418 of the main power
connector 130-2. In some embodiments, the height 420 is
approximately 10, 20 60 or 120 mm. In some embodiments, the height
420 is approximately between 10 and 120 mm. In some embodiments,
the thickness 416 is approximately between 5 and 100 nm. The
thickness 416 may be approximately 5, 10, 20 or 40 mm greater than
the thickness 418. In some embodiments, the thickness 416 minus the
thickness 418 is less than approximately 40 mm.
[0053] FIG. 4B illustrates a width 430 of the power supply 400. The
width 430 may be larger than a width 432 of the main power
connector 130-2. In some embodiments, the width 430 is
approximately less than 120 mm. The width 430 may be approximately
5, 10, 20 or 40 mm greater than the width 432. In some embodiments,
the width 430 minus the width 432 is less than approximately 40
mm.
[0054] In some embodiments, the power supply 400 may include fewer
components or additional components. For example, there may be one
or more additional circuit boards 410. In some embodiments, two or
more components in the power supply 400 may be combined or a
position of at least one component may be changed.
[0055] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a
system 500. A motherboard 508 is connected to a power supply 510,
such as the power supply 400 (FIGS. 4A and 4B). In some
embodiments, the power supply 510 is removably connected to the
motherboard 508. The power supply 510 has the vertical orientation.
The power supply 510 may provide power to the motherboard 508. The
compact size and, thus, the reduced mechanical interference
associated with the power supply 510 may allow a deforested region
514 to be reduced in size relative to the region 132 (FIG. 1). As a
consequence, dimensions 512 of the motherboard 508 may also be
reduced relative to the dimensions 112 (FIG. 1). The power supply
510 may also allow expensive and cumbersome components, such as the
cable harness 210 (FIG. 2), to be simplified or eliminated.
[0056] In some embodiments, the system 500 may include fewer
components or additional components. For example, there may be one
or more additional circuit boards. In some embodiments, two or more
components in the system 500 may be combined or a position of at
least one component may be changed.
[0057] Monolithic power supplies, such as the power supply 400
(FIGS. 4A and 4B) may offer reduce or eliminate other challenges
associated with existing power supplies. For example, the cable
harness 210 (FIG. 2) offers limited heat conduction. As a
consequence, the cable harness 210 (FIG. 2) offers limited
dissipation of heat generated in a separate power supply. In
contrast, more of the heat generated in the power supply 510 may be
dissipated into the motherboard 508, i.e., the motherboard 508 may
function, at least in part, as a heat sink for the power supply
510. As illustrated in FIG. 4A, this is a consequence of a limited
height of the main power connector 130-2 (for example, some 10 mm)
relative to a length of the cable harness 210 (FIG. 2) (for
example, some 100-400 mm). Thus, the power supply 510 may be able
to dissipate more power and still have a maximum temperature that
is less than or comparable to existing power supplies.
[0058] In some embodiments, a monolithic power supply, such as the
power supply 300 (FIGS. 3A and 3B) and/or the power supply 400
(FIGS. 4A and 4B), may include active cooling components, such as
one or more fans and/or devices based on the Peltier effect. This
is illustrated in FIG. 6, which is a block diagram illustrating an
embodiment of a monolithic power supply 600. In the power supply
600, a forced convection unit 610, such as a fan, blows air between
the circuit boards 410.
[0059] In some embodiments, the power supply 600 may include fewer
components or additional components. For example, a forced
convection unit may be included on one or both of the circuit
boards 410. In some embodiments, two or more components in the
power supply 600 may be combined or a position of at least one
component may be changed.
[0060] Monolithic power supplies that have two or more circuit
boards, such as the power supply 400 (FIGS. 4A and 4B), may also
generate and/or radiate less electromagnetic interference. The two
or more circuit boards, such as the circuit boards 410 (FIGS. 4A
and 4B), may act like ground planes for one another. The
electromagnetic interference generated and/or radiated by such
power supplies may, therefore be reduced without using a metal
enclosure.
[0061] This reduction is illustrated in FIG. 7, which is a
schematic of electromagnetic interference 710 as a function of
frequency 712 for two power supplies, 714 and 716. The power supply
714 has one circuit board and the power supply 716 has two circuit
boards. The power supply 716 has less electromagnetic interference
710 in a band of frequencies 718. In an exemplary embodiment, the
band of frequencies 718 approximately is between 0 and 30 MHz.
[0062] FIG. 7 also illustrates a magnitude of a difference 720 in
the electromagnetic interference 710 in the band of frequencies
718. In some embodiments, the difference 720 may correspond to a
10, 25 or 50% reduction in the electromagnetic interference 710. In
some embodiments, the difference 720 may be more than 1 or 3
dB.
[0063] Attention is now directed-towards a method of using a
monolithic power supply. FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating a
process 800 of using a monolithic power supply. A power supply is
vertically mounted into a corresponding connector (810). Respective
voltages for one or more output electrical signals are optionally
selected from a set of pre-determined voltages (820). In some
embodiments, there may be additional or fewer operations. An order
of the operations may be changed. Two or more operations may be
combined into a single operation.
[0064] The foregoing descriptions of embodiments of the present
invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and
description only. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to
limit the present invention to the forms disclosed. Accordingly,
many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners
skilled in the art. Additionally, the above disclosure is not
intended to limit the present invention. The scope of the present
invention is defined by the appended claims.
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