Patent ID: 7924045

Claim:
An apparatus for error checking in a power supply, the apparatus comprising: a power module that determines that a power supply is in a self-test condition, wherein the self-test condition comprises the power supply being connected to an input power source and the power supply being disconnected from an electronic load; a load module that connects a test load to the power supply in response to a determination by the power module that the power supply is in the self-test condition, wherein the test load is internal to the power supply; an error checking module that performs one or more error check operations on the power supply connected to the test load, the error checking module further performing one or more error check operations while the power supply is connected to the electronic load, wherein the error check operations determine the presence or absence of one or more faults in the power supply using the results of the error check operations performed on the test load while the power supply is disconnected from said electronic load and wherein the error check operations determine the presence or absence of one or more faults in the power supply using the results of the error check operations performed while the power supply is connected to the electronic load; a notify module that actuates an indicator in response to the error checking module determining that one or more faults are present in the power supply; and a log module that records error messages reported from error check operations executed when the power supply is connected to the electronic load and when the power supply is connected to the test load in non-volatile memory, wherein at least one of said power module, load module, error checking module, notify module and log module is implemented in hardware.