Patent ID: 6865682

Claim:
A processor module comprising: a circuit panel; a processor mounted to said circuit panel; support electronics for said processor mounted to said circuit panel in electronic communication with said processor; a voltage regulator mounted to said circuit panel in electronic communication with said processor and said support electronics, said voltage regulator for receiving an input voltage from a remote voltage source, for modifying the input voltage at the voltage regulator to generate a regulated output voltage, and for providing the regulated output voltage to said support electronics and said processor said voltage regulator comprising a switching voltage regulator that includes a feedback path for sensing at least one of a voltage level and current level of the regulated output voltage; an interface for removably coupling said circuit panel to a motherboard, said input voltage being at a fixed voltage level sourced at said motherboard, converted from an external power supply voltage at said motherboard, and provided to said circuit panel through said interface to said voltage regulator; and a decoupling capacitance on the circuit panel in parallel with the voltage regulator for decoupling high-frequency components of current-time variance in the input voltage.