Overcurrent protection of input/output devices in a data processing system
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsPhilip M. Corcoran, Gerald J. Fahr, Raymond J. Harrington, Edward J. Seminaro
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Method and apparatus to prevent disturbances on the system power busses in a data processing system while communication channels of the system are partitioned and redundant to eliminate interruptions. Power to Direct Access Storage Devices (DASD) and Terminators are powered-on in a slow controlled manner to prevent disturbances on the power busses. This allows for hot plugging of DASD backplanes. Very fast (1u sec.) soft switch circuits along with parasitic (Lparx) storage components provide over current protection from any shorting component or disk drive.
Claims15
An apparatus comprising;
- a power supply having a bulk power bus;
- a soft switch connected to said bulk power bus;
- a current sense resistor connected in series with said soft switch;
- a component subject to a current fault connected to said current sense resistor;
- a comparator connected to said current sense resistor and said soft switch, said comparator sending an enabling signal to said soft switch to maintain said soft switch in the closed condition when the current through said current sense resistor is normal, and for interrupting said enabling signal to said soft switch for opening said soft switch when said current through said current switch is higher than some normal value thereby detecting a fault in said component;
- and
- inductance between said soft switch and said current sense switch for storing energy preventing said bulk power bus from being disturbed when a fault is detected.
In a system including a power supply having a bulk power bus and a component subject to a current fault, a circuit comprising;
- a soft switch connected to the bulk power bus;
- a current sense resistor having one end connected in series with said soft switch and a second end connected to the component subject to a current fault;
- a comparator connected to said current sense resistor and said soft switch, said comparator sending an enabling signal to said soft switch to maintain said soft switch in the closed condition when the current through said current sense resistor is normal, and for interrupting said enabling signal to said soft switch for opening said soft switch when said current through said current switch is higher than some normal value thereby detecting a fault in said component;
- and
- inductance between said soft switch and said current sense switch for storing energy preventing said bulk power bus from being disturbed when a fault is detected.
In a system including a power supply having a bulk power bus and a component subject to a current fault, a method comprising;
- connecting a soft switch to the bulk power bus;
- connecting one end of a current sense resistor in series with said soft switch and connecting a second end to the component subject to a current fault;
- connecting a comparator to said current sense resistor and said soft switch;
- sending an enabling signal from said comparator to said soft switch to maintain said soft switch in the closed condition when the current through said current sense resistor is normal;
- interrupting said enabling signal to said soft switch for opening said soft switch when said current through said current switch is higher than some normal value thereby detecting a fault in said component;
- and
- storing energy in an inductance between said soft switch and said current sense switch for preventing said bulk power bus from being disturbed when a fault is detected.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.