Patent ID: 7446430

Claim:
A distributed power system for delivering DC power to a plurality of loads, comprising; a plurality of power converter modules having associated therewith a DC/DC power conversion operation, each disposed proximate an associated one of the loads, each of said power converter modules having associated therewith a switching pulse generator for generating switching pulses; a distributed power line for distributing input power to each of said modules; a data communication line for distributing command data between said modules, each of said modules uniquely addressable over said data communication line; each of said modules having: a power regulation section for receiving said distributed input power from said distributed power line to generate a DC output by controlling the operation of said switching pulse generator, a processing section for interfacing with said data communication line for interfacing with said commands, said processing section operating in at least a slave mode to receive commands from said data communication bus, at least one of said modules operable to operate in both a distinct slave mode of operation and a distinct master mode of operation such that the at least one of said modules can be defined as both a slave and a master in the distributed power system, in said master mode, said processing section operable to generate commands for transmission over said data communication line to an addressed one of the other of said modules and transmitted internally for use in the distinct local slave mode of operation such that operation in the master and slave modes of operation are independent of each other, and said processing section in the slave mode of operation operable to configure and monitor the operation of said power regulation section.