Patent Publication Number: US-2021195785-A1

Title: Server enclosures including two power backplanes

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     A plurality of computing devices (e.g., servers), network switches, management modules, power supplies, and cooling devices may be installed within a server enclosure. The power supplies may supply power to the other devices installed within the server enclosure. Alternatively, the server enclosure may receive power from external power supplies and distribute the power to the devices installed within the server enclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram illustrating one example of a server enclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram illustrating one example of the server enclosure of  FIG. 1  with installed devices. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a server enclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating one example of a system. 
         FIG. 5  is a flow diagram illustrating one example of a method for fabricating a system. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific examples in which the disclosure may be practiced. It is to be understood that other examples may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims. It is to be understood that features of the various examples described herein may be combined, in part or whole, with each other, unless specifically noted otherwise. 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram illustrating one example of a server enclosure  100 . Enclosure  100  includes a first power backplane  102 , a second power backplane  106 , and a plurality of slots indicated for example at  110  for receiving devices. First power backplane  102  includes a plurality of first power connectors indicated for example at  104 . Each first power connector  104  may be electrically coupled to a first power input of a device installed in a slot  110  corresponding to the first power connector  104 . Each first power connector  104  is electrically coupled to a first power supply (not shown) providing first power to first power backplane  102 . Second power backplane  106  includes a plurality of second power connectors indicated for example at  108 . Each second power connector  108  may be electrically coupled to a second power input of a device installed in a slot  110  corresponding to the second power connector  108 . Each second power connector  108  is electrically coupled to a second power supply (not shown) providing second power to second power backplane  106 . 
     The power distributed by first power backplane  102  to each first power connector  104  has a voltage less than the voltage of the power distributed by second power backplane  106  to each second power connector  108 . In one example, first power backplane  102  is a low voltage direct current (LVDC) backplane and second power backplane  106  is a high voltage direct current (HVDC) backplane. The HVDC power distributed by the HVDC backplane may have a voltage within the range between 360 VDC and 380 VDC, and the LVDC power distributed by the LVDC backplane may have a voltage within the range between 12 VDC and 48 VDC. In other examples, the HVDC power and the LVDC power may have other suitable voltages where the voltage of the HVDC power is greater than the voltage of the LVDC power. 
     A device installed in a slot  110  may be powered by first power backplane  102  or second power backplane  106 . For example, a higher power device (e.g., liquid cooled server) may be powered by second power backplane  106  while a lower power device (e.g., network switch, air cooled server) may be powered by first power backplane  102 . A device installed in a slot  110  may also be electrically coupled to both first power backplane  102  and second power backplane  106 . In this case, first power backplane  102  provides first power to a first portion of the device and second power backplane  106  provides second power to a second portion of the device. 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram illustrating one example of server enclosure  100  previously described and illustrated with reference to  FIG. 1  with installed devices  120 ,  122 , and  124 . Each device  120 ,  122 , and  124  is installed in a slot  110 . Device  120  includes a first power input electrically coupled to a first power connector  104  of first power backplane  102  as indicated at  126 . Device  120  receives first power from first power backplane  102  to power device  120 . Device  120  is electrically isolated from second power backplane  106 . Device  122  includes a second power input electrically coupled to a second power connector  108  of second power backplane  106  as indicated at  128 . Device  122  receives second power from second power backplane  106  to power device  122 . Device  122  is electrically isolated from first power backplane  102 . 
     Device  124  includes a first power input electrically coupled to a first power connector  104  of first power backplane  102  as indicated at  130 . Device  124  also includes a second power input electrically coupled to a second power connector  108  of second power backplane  106  as indicated at  132 . Device  124  receives first power from first power backplane  102  to power a first portion of device  124 . Device  124  receives second power from second power backplane  106  to power a second portion of device  124 . 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a server enclosure  140 . Server enclosure  140  includes a first power backplane  102 , a second power backplane  106 , and a plurality of slots  110  as previously described and illustrated with reference to  FIG. 1 . In addition, server enclosure  140  includes a first power supply  142  and a second power supply  146 . First power supply  142  is electrically coupled to first power backplane  102  through a power transmission path  144 . Second power supply  146  is electrically coupled to second power backplane  106  through a power transmission path  148 . In one example, first power supply  142  converts line power to provide LVDC power to first power backplane  102  and second power supply  146  converts line power to provide HVDC power to second power backplane  106 . In other examples, first power supply  142  provides power to first power backplane  102  having another suitable voltage less than a voltage of power provided to second power backplane  106  by second power supply  146 . 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating one example of a system  200 . System  200  may be installed into a server enclosure, such as server enclosure  100  previously described and illustrated with reference to  FIG. 1 . System  200  includes a HVDC power supply  204 , a wiring harness  208 , high power compute trays  212 , at least one LVDC power supply  232 , low power compute trays  236 , fans  240 , fabric leaf switches  242 , data network switches  244 , and a management module  246 . 
     The input of HVDC power supply  204  receives an AC input (e.g., line power) through a power transmission path  202 . The output of HVDC power supply  204  is electrically coupled to wiring harness  208  through a HVDC power transmission path  206 . In one example, the output of HVDC power supply  204  is also electrically coupled to the input of the at least one LVDC power supply  232 . In other examples, the output of HVDC power supply  204  is not electrically coupled to the input of the at least one LVDC power supply  232 . HVDC power supply  204  converts AC line power to provide HVDC power on HVDC power transmission path  206 . Wiring harness  208  is electrically coupled to high power compute trays  212  through a HVDC power transmission path  210 . Wiring harness  208  passes HVDC power from HVDC power supply  204  to HVDC transmission path  210 . In one example, wiring harness  208  and HVDC power transmission path  210  include a power backplane electrically coupled to a plurality of power connectors, such as second power backplane  106  and second power connectors  108  previously described and illustrated with reference to  FIG. 1 . 
     Each high power compute tray includes a HVDC to LVDC converter  214  and central processing units (CPUs)  218   a  and  218   b . The input of the HVDC to LVDC converter  214  of each high power compute tray receives HVDC power from HVDC power supply  204 . The HVDC to LVDC converter  214  of each high power compute tray converts the received HVDC power to provide LVDC power to each CPU  218   a  and  218   b  within the corresponding high power compute tray through a LVDC power transmission path  216 . In one example, high power compute trays  212  are liquid cooled. In other examples, high power compute trays  212  may have other suitable configurations (e.g., a different number of CPUs) but in each example may include a HVDC to LVDC converter. 
     The input of the at least one LVDC power supply  232  receives an AC input (e.g., line power) through a power transmission path  230 . Alternatively, or in addition, the input of the at least one LVDC power supply  232  receives HVDC power from HVDC power supply  204 . The output of the at least one LVDC power supply  232  is electrically coupled to at least one of low power compute trays  236 , fans  240 , fabric leaf switches  242 , data network switches  244 , and management module  246  through a LVDC power transmission path  234 . The at least one LVDC power supply  232  converts AC line power and/or HVDC power to provide LVDC power on LVDC power transmission path  234 . In one example, LVDC power transmission path  234  includes a power backplane electrically coupled to a plurality of power connectors, such as first power backplane  102  and second power connectors  104  previously described and illustrated with reference to  FIG. 1 . 
     In one example, each low power compute tray includes a CPU  238 . The LVDC power on LVDC power transmission path  234  powers each CPU  238 . In one example, low power compute trays  236  are air cooled. In other examples, low power compute trays  238  may have other suitable configurations but in each example receive LVDC power for operating each low power compute tray. Fans  240 , fabric leaf switches  242 , data network switches  244 , and/or management module  246  receive LVDC power for operating each device. 
       FIG. 5  is a flow diagram illustrating one example of a method  300  for fabricating a system. At  302 , method  300  includes installing a plurality of slots into a server enclosure, each slot comprising a first power connector and a second power connector. At  304 , method  300  includes electrically coupling a first power backplane to each of the first power connectors. At  306 , method  300  includes electrically coupling a second power backplane to each of the second power connectors. 
     In one example, the method further includes installing a first device into a first slot of the plurality of slots to electrically couple the first device to the first power connector of the first slot. The method may also include installing a second device into a second slot of the plurality of slots to electrically couple the second device to the second power connector of the second slot. In addition, the method may further include installing a power supply into the server enclosure to convert line power to provide low voltage direct current (LVDC) power to the first power backplane. Further, the method may include installing a power supply into the server enclosure to convert line power to provide high voltage direct current (HVDC) power to the second power backplane. 
     Although specific examples have been illustrated and described herein, a variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations may be substituted for the specific examples shown and described without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific examples discussed herein. Therefore, it is intended that this disclosure be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.