Title: Power confidence system

Abstract: A data processing system includes as part of its power circuits, a number of converter circuits, each coupled to a different one of the power supply units which are to provide different voltages for distribution and use throughout the system. Each of the power supply circuits furnish a 24 volt dc power confidence signal to a central ac power input entry panel which applies the power confidence signals to the converter circuits. Each converter circuit includes an optically coupled isolator circuit which converts the 24 volt dc signal to a noise free low voltage logic level suitable for utilization by the low level high speed logic circuits included within the system. The output noise free low voltages provided by the converter circuits are in turn applied to a corresponding number of confidence input lines of a system interface unit which includes a plurality of ports, each port connected to a different module within the data processing system. The states of the low voltage logical level signals are stored in a status register. When the operating system determines that a unit is inoperative due to a power supply unit failure, it can logically disconnect the port having a module having the failure. Additionally, one of the converter circuits provides a second output signal which is used to enable the clock circuits during system power up only after the system has been placed in a known state.

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Inventors: Woods, John M. (Glendale, AZ, US)
Keene, Bruce C. (Phoenix, AZ, US)

Application Number: 771606
Filing Date: 1977-02-24
Publication_date: 1978-04-11
Assignee: Honeywell Information Systems Inc. (Waltham, MA)
Primary Class(es): 714/22 307/38, 307/82
Other Classes:
US Patent Ref:

3566359	Feb, 1971	Connelly	364/900.
3588518	Jun, 1971	Wavre	307/38.
3697767	Oct, 1972	Fioravanti	307/38.
3704451	Nov, 1972	Pearson	364/900.
3736491	May, 1973	Kuster	363/97.
3742463	Jun, 1973	Haselwood et al.	364/900.
3790809	Feb, 1974	Kuster	307/41.
3792285	Feb, 1974	Procter et al.	307/38.
3816809	Jun, 1974	Kuster	363/97.
3818307	Jun, 1974	Hamilton et al.	307/82.
3860914	Jan, 1975	Zitelli et al.	364/900.
3890559	Jun, 1975	Kuster	307/82.
3903430	Sep, 1975	Arns	307/125.
3905025	Sep, 1975	Davis et al.	364/200.
3913001	Oct, 1975	Kayama	363/124.
3937978	Feb, 1976	Owenby	307/41.
3959778	May, 1976	Brette	364/200.
3961200	Jun, 1976	Dute	364/900.
3969703	Jul, 1976	Kwiatkowski et al.	364/900.
3970992	Jul, 1976	Boothroyd et al.	364/900.
3984813	Oct, 1976	Chung	364/200.
3997879	Dec, 1976	Markley et al.	364/900.
4003030	Jan, 1977	Takagi et al.	364/900.
4006456	Feb, 1977	Wilk	364/200.
4013936	Mar, 1977	Hesler et al.	307/82.
4016540	Apr, 1977	Hyatt	364/200.
4020472	Apr, 1977	Bennett et al.	364/200.
4028620	Jun, 1977	Kitagawa et al.	307/38.
4031406	Jun, 1977	Leyde et al.	307/41.
4042832	Aug, 1977	Cassarino et al.	307/149.

Other Refs:
Primary Examiner: Shaw, Gareth D.
Assistant Examiner: Rhoads, Jan E.
Attorney: Driscoll; Faith F., Prasinos; Nicholas, Reiling; Ronald T.