FEATURE PARTNER FOCUS
HOW DIGITAL CONTROLLED POWER SUPPLIES CAN IMPROVE THE BOTTOM LINE FOR YOUR BUSINESS
Components Bureau considers new products and applications for using digital power management in system design
M
ost standard power supplies are controlled by analogue signals from
passive components. Even the most sophisticated power systems have an extremely limited pathway for configuring and monitoring crucial parameters like fault data and adjusting output voltage. But as the industry has developed
greater need for power systems with greater accuracy and precision control in key adjustable operating parameters, many system designers have turned to digital controlled power supplies for on- the-fly monitoring and management of their crucial power systems.
PMBUS The PMBus standard for digital power management simplifies the configuration, sequencing and monitoring of power supplies, allowing for system designers to monitor and adjust the performance of their power systems digitally to improve the efficiency and flexibility of systems. First released in 2005, the PMBus
standard allows communication with a power converter by involving the use of a command set that layers upon a specially designed protocol using a physical layer of I²C Inter Integrated Circuit Bus. PMBus is built upon the SMBus (System
Management Bus), a single-end simple two-wire bus for lightweight communication. Where PMBus differs is
its increased bus speed limits, blocks may include up to 255 bytes. These advancements from the SMBus protocol means PMBus can handle a wide array of power specific commands for power supply remote management. What this results in is easy and real-
time control of specific parameters as defined by the PMBus command set. This includes around 200 commands, allowing for the configuration and sequencing of a wide array of power system functions. The commands can be loosely grouped
into the following categories: • Memory • Turning the system on or off • Controlling the output voltage • Margining • Configuration
• Monitoring and resolving warnings &
faults • Reading status • Telemetry • Inventory • Manufacturer ratings
BENEFITS OF DIGITAL POWER During the development of systems, system designers can benefit from adjusting sequencing for reliable start- ups and collect and respond to fault data – reducing design cycles and overall development costs. System engineers can benefit from
real-time monitoring, control of system parameters and the ability to quickly resolve system errors and faults which can save your business from precious
32
APRIL 2021 | ELECTRONICS
/ ELECTRONICS
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46
