Systems and methods for programming of a cooling fan via a serial port communication mode
AssigneeMarvell World Trade Ltd.
InventorsRavishanker Krishnamoorthy, Foo Leng Leong, Edy Susanto
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Abstract
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method that comprises, based upon receipt of a mode command, changing an operating mode of a fan motor controller of a fan to a serial port communication protocol, programming a memory of the fan motor controller with an operating parameter of the fan, and based upon receipt of a serial port command, changing the operating mode of the fan motor controller from the serial port communication protocol to another protocol.
Claims17
A method of programming a cooling fan arrangement, wherein the cooling fan arrangement includes (i) a fan, (ii) a fan motor, and (iii) a fan motor controller, and wherein the cooling fan arrangement is usable in various electronic devices, the method comprising:
- monitoring a fault output pin of the cooling fan arrangement while in an initial operating mode, wherein the fault output pin is coupled to the fan motor controller for transmitting fault information from the cooling fan arrangement;
- determining whether an output state of the fault output pin is different from what is expected from an internal driving of the fan motor controller;
- in response to determining that the output state of the fault output pin is different from what is expected from an internal driving of the fan motor controller, detecting a pre-determined pattern in the fault output pin;
- recognizing the pre-determined pattern as a mode command received from an external system;
- in response to recognizing the pre-determined pattern as the mode command, changing an operating mode of the fan motor controller to a serial port communication protocol to receive external programming;
- programming a memory, via the external system, of the fan motor controller with an operating parameter of the cooling fan arrangement, wherein the operating parameter is related to an electronic device that either (i) will house the cooling fan arrangement, or (ii) houses the cooling fan arrangement;
- and
- based upon receipt of a serial port command, changing the operating mode of the fan motor controller from the serial port communication protocol back to the protocol of the initial operating mode,
- wherein the electronic device is different from the external system.
An apparatus for use within a cooling fan arrangement, wherein the cooling fan arrangement can be used in various electronic devices, the apparatus comprising:
- a memory;
- and
- a control module configured to
- monitor a fault output pin of the cooling fan arrangement while in an initial operating mode, wherein the fault output pin is coupled to the fan motor controller for transmitting fault information from the cooling fan arrangement,
- determine whether an output state of the fault output pin is different from what is expected from an internal driving of the fan motor controller,
- in response to determining that the output state of the fault output pin is different from what is expected from an internal driving of the fan motor controller, detect a pre-determined pattern in the fault output pin,
- recognize the pre-determined pattern as a mode command received from an external system,
- in response to recognizing the pre-determined pattern as the mode command, change an operating mode of the apparatus to a serial port communication protocol to receive external programming,
- program, via the external system, the memory with an operating parameter of the cooling fan arrangement, wherein the operating parameter is related to an electronic device that either (i) will house the cooling fan arrangement, or (ii) houses the cooling fan arrangement, and
- in response to receipt of a serial port command at the monitor pin, change the operating mode of the apparatus from the serial port communication protocol back to the protocol of the initial operating mode,
- wherein the electronic device is different from the external system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.