Back-up electrical power supplies
AssigneeRacal Microelectronic Systems Limited
InventorsMichael J. Anstey, David F. Brown
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A back-up electrical power supply module provides a back-up supply for a plug-in volatile electrical device such as a memory module. The memory module has a dual-in-line pins which engage socket openings of a standard dual-in-line circuit board connector. The back-up supply module is mounted on top of the memory module and has dual-in-line pins which contact corresponding ones of the pins of the memory module and corresponding socket openings. In this way the back-up supply module and the memory module can be unplugged as a unit and when unplugged, the back-up supply will maintain the contents of the volatile memory module intact.
Claims14
A back-up electrical power supply in combination with an electrically powered device which requires a continuous electrical supply and which is connected to input and output connections and to a normal power supply via plug and socket means,
- plug and socket means connecting the back-up power supply to the electrical device and to the normal power supply to enable the back-up power supply and the electrical device to be removed as a unit from the input and output connections and the normal power supply, and
- circuit means for causing the back-up power supply to take over the function of providing said electrical supply to the said device when the device is unplugged together with the back-up electrical power supply, from the normal power supply.
A module for mounting on a printed circuit board connector socket, the module comprising
- a housing,
- a plurality of connector pins supported by the housing for engaging corresponding openings in the connector socket,
- a volatile memory located in the housing,
- a back-up electrical power supply located in the housing, and
- circuit means arranged to supply the memory with power from the back-up electrical power supply when the power which is normally supplied through the connector pins ceases.
A back-up electrical power supply module comprising
- a housing,
- a back-up power supply enclosed with the housing, the housing and supply being formed as a plug-in unit, the unit being arranged to be plugged into a memory module having a volatile memory, and
- circuit means arranged to supply the memory module with power from the back-up power supply when the normal supply of power to the memory module ceases.
A memory module incorporating a volatile memory and arranged to be plugged into a connector of a printed circuit board,
- a back-up supply module incorporating a back-up power supply, and
- control means for supplying power from the back-up power supply to the memory when the power from the printed circuit board is absent,
- the memory module being arranged to be plugged into the back-up supply module or into the said connector in parallel with the back-up supply module.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.