Highly available power distribution system

An embedded computer chassis having a backplane, the embedded computer chassis comprising:

• a first plurality of power rails residing substantially in the backplane;
• a second plurality of power rails residing substantially in the backplane, wherein the first plurality of power rails is electrically independent of the second plurality of power rails;
• a plurality of slots coupled to a unique set of one of the first plurality of power rails and one of the second plurality of power rails;
• and
• a plurality of mated pairs, wherein each of the plurality of slots is in only one of the plurality of mated pairs, wherein each of the plurality of mated pairs is coupled to four separate of the first and second plurality of power rails, and wherein each of the plurality of mated pairs is coupled to a unique set of the first plurality of power rails and the second plurality of power rails.

A method of distributing power in an embedded computer chassis, comprising:

• providing a first plurality of power rails residing substantially in a backplane;
• providing a second plurality of power rails residing substantially in the backplane, wherein the first plurality of power rails is electrically independent of the second plurality of power rails;
• providing a plurality of slots coupled to a unique set of one of the first plurality of power rails and one of the second plurality of power rails;
• providing a plurality of mated pairs, wherein each of the plurality of slots is in only one of the plurality of mated pairs;
• coupling each of the plurality of mated pairs to four separate of the first and second plurality of power rails;
• and
• coupling each of the plurality of mated pairs to a unique set of the first plurality of power rails and the second plurality of power rails.