Patent ID: 8611104

Claim:
A switch-mode modular power supply comprising: an intermediate power converter; a serial communications control circuit; a first plurality of serial communications connectors coupled to the serial communications control circuit via a serial communications bus; a like plurality of power connectors coupled to the intermediate power converter via a power bus; a like plurality of output modules, each output module further comprising: a first pluggable connector having a housing and a plurality of pluggable contact terminals effective to provide output power from the output module to an external device via a cable connector configured to mate with the contact terminals of the first connector; a second pluggable connector having a housing and a plurality of pluggable contact terminals effective to receive input power from a corresponding power connector, the power connector being configured to mate with the contact terminals of the second connector; a third pluggable connector having a housing and a plurality of pluggable contact terminals effective to receive control signals from a corresponding serial communications connector, the serial communications connector being configured to mate with the contact terminals of the third connector; and a circuit board electrically coupled to each of the first, second and third connectors and further comprising circuitry effective to convert the received input power from the intermediate power converter into an output power determined according to the received control signals from the serial communications control circuit via the serial communications bus.