초록 ▼

A circuit board includes a first circuit connected to a first power plane, a second circuit connected to a second power plane, and a power controller connected to the second power plane. The power controller connects the second power plane to a power subsystem such that the second circuit receives a

A circuit board includes a first circuit connected to a first power plane, a second circuit connected to a second power plane, and a power controller connected to the second power plane. The power controller connects the second power plane to a power subsystem such that the second circuit receives a main power signal through the second power plane while the power subsystem provides the main power signal to the first circuit through the first power plane. The power controller (i) detects a power failure event in which the power subsystem provides a backup power signal in place of the main power signal and, in response to the power failure event, (ii) disconnects the second power plane from the power subsystem such that the second circuit does not receive the backup power signal thus reducing backup power consumption.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A method for powering a circuit board having a first circuit, a second circuit, a first power plane and a second power plane, the method comprising the steps of: while a power subsystem provides a main power signal to the first circuit through the first power plane, connectin

What is claimed is: 1. A method for powering a circuit board having a first circuit, a second circuit, a first power plane and a second power plane, the method comprising the steps of: while a power subsystem provides a main power signal to the first circuit through the first power plane, connecting the second power plane to the power subsystem such that the second circuit receives the main power signal through the second power plane; detecting a power failure event in which the power subsystem provides a backup power signal in place of the main power signal; and in response to the detected power failure event and while the power subsystem provides the backup power signal to the first circuit through the first power plane, disconnecting the second power plane from the power subsystem such that the second circuit does not receive the backup power signal; wherein the first circuit includes dynamic random access memory; and wherein the method further comprises the step of storing completed host transactions in the dynamic random access memory of the first circuit while the power subsystem provides the main power signal to the first circuit through the first power plane. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of connecting the second power plane to the power subsystem includes the step of: closing a switch which is interconnected between the main power supply and the second power plane in response to a control signal indicating that the power subsystem provides the main power signal; and wherein the step of disconnecting the second power plane from the power subsystem includes the step of: opening the switch in response to the control signal indicating that the power subsystem provides the backup power signal. 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: prior to the step of disconnecting the second power plane from the power subsystem and while the power subsystem provides the backup power signal to the first circuit through the first power plane, connecting the second power plane to the power subsystem in order to provide the backup power signal to the second circuit for a predetermined amount of time. 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first circuit includes dynamic random access memory, wherein the second circuit includes control logic to operate the dynamic random access memory of the first circuit, and wherein the step of disconnecting the second power plane from the power subsystem includes the step of: preventing the control logic from receiving the backup power signal from the power subsystem through the second power plane. 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: operating the dynamic random access memory in a self-refresh mode to maintain storage of the completed host transactions in the dynamic random access memory of the first circuit while the first circuit receives the backup power signal from the power subsystem through the first power plane, and while the second circuit does not receive the backup power signal from the power subsystem through the second power plane. 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the main power signal is a first DC signal, wherein the backup power signal is a second DC signal, and wherein the step of disconnecting the second power plane from the power subsystem includes the step of: preventing the second circuit from receiving the second DC signal through the second power plane. 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of detecting the power failure event includes: identifying failure of an AC main power feed from a street while the circuit board remains disposed within data storage equipment configured to cache data in a set of disk drives on behalf of a set of external host computers. 8. The method of claim 7 wherein the data storage equipment is a front-end accelerator of a networked data storage system containing the set of disk drives; and wherein the step of disconnecting the second power plane from the power subsystem includes the step of: extending a time period for data preservation within the front-end accelerator of the networked data storage system containing the set of disk drives. 9. A circuit board, comprising: a section of circuit board material having a first power plane, and a second power plane; a first circuit disposed on the section of circuit board material and coupled to the first power plane; a second circuit disposed on the section of circuit board material and coupled to the second power plane; and a power controller disposed on the section of circuit board material and coupled to the second power plane, wherein the power controller is configured to: while a power subsystem provides a main power signal to the first circuit through the first power plane, connect the second power plane to the power subsystem such that the second circuit receives the main power signal through the second power plane, detect a power failure event in which the power subsystem provides a backup power signal in place of the main power signal, and in response to the detected power failure event and while the power subsystem provides the backup power signal to the first circuit through the first power plane, disconnect the second power plane from the power subsystem such that the second circuit does not receive the backup power signal; wherein the first circuit includes dynamic random access memory is configured to: store completed host transactions while the power subsystem provides the main power signal to the first circuit through the first power plane. 10. The circuit board of claim 9 wherein the power controller includes: a switch having a switch input, a first terminal coupled to the second power plane, and a second terminal which is configured to couple to the power subsystem; and a power control circuit having a power control input which is configured to couple to the power subsystem and a power control output coupled to the switch input of the switch. 11. The circuit board of claim 10 wherein the power control circuit of the power controller is configured to: in response to a control signal on the power control input indicating that the power subsystem provides the main power signal, provide a switch signal on the power control output such that the switch closes to connect the second power plane to the power subsystem; and in response to the control signal on the power control input indicating that the power subsystem provides the backup power signal, provide the switch signal on the power control output such that the switch opens to disconnect the second power plane from the power subsystem. 12. The circuit board of claim 9 wherein the power controller is further configured to: connect the second power plane to the power subsystem in order to provide the backup power signal to the second circuit for a predetermined amount of time, prior to disconnecting the second power plane from the power subsystem and while the power subsystem provides the backup power signal to the first circuit through the first power plane. 13. The circuit board of claim 9 wherein the first circuit includes dynamic random access memory, wherein the second circuit includes control logic to operate the dynamic random access memory of the first circuit. 14. The circuit board of claim 9 wherein the dynamic random access memory is further configured to: operate in a self-refresh mode to maintain storage of the completed host transactions while the first circuit receives the backup power signal from the power subsystem through the first power plane, and while the second circuit does not receive the backup power signal from the power subsystem through the second power plane. 15. The circuit board of claim 9 wherein the main power signal is a first DC signal, wherein the backup power signal is a second DC signal. 16. The circuit board of claim 9 wherein the power controller, when detecting the power failure event, is configured to: identify failure of an AC main power feed from a street while the section of circuit board material remains disposed within data storage equipment configured to cache data in a set of disk drives on behalf of a set of external host computers. 17. The circuit board of claim 16 wherein the data storage equipment is a front-end accelerator of a networked data storage system containing the set of disk drives; and wherein the power controller, when disconnecting the second power plane from the power subsystem, is configured to: extend a time period for data preservation within the front-end accelerator of the networked data storage system containing the set of disk drives. 18. An electronic system, comprising: a power subsystem having a main power supply and a backup power supply; a set of circuit boards coupled to the power subsystem, each circuit board including: a section of circuit board material having a first power plane, and a second power plane, a first circuit disposed on the section of circuit board material and coupled to the first power plane, a second circuit disposed on the section of circuit board material and coupled to the second power plane, and a power controller disposed on the section of circuit board material, wherein the power controller is coupled to the second power plane and to the power subsystem, and wherein the power controller is configured to: while the power subsystem provides a main power signal to the first circuit through the first power plane, connect the second power plane to the power subsystem such that the second circuit receives the main power signal through the second power plane, detect a power failure event in which the power subsystem provides a backup power signal in place of the main power signal, and in response to the detected power failure event and while the power subsystem provides the backup power signal to the first circuit through the first power plane, disconnect the second power plane from the power subsystem such that the second circuit does not receive the backup power signal; wherein the set of circuit boards is a set of memory modules; and wherein the electronic system further comprises: a network interface which is configured to connect to a host, and a control module coupled to the power subsystem and the set of memory modules, wherein the control module is configured to (i) store host transactions from the host in the set of memory modules when the power subsystem provides the main power signal, and (ii) deactivate when the power subsystem provides the backup power signal in place of the main power signal. 19. The electronic system of claim 18 wherein the power controller of each circuit board is further configured to: connect the second power plane of that circuit board to the power subsystem in order to provide the backup power signal to the second circuit of that circuit board for a predetermined amount of time, prior to disconnecting the second power plane of that circuit board from the power subsystem and while the power subsystem provides the backup power signal to the first circuit of that circuit board through the first power plane. 20. The electronic equipment of claim 18 wherein the power controller, when detecting the power failure event, is configured to: identify failure of an AC main power feed from a street while the section of circuit board material remains disposed within data storage equipment configured to cache data in a set of disk drives on behalf of a set of external host computers. 21. The electronic system of claim 20 wherein the data storage equipment is a front-end accelerator of a networked data storage system containing the set of disk drives; and wherein the power controller, when disconnecting the second power plane from the power subsystem, is configured to: extend a time period for data preservation within the front-end accelerator of the networked data storage system containing the set of disk drives. 22. A data storage system, comprising: a data storage assembly including a front-end circuit, a cache, a back-end circuit and a set of disk drives, wherein the front-end circuit operates as an interface between an external device and the cache, and wherein the back-end interface operates as an interface between the cache and the set of disk drives; a front-end cache accelerator coupled to the data storage assembly, wherein the front-end cache accelerator is configured to communicate with a host and to store completed host transactions which are sent between the host and the data storage assembly, wherein the front-end cache accelerator includes (i) a power subsystem having a main power supply and a backup power supply, and (ii) a set of circuit boards coupled to the power subsystem, and wherein each circuit board includes: a section of circuit board material having a first power plane, and a second power plane, a first circuit disposed on the section of circuit board material and coupled to the first power plane, a second circuit disposed on the section of circuit board material and coupled to the second power plane, and a power controller disposed on the section of circuit board material and coupled to the second power plane, wherein the power controller is configured to: while the power subsystem provides a main power signal to the first circuit through the first power plane, connect the second power plane to the power subsystem such that the second circuit receives the main power signal through the second power plane, detect a power failure event in which the power subsystem provides a backup power signal in place of the main power signal, and in response to the detected power failure event and while the power subsystem provides the backup power signal to the first circuit through the first power plane, disconnect the second power plane from the power subsystem such that the second circuit does not receive the backup power signal. 23. A circuit board, comprising: a section of circuit board material having a first power plane, and a second power plane; a first circuit disposed on the section of circuit board material and coupled to the first power plane; a second circuit disposed on the section of circuit board material and coupled to the second power plane; and a power controller disposed on the section of circuit board material and coupled to the second power plane, wherein the power controller includes: means for connecting the second power plane to a power subsystem such that the second circuit receives a main power signal through the second power plane while the power subsystem provides the main power signal to the first circuit through the first power plane, means for detecting a power failure event in which the power subsystem provides a backup power signal in place of the main power signal, and means for disconnecting the second power plane from the power subsystem such that the second circuit does not receive the backup power signal in response to the detected power failure event and while the power subsystem provides the backup power signal to the first circuit through the first power plane; wherein the means for detecting the power failure event includes: means for identifying failure of an AC main power feed from a street while the section of circuit board material remains disposed within data storage equipment configured to cache data in a set of disk drives on behalf of a set of external host computers. 24. The circuit board of claim 23 wherein the data storage equipment is a front-end accelerator of a networked data storage system containing the set of disk drives; and wherein the means for disconnecting the second power plane from the power subsystem includes: means for extending a time period for data preservation within the front-end accelerator of the networked data storage system containing the set of disk drives.