Patent Abstract:
A power test board for a power supply includes a main board and a load circuit. The load circuit includes at least one switch, at least one control circuit, and at least one load resistor. A number of the load resistor being same with a number of the control circuit, each load resistor is electronically connected to one of the at least one control circuit. Toggling of the at least one switch to electronically connect to the control circuit causes the control circuit to be electronically connected to the power supply, the at least one control circuit is turned on, and the at least one load resistor is activated to serve as a load of the power supply.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The disclosure generally relates to power test apparatuses, and particularly to a power test apparatus for a power supply. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Many electronic devices, such as servers, employ a motherboard and a power supply providing power for the motherboard. In order to test power range of the power supply, the power supply must be electronically connected to different loads (e.g., a motherboard). Thus, operators can immediately know the power range of the power supply. However, it may be inconvenient for the operators to have to connect/disconnect the power supply to/from the different loads. 
         [0005]    Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    Many aspects of the present disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments. 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a power test device for a power supply, according to an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a circuit view of the power test device as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0009]      FIG. 1  shows an exemplary embodiment of a power test device  100 . The power test device  100  is configured to test a power range of a power supply  200 . 
         [0010]    The power test device  100  includes a main board  10  and a load circuit  30  integrated on the main board  10 . The main board  10  can be a motherboard of an electronic device (not shown), such as a server. 
         [0011]    The main board  10  includes a port  12  and a power button  14 . The main board  10  is electronically connected to the power supply  200  via the port  12 . When the power button  14  is actuated, the main board  10  is activated. The main board  10  receives power from the power supply  200 , and provides a standby voltage source 5VSB, a first driving voltage source 5V, and a second driving voltage source 12V to the load circuit  30 . Specifically, the standby voltage source 5VSB is generated as long as the main board  10  is electronically connected to the power supply  200 , the first driving voltage source 5V and the second driving voltage source 12V are generated when the button  14  is actuated. 
         [0012]      FIG. 2  shows that in one exemplary embodiment, the load circuit  30  includes a first switch SW 1 , a second switch SW 2 , five control circuits  31 ,  32 ,  33 ,  34 , and  35 , and five load resistors R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , and R 5 . A total power consumption of the load circuit  30  can be changed through activating a different number of the five load resistors R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , and R 5 . 
         [0013]    In one exemplary embodiment, the first switch SW 1  activates the control circuits  31 ,  32 , and  33 . The first switch SW 1  is a toggle switch, and includes a first terminal S 1 , a second terminal S 2 , a third terminal S 3 , a fourth terminal S 4 , a fifth terminal S 5 , and a sixth terminal S 6 . The first switch SW 1  further includes three switch toggles  301  (or levers, buttons, etc). The first terminal S 1  can be electronically connected to/disconnected from the sixth terminal S 6  by manipulation of one of the three switch toggles  301 . The second terminal S 2  can be electronically connected to/disconnected from the fifth terminal S 5  by manipulation of one of the three switch toggles  301 . The third terminal S 3  can be electronically connected to/disconnected from the fourth terminal S 4  by manipulation of one of the three switch toggles  301 . The first terminal S 1 , the second terminal S 2 , and the third terminal S 3  are all electronically connected to the first driving voltage source 5V, the fourth terminal S 4 , the fifth terminal S 5 , and the sixth terminal S 6  are electronically connected to the control circuits  31 ,  32 , and  33 , respectively. 
         [0014]    In one exemplary embodiment, the second switch SW 2  activates the control circuits  34  and  35 . The second switch SW 2  is a toggle switch, and includes a first terminal S 1 , a second terminal S 2 , a third terminal S 3 , and a fourth terminal S 4 . The first switch SW 1  further includes two switch toggles  302  such as levers or buttons, for example. The first terminal S 1  can be electronically connected to/disconnected from the fourth terminal S 4  by manipulation of one of the two switch toggles  302 . The second terminal S 2  can be electronically connected to/disconnected from the third terminal S 3  by manipulation of one of the two switch toggles  302 . Both the first terminal S 1  and the second terminal S 2  are electronically connected to the first driving voltage source 5V, the third terminal S 3  and the fourth terminal S 4  are electronically connected to the control circuits  34 , and  35 , respectively. 
         [0015]    Each of the five control circuits  31 ,  32 ,  33 ,  34 , and  35  includes a metallic oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) Q and a bias resistor R. The MOSFET Q is in a form of an 8-pin microchip, and is used to stabilize output voltages. The MOSFET Q includes a gate G, a source S, and drains D 1 , D 2 , and D 3 . The gate G is electronically connected to ground via the bias resistor R, the source S is electronically connected to ground, and the drains D 1 , D 2 , and D 3  are electronically interconnected to form a node A. 
         [0016]    Additionally, the gate G of the MOSFET Q of the control circuit  31  is electronically connected the sixth terminal S 6  of the first switch SW 1 . The gate G of the MOSFET Q of the control circuit  32  is electronically connected the fifth terminal S 5  of the first switch SW 1 . The gate G of the MOSFET Q of the control circuit  33  is electronically connected the fourth terminal S 4  of the first switch SW 1 . The gate G of the MOSFET Q of the control circuit  34  is electronically connected the fourth terminal S 4  of the second switch SW 2 . The gate G of the MOSFET Q of the control circuit  35  is electronically connected the third terminal S 3  of the second switch SW 2 . 
         [0017]    The load resistor R 1  is electronically connected between the standby voltage source 5VSB and the node A of the control circuit  31 . The load resistor R 2  is electronically connected between the second driving voltage source 12V and the node A of the control circuit  32 . The load resistor R 3  is electronically connected between the second driving voltage source 12V and the node A of the control circuit  33 . The load resistor R 4  is electronically connected between the second driving voltage source 12V and the node A of the control circuit  34 . The load resistor R 5  is electronically connected between the second driving voltage source 12V and the node A of the control circuit  35 . In one exemplary embodiment, rated power consumptions of the load resistors R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , and R 5  are all about 50 watts. 
         [0018]    When the power range of the power supply  200  is tested, the power supply  200  is electronically connected to the main board  10  via the port  12 . Thus, the main board  10  supplies the standby voltage source 5VSB to the load circuit  30 . When the power button  14  is actuated, the main board  10  supplies the first driving voltage source 5V and the second driving voltage source 12V to the load circuit  30 . 
         [0019]    If a rated power of the power supply  200  is about 160 watts, then operators manipulate the switch toggles  301  of the first switch SW 1  to allow the first terminal S 1  to be electronically connected to the sixth terminal S 6 , the second terminal S 2  to be electronically connected to the fifth terminal S 5 , the third terminal S 3  to be electronically connected to the fourth terminal S 4 . Thus, the gates G of the control circuits  31 ,  32 , and  33  receive a high voltage (e.g., 5V) from the first driving voltage source 5V. Then, the MOSFET Q of the control circuits  31 ,  32 , and  33  are turned on, and the load resistors R 1 , R 2 , and R 3  are activated. The total power consumption of the load resistors R 1 , R 2 , and R 3  is about 150 watts. In the above example, if the power supply works normally, the maximum power of the power supply  200  may reach 150 watts, and is approaching to the rated power of the power supply  200 . If the power supply works abnormally (e.g., turn off), the maximum power of the power supply  200  may not reach 150 watts. 
         [0020]    If a rated power of the power supply  200  is about 120 watts, then operators manipulate the switch toggles  302  of the second switch SW 2  to allow the first terminal S 2  to be electronically connected to the fourth terminal S 4 , the second terminal S 2  to be electronically connected to the third terminal S 3 . Thus, the gates G of the control circuits  34 , and  35  receive a high voltage (e.g., 5V) from the first driving voltage source 5V. Then, the MOSFETs Q of the control circuits  31 , and  35  are turned on, and the load resistors R 4 , and R 5  are activated. The total power consumption of the load resistors R 4 , and R 5  is about 100 watts. In the above example, if the power supply works normally, the maximum power of the power supply  200  may reach 100 watts, and is approaching to the rated power of the power supply  200 . If the power supply works abnormally (e.g., turn off), the maximum power of the power supply  200  may not reach 100 watts. 
         [0021]    In other embodiments, one of the first switch SW 1  and the second switch SW 2  can be omitted. For example, if the second switch SW 2  is omitted, the power test device  100  can test the rated power of the power supply  200  of about 50-150 watts through the first switch SW 1 , the control circuits  31 ,  32 , and  33 , and load resistors R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 . 
         [0022]    In other embodiments, the rated power consumptions of the load resistors R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , and R 5  can be different, for example, the rated power consumptions of the load resistors R 1 , R 2 , and R 3  are all about 45 watts, and the rated power consumptions of the load resistors R 4 , and R 5  are both about 30 watts. 
         [0023]    In summary, the operators can manipulate the first switch SW 1  and the second SW 2  to turn on the at least one of the control circuits  31 ,  32 ,  33 ,  34 , and  35 , and then the corresponding load resistors R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , and R 5  are activated and are served as the load of the power supply  200 . Thus, the power test device  100  can test the power range of the power supply  200 . Additionally, the power supply  200  does not need to physically and repeatedly be connected to/disconnected from different loads. Therefore, the power test device  100  is both efficient and convenient. 
         [0024]    Although numerous characteristics and advantages of the exemplary embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the exemplary embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in the matters of arrangement of parts within the principles of disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6