CN116225479A

CN116225479A - Upgrade circuit and method for VRD firmware and computing device

Info

Publication number: CN116225479A
Application number: CN202211512118.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 杜博
Original assignee: XFusion Digital Technologies Co Ltd
Current assignee: XFusion Digital Technologies Co Ltd
Priority date: 2022-11-29
Filing date: 2022-11-29
Publication date: 2023-06-06

Abstract

The embodiment of the application provides an upgrade circuit, a method and a computing device for VRD firmware of a voltage regulation controller, relates to the technical field of electronics, and can improve the stability and continuity of a system in the computing device. The upgrade circuit includes: a power supply unit, a controller, a power down unit, and a voltage regulation controller, VRD, the VRD comprising VRD firmware; the power supply unit provides working voltage for the VRD and the controller, the output end of the power supply unit is connected with the input end of the power-down unit, the output end of the power-down unit is connected with the power input end of the VRD, and the input end of the controller is connected with the output end of the power supply unit; the output end of the controller is connected with the control end of the power-down unit; wherein, this controller is used for: the power supply unit is controlled to disconnect the power connection between the power supply unit and the VRD.

Description

Upgrade circuit and method for VRD firmware and computing device

Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of electronics, and in particular, to an upgrade circuit, method, and computing device for voltage regulator controller (voltage regulator device, VRD) firmware.

Background

With the continuous development of internet technology, firmware in a VRD for controlling the input voltage of a processor (central processing unit, CPU) in a computing device (referred to as VRD firmware) needs to be continuously updated, so that the VRD can better control the input voltage of the CPU.

The VRD firmware upgrading method comprises the following steps: determining VRD firmware to be upgraded by comparing the version numbers of the VRD firmware, and upgrading the firmware currently used by the VRD into the VRD firmware to be upgraded; and then restarting the computing device where the VRD is located to validate the upgraded VRD firmware. The VRD is mounted under stby_3v3 (standby power output 3V3 voltage) of the power supply of the computing device, and the computing device is powered off during the restart process.

However, the devices in the computing device (such as a server) include a smart network card and an out-of-band controller, such as: the baseboard management controllers (baseboard management controller, BMC) are all mounted under the STBY_3V3, so when the STBY_3V3 is disconnected, the service executed by the out-of-band controller and the intelligent network card is interrupted, thereby reducing the stability and continuity of the system in the computing device.

Disclosure of Invention

The embodiment of the application provides an upgrade circuit, a method and a computing device for VRD firmware, which can improve the stability and continuity of a system in the computing device.

In order to achieve the above purpose, the embodiment of the application adopts the following technical scheme:

in a first aspect, an upgrade circuit for voltage regulator controller VRD firmware is provided, the upgrade circuit comprising: a power supply unit, a controller, a power down unit, and a voltage regulation controller, VRD, the VRD comprising VRD firmware; the power supply unit provides working voltage for the VRD and the controller, the output end of the power supply unit is connected with the input end of the power-down unit, the output end of the power-down unit is connected with the power input end of the VRD, and the input end of the controller is connected with the output end of the power supply unit; the output end of the controller is connected with the control end of the power-down unit; wherein, this controller is used for: and controlling the power-down unit to disconnect the power supply unit from the VRD.

The embodiment of the application provides an upgrade circuit for VRD firmware of a voltage regulation controller, which comprises: a power supply unit, a controller, a power down unit, and a voltage regulation controller, VRD, the VRD comprising VRD firmware; the power supply unit provides working voltage for the VRD and the controller, the output end of the power supply unit is connected with the input end of the power-down unit, the output end of the power-down unit is connected with the power input end of the VRD, and the input end of the controller is connected with the output end of the power supply unit; the output end of the controller is connected with the control end of the power-down unit; wherein, this controller is used for: and controlling the power-down unit to disconnect the power supply unit from the VRD. In order to enable the upgrade of the VRD firmware in the VRD to be effective, the VRD needs to be restarted, first, the controller needs to control the power-down unit to disconnect the power supply link between the power supply unit and the VRD, and then, the VRD is powered up. By controlling the power-down unit by the controller, the power supply unit can ensure that the power supply unit normally supplies power to other units (such as an intelligent network card) mounted on the power supply unit when the VRD is powered off, so that the stability and the continuity of a system in a computing device (such as a server) where the VRD is positioned are improved.

In one possible embodiment, the controller is configured to: the under-control power supply unit disconnects the power connection between the power supply unit and the VRD, and specifically comprises the following steps: the controller is used for: and obtaining target information from the VRD, and controlling the power-down unit to disconnect the power supply unit from the VRD in response to the target information, wherein the target information is used for indicating that the upgrading of the VRD firmware is completed.

In one possible embodiment, the power-down unit includes: a current limiting chip.

In one possible embodiment, the controller includes: an out-of-band controller and a logic controller; the output end of the power supply unit is respectively connected with the power input ends of the out-of-band controller and the logic controller to provide working voltage for the out-of-band controller and the logic controller, the first output end of the out-of-band controller is connected with the control end of the VRD, the second output end of the out-of-band controller is connected with the input end of the logic controller, and the first output end of the logic controller is connected with the control end of the power-down unit; wherein, the out-of-band controller is used for: controlling VRD to upgrade the VRD firmware; and when receiving the target information, sending first control information to the logic controller, wherein the first control information is used for indicating the logic controller to control the power-down unit to disconnect the electrical connection between the power supply unit and the VRD.

The embodiment of the application provides an upgrade circuit for VRD firmware, which comprises: the power supply unit, the out-of-band controller, the logic controller, the power-down unit and the VRD, wherein the VRD comprises VRD firmware; the power supply unit respectively provides working voltages for the VRD, the logic controller and the out-of-band controller; the power-down unit is arranged on a power supply link between the power supply unit and the VRD; the logic controller is coupled with the VDR through the power-down unit; wherein, after the above-mentioned VRD firmware upgrade is finished, the out-of-band controller responds to the message used for indicating the above-mentioned VRD firmware upgrade to finish and sends the first control information to the logic controller. The logic controller responds to the first control information and controls the power-down unit to disconnect the power supply link between the power supply unit and the VRD, so that the power supply unit can ensure normal power supply to other functional modules except the VRD in the plurality of functional modules when the VRD is powered down, and therefore, the stability and the continuity of a system in the computing equipment where the VRD is located are improved.

In one possible embodiment, the power-down unit further includes: a first capacitance and/or a second capacitance; one end of the first capacitor is connected with the output end of the power supply unit, and the other end of the first capacitor is grounded; and/or; one end of the second capacitor is connected with the output end of the power-down unit, and the other end of the second capacitor is grounded.

According to the upgrade circuit for the VRD firmware, the first capacitor and the second capacitor are respectively arranged in front of and behind the current limiting chip, so that the voltage output by the power supply unit (particularly the current limiting chip and the power supply unit) is filtered through the second capacitor, stable voltage is input into the current limiting chip, the influence of unstable voltage on the service life of the current limiting chip is reduced, and the service life of the current limiting chip is prolonged. Meanwhile, the voltage output by the current limiting chip is filtered through the second capacitor, so that the VDR inputs stable voltage, and the service life of the VDR is prolonged.

In one possible embodiment, when the power-down unit includes the second capacitor, the power-down unit further includes: a bleed unit; the second output end of the logic controller is connected with the control end of the discharge unit, and the output end of the discharge unit is connected with the input end of the second capacitor; the logic controller is further configured to control the bleed unit to bleed the voltage in the second capacitor in response to the first control information in the event that the electrical connection between the power supply unit and the VRD is broken.

The logic controller is further configured to control the bleed unit to bleed the voltage stored in the second capacitor in response to the first control information in the event that a power supply link between the power supply unit and the VRD is broken; the method comprises the following steps: the logic controller sends a power-off instruction to the discharge unit, and the discharge unit is used for responding to the power-off instruction under the condition that the power supply link between the power supply unit and the VDR is disconnected, so that the voltage in the second capacitor is accelerated to be discharged, the voltage stored in the second capacitor is not used for providing voltage for the VDR, and the power-off efficiency of the VRD is improved.

In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an upgrade method for VRD firmware, where the method is applied to a VRD firmware upgrade circuit, where the upgrade circuit includes: a power supply unit, a controller, a power down unit, and a VRD, the VRD comprising VRD firmware; the output end of the power supply unit is connected with the input end of the power-down unit, the output end of the power-down unit is connected with the power input end of the VRD, the input end of the controller is connected with the output end of the power supply unit, and the output end of the controller is connected with the control end of the power-down unit; the method comprises the following steps: the controller receives target information, wherein the target information is used for indicating that the VRD firmware upgrade is completed; the controller controls the power-down unit to disconnect the electrical connection between the power supply unit and the VRD in response to the target information.

In one possible embodiment, the controller includes: an out-of-band controller and a logic controller; the output end of the power supply unit is respectively connected with the power input ends of the out-of-band controller and the logic controller, the first output end of the out-of-band controller is connected with the control end of the VRD, the second output end of the out-of-band controller is connected with the input end of the logic controller, and the first output end of the logic controller is connected with the control end of the power-down unit; before the controller receives the target information, the method further comprises: the out-of-band controller controls the VRD to upgrade the VRD firmware; the out-of-band controller, in response to the target information, controls the power-down unit to disconnect the electrical connection between the power supply unit and the VRD, comprising: the out-of-band controller responds to the target information and sends first control information to the logic controller, wherein the first control information is used for indicating the logic controller to control the power-down unit to disconnect the electrical connection between the power supply unit and the VRD; the logic controller controls the power-down unit to disconnect the electrical connection between the power supply unit and the VRD in response to the first control information.

In one possible embodiment, the power-down unit further comprises: a first capacitor, a second capacitor and a bleed unit; one end of the first capacitor is connected with the output end of the power supply unit, the other end of the first capacitor is grounded, one end of the second capacitor is connected with the output end of the power-down unit, the other end of the second capacitor is grounded, the second output end of the logic controller is connected with the control end of the discharge unit, and the output end of the discharge unit is connected with one end of the second capacitor; the method further comprises the steps of: the logic controller obtains first control information, and in response to the first control information, controls the discharge unit to discharge the voltage in the second capacitor under the condition that the electrical connection between the power supply unit and the VRD is disconnected.

In a third aspect, a computing device is provided, as in the first aspect and any implementation thereof, with an upgrade circuit.

In a fourth aspect, there is provided a computer readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when run on a computing device, cause the computing device to perform the method of the second aspect and any implementation thereof.

In a fifth aspect, there is provided a computer program product comprising instructions which, when run on a computing device as described above, cause the computing device to perform the method of the second aspect and any implementation thereof.

It should be appreciated that, the technical solutions of the second aspect to the fifth aspect and the corresponding possible embodiments of the present application may refer to the technical effects of the first aspect and the corresponding possible embodiments, which are not described herein.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an upgrade circuit for VRD firmware according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an upgrade method for VRD firmware according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of another upgrade circuit for VRD firmware provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of another method for upgrading VRD firmware according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an upgrade circuit for VRD firmware provided by an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 6 is a flowchart of an upgrade method for VRD firmware according to an embodiment of the present application.

Detailed Description

The term "and/or" is herein merely an association relationship describing an associated object, meaning that there may be three relationships, e.g., a and/or B, may represent: a exists alone, A and B exist together, and B exists alone.

The terms first and second and the like in the description and in the claims of embodiments of the present application are used for distinguishing between different objects and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential order of objects. For example, a first communication link and a second communication link, etc., are used to distinguish between different communication links, and are not used to describe a particular order of communication links.

In the embodiments of the present application, words such as "exemplary" or "such as" are used to mean serving as examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described herein as "exemplary" or "for example" should not be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "such as" is intended to present related concepts in a concrete fashion.

In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise indicated, the meaning of "a plurality" means two or more. For example, a plurality of functional modules refers to two or more functional modules.

First, some concepts involved in an upgrade circuit, a method and a computing device for VRD firmware of a voltage regulator controller according to embodiments of the present application will be explained.

Stby_3v3: is the 3V3 voltage output by the standby power supply (i.e., standby power supply) in the computing device, which is the power supply provided to the power-on circuit in the computing device and the WOL (wake up on lan) and USB devices that need to wake up the machine, wherein the total power supply in the computing device includes the standby power supply that provides the required voltage to the circuit and device as long as the total power supply is in a powered state (i.e., the power plug of the computing device is plugged into the jack of the powered socket).

It is well known that VRDs are commonly used to control the magnitude of the input voltage to a CPU in a computing device, and as the CPU's usage scenarios become more complex, the firmware in the VRD (referred to as VRD firmware) needs to be continually upgraded.

The common method for upgrading the VRD firmware comprises the steps of determining the VRD firmware to be upgraded by comparing the VRD firmware currently used by the VRD with the version number of the VRD firmware stored in the memory of the computing device where the VRD is located; and when the version number of the currently used VRD firmware is different from the version number of the VRD firmware stored in the memory, determining the VRD firmware stored in the memory as the VRD firmware to be upgraded. Then, the VRD firmware currently used by the VRD is upgraded to the VRD firmware to be upgraded. Thereafter, restarting the computing device to validate the upgraded VRD firmware; the main power of the power supply of the computing device is turned off in the restarting process, 3V3 power (stby_3v3 for short) outputted by the standby power of the power supply is used for supplying power to the VRD, but in order to validate the updated VRD firmware in the VRD, the VRD needs to be restarted, and at this time, the VRD is supplied with power by stby_3v3, so the scheme also cuts off the stby_3v3 power, so that the VRD is restarted when power is cut off.

However, the devices in the above computing device, such as a smart network card and an out-of-band controller, include: the BMC is mounted under the STBY_3V3, so when the STBY_3V3 is disconnected, the service executed by the out-of-band controller and the intelligent network card is interrupted, and the stability and the continuity of the system in the computing equipment are reduced.

Based on this, the embodiment of the application provides an upgrade circuit for VRD firmware of a voltage regulator controller, the upgrade circuit comprising: a power supply unit, a controller, a power down unit, and a voltage regulation controller, VRD, the VRD comprising VRD firmware; the power supply unit provides working voltage for the VRD and the controller, the output end of the power supply unit is connected with the input end of the power-down unit, the output end of the power-down unit is connected with the power input end of the VRD, and the input end of the controller is connected with the output end of the power supply unit; the output end of the controller is connected with the control end of the power-down unit; wherein, this controller is used for: and controlling the power-down unit to disconnect the power supply unit from the VRD. In order to enable the upgrade of the VRD firmware in the VRD to be effective, the VRD needs to be restarted, first, the controller needs to control the power-down unit to disconnect the power supply link between the power supply unit and the VRD, and then, the VRD is powered up. By controlling the power-down unit by the controller, the power supply unit can ensure that the power supply unit normally supplies power to other units (such as an intelligent network card) mounted on the power supply unit when the VRD is powered off, so that the stability and the continuity of a system in the computing equipment where the VRD is positioned are improved.

As shown in fig. 1, an embodiment of the present application provides an upgrade circuit for VRD firmware, the circuit comprising: the device comprises a power supply unit, a power-down unit, a controller and a VRD, wherein the VRD comprises VRD firmware.

The power supply unit is used for providing working voltage for the VRD and the controller, and the output end of the power supply unit is respectively connected with the input end of the power-down unit and the input end of the controller.

The power-down unit is used for disconnecting the power supply unit from the VRD, the output end of the power-down unit is connected with the power input end of the VRD, and the output end of the controller is connected with the control end of the power-down unit.

It should be noted that the power supply unit may also provide an operating voltage for other devices than the VRD and the controller.

The controller is used for controlling the power-down unit to disconnect the electrical connection between the power supply unit and the VRD; specific: the controller is used for acquiring target information for indicating the completion of the firmware upgrade of the VRD from the VRD and controlling the power-down unit to disconnect the electrical link between the power supply unit and the VRD in response to the target information.

After the VRD firmware upgrade is completed, the VRD actively transmits the target information to the controller. The VRD may send the target information to the controller through wired connection with the controller, or may send the target information to the controller through a wireless manner, for example, a bluetooth manner, a Wifi manner, or the like.

The method for executing the upgrade circuit for the VRD firmware shown in fig. 1 includes the following steps as shown in fig. 2.

S110, after the VRD is upgraded with VRD firmware, the VRD sends target information to the controller.

The target information is used for indicating that the VRD firmware upgrade in the VRD is completed.

After the VRD firmware upgrade is completed, the VRD actively transmits the target information to the controller. The VRD may send the target information to the controller through a wired connection with the controller, or may send the target information to the controller through a wireless manner, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

In one embodiment, the controller may also actively read the target information of the VRD to confirm that the VRD completes a firmware upgrade of the VRD.

And S120, the controller sends control information to the lower electric unit.

The control information is used for controlling the power-down unit to disconnect the electrical connection between the power supply unit and the VRD.

It should be noted that S120 is performed after the controller receives the target information, that is, the controller controls the power-down unit to disconnect the power supply unit from the VRD in response to the target information.

S130, the power-down unit breaks the electrical connection between the power supply unit and the VRD.

The step S130 is performed after the power-down unit receives the control information, that is, the power-down unit disconnects the electrical connection (i.e., power supply link) between the power supply unit and the VRD in response to the control information.

After the upgrading of the VRD firmware is completed, the VRD sends target information for indicating the completion of the upgrading of the VRD firmware to the controller, and the controller controls the power-down unit to disconnect the electric connection between the power supply unit and the VRD after receiving the target information, so that the power supply unit can normally supply power to other units (such as an intelligent network card) downloaded by the power supply unit while the VRD is powered off, and the stability and the continuity of a system in a computing device where the VRD is located are improved.

The controller in the upgrade circuit for VRD firmware shown in fig. 1 described above further includes: out-of-band controllers and logic controllers, as shown in particular in fig. 3.

The power supply unit is respectively connected with the power supply input ends of the out-of-band controller and the logic controller to provide working voltages for the out-of-band controller and the logic controller.

The out-of-band controller is configured to control the VRD to upgrade the VRD firmware, and send first control information to the logic controller to instruct the logic controller to control the power-down unit to disconnect the electrical connection between the power-up unit and the VRD when the target information is received. The first output end of the out-of-band controller is connected with the control end of the VRD (short for first link), and the second output end of the out-of-band controller is connected with the input end of the logic controller (short for second link).

It should be noted that the out-of-band controller is configured to upgrade the VRD firmware by controlling the VRD through the first link. The out-of-band controller is further configured to send target information indicating the VRD firmware upgrade completion message to the logic controller over the second link after the VRD firmware upgrade is completed.

The power-down unit is arranged between the power supply unit and the VRD; namely: the input end of the power-down unit is connected with the output end of the power supply unit, and the output end of the power-down unit is connected with the power input end of the VRD. The power supply unit, the power-down unit and the VRD are electrically connected, and it is understood that the VRD can obtain electric energy from the power supply unit through the power-down unit, so that the VRD can work normally, namely the power supply unit supplies power to the VRD.

In one embodiment, the power down unit may be a current limiting chip.

The logic controller is coupled with the VDR through the power-down unit, and the power supply unit also supplies power to the logic controller, namely: the power input end of the logic controller is connected with the output end of the power supply unit, and the first output end of the logic controller is connected with the control end of the power-down unit.

It should be noted that, the logic controller is configured to control the power-down unit to be in an enabled state in response to the first control information sent by the out-of-band controller, where the enabled state is an off state of the power-down unit. The power down unit is configured to disconnect a power supply link between the power supply unit and the VRD firmware in an enabled state to power down the VRD.

It should be noted that the power-down unit may include: the input end of the current limiting chip is electrically connected with the output end of the power supply unit, and the output end of the current limiting chip is electrically connected with the input end of the VDR; the control end of the current limiting chip is also linked with the output end of the logic controller, wherein the connection mode of the current limiting chip and the logic controller is the same as the connection mode of the power-down unit and the logic controller, and the connection mode is not repeated here; that is, the power supply unit and the logic controller are coupled to the VDR through the current limiting chip, respectively.

Wherein, the logic controller is configured to respond to the first control information and control the current limiting chip to be in an enabling state; the current limiting chip is configured to disconnect the power supply link between the power supply unit and the VRD in an enabled state.

The method for executing the upgrade circuit for VRD firmware shown in fig. 3 described above, as shown in fig. 4, includes the following steps.

S210, the out-of-band controller controls the VRD to upgrade the VRD firmware.

The out-of-band controller may include: a monitoring management unit outside the computer device where the VDR is located, a management system in a management chip outside the processor, a computer device baseboard management unit (baseboard management controller, BMC), a system management module (system management mode, SMM), and the like. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present application are not limited to the specific form of the out-of-band controller, and the above is merely exemplary. In the following embodiments, only the out-of-band controller is taken as a BMC for illustration.

The VRD firmware is firmware in the VRD.

The specific implementation of S210 includes: the out-of-band controller upgrades the VRD firmware currently used in the VDR into VRD firmware to be upgraded by sending an instruction for upgrading the VRD firmware to the VDR, wherein the VDR responds to the upgrade instruction; that is, the out-of-band controller is configured to control the VDR to upgrade the VRD firmware.

It should be understood that the specific implementation method for upgrading the currently used VRD firmware to the VRD firmware to be upgraded by the above VDR is not limited in this application.

It should be noted that, the determination method of the VRD firmware to be upgraded includes: the out-of-band controller compares the VRD firmware currently used by the VDR with the version number of the VRD firmware stored in the memory of the computing device where the VRD is located, and when the version number of the VRD firmware currently used is different from the version number of the VRD firmware stored in the memory, the VRD firmware stored in the memory is determined as the VRD firmware to be upgraded. When the version number of the currently used VRD firmware is the same as the version number of the VRD firmware stored in the memory, the VDR is indicated to have no VRD firmware to be upgraded, and therefore, the out-of-band controller executes the ending action.

And S220, after the VRD firmware is upgraded by the VDR, the target information is sent to the out-of-band controller.

The target information is used for indicating that the VRD firmware upgrade is completed (i.e., the VRD firmware upgrade is successful).

S230, the out-of-band controller sends first control information to the logic controller.

The first control information is used for instructing the logic controller to control the power-down unit to disconnect the power supply unit from the VRD.

The specific implementation of S230 is that, after receiving the target information, the out-of-band controller sends the first control information to the logic controller in response to the target information.

And S240, the logic controller responds to the first control information to control the power-down unit to disconnect the electric connection between the power supply unit and the VDR.

In a specific implementation manner of the above S240, after receiving the first control information, the logic controller sends an enabling instruction to the power-down unit in response to the first control information, so that the power-down unit is in an enabling state, where when the power-down unit is in the enabling state, a power supply link between the power supply unit and the VDR is disconnected, so that the VDR is powered off. That is, the logic controller is configured to control the power-down unit to be in an enabled state in response to the first control information; the power-down unit is configured to disconnect the power supply link between the power supply unit and the VDR in an enabled state.

It should be noted that, the power supply unit may supply power to a plurality of functional modules, where the plurality of functional modules include: and the function modules comprise an out-of-band controller, a logic controller, a VDR and the like. The power-down unit is disconnected from the power supply unit and is connected with the VDR through a branch, and at the moment, the power supply unit continues to supply power to the functional modules except the VDR in the plurality of functional modules.

The power-down unit may include: the current limiting chip can be a TPS2553DRVR chip, an RTQ9728WGQW chip, a JW87102DFNB#TRPBF chip and other chips with power supply link cutoff function; at this time, the logic controller is configured to control the current limiting chip to be in an enabled state in response to the first control information; the current limiting chip is configured to disconnect a power supply link between the power supply unit and the VDR in an enabled state; that is, the logic controller controls the current limiting chip to disconnect the power supply link between the power supply unit and the above VDR to power down the VDR in response to the first control information.

It should be noted that S240 is performed during a process of restarting the computing device, where the power supply unit may cut off the main power (or the main power supply) in the power supply unit, and use stby_3v3 power to supply power to the multiple out-of-band controllers and the logic controller.

S250, the logic controller controls the power-down unit to switch on a power supply link between the power supply unit and the VDR.

The specific implementation manner of the S250 is as follows: and the logic controller sends a closing enabling instruction to the power-down unit so as to enable the power-down unit to be in a non-enabling state, wherein when the power-down unit is in the non-enabling state, a power supply link between the power supply unit and the VDR is turned on so as to enable the VDR to be electrified, and further restart of the VRD is completed. That is, the logic controller is configured to control the power-down unit to be in a disabled state; the power-down unit is configured to switch on a power supply link between the power supply unit and the VDR in a disabled state.

The step S250 is performed after the step S240.

Alternatively, S250 may be performed within a period of time after the execution of S240, for example, 200ms,300ms, etc., and the period of time is not particularly limited herein.

According to the upgrading method for the VRD firmware, the VRD firmware is upgraded through the VDR controlled by the out-of-band controller, after the VRD firmware is upgraded, target information for indicating the completion of the VRD firmware is sent to the out-of-band controller, the out-of-band controller responds to the target information and sends first control information to the logic controller, so that the logic controller controls the power-down unit to only disconnect a power supply link between the power supply unit and the VDR, the power supply unit supplies power to other functional modules except the VDR and simultaneously cuts off the VRD, and therefore the problem of service interruption executed by the other functional modules caused by the power-off of the power supply unit is solved, and stability and continuity of a system in the computing equipment are improved.

Optionally, burrs exist on the voltages output by the power supply unit and the power-down unit; based on this, the embodiment of the present application provides another upgrade circuit for VRD firmware on the basis of the upgrade circuit for VRD firmware shown in fig. 3; as shown in fig. 5, the power-down unit in the upgrade circuit further includes: the first capacitor, the second capacitor and the bleed unit.

The power input end (i.e. positive electrode) of the first capacitor is connected with the output end of the power supply unit, i.e. one end of the first capacitor is connected with a power supply link between the power supply unit and the current-limiting chip, and the other end (i.e. negative electrode) of the first capacitor is grounded GND (i.e. the output end of the first capacitor is connected with the ground); that is, one end of the first capacitor is coupled to the power supply link between the power supply unit and the current limiting chip, and the other end of the first capacitor is coupled to the ground.

One end of the second capacitor is connected to the output end of the current-limiting chip, i.e. one end of the second capacitor is connected to the power supply link between the current-limiting chip and the VRD, and the other end of the second capacitor is grounded, i.e. one end of the second capacitor is coupled to the power supply link between the current-limiting chip and the VRD, and the other end of the second capacitor is coupled to the ground.

According to the upgrade circuit for the VRD firmware, provided by the embodiment of the application, the first capacitor and the second capacitor are respectively arranged in front of and behind the current-limiting chip, so that the voltage output by the power supply unit (comprising the current-limiting chip and the power supply unit) is filtered through the first capacitor and the second capacitor, burrs in the output voltage of the power supply unit and the current-limiting chip are removed, the smoothness of the output voltage is enhanced, the influence of unstable voltage on the service life of the current-limiting chip is reduced, and the service life of the current-limiting chip is prolonged. Meanwhile, the voltage output by the current limiting chip is filtered through the second capacitor, so that the VDR inputs stable voltage, and the service life of the VDR is prolonged.

However, due to the energy storage effect of the second capacitor, when the current limiting chip breaks the electrical connection between the power supply unit and the VRD (i.e. the power supply link), the second capacitor also provides a certain voltage output for the VRD, and the output voltage can enable the VRD to work normally, so that the voltage of the VRD is delayed, and based on this, the embodiment further provides a bleeder unit at the positive end of the second capacitor, the control end of the bleeder unit is connected with the second output end of the logic controller, the output end of the bleeder unit is connected with the positive end of the second capacitor, and the negative electrode of the second capacitor is grounded.

Based on the above-described execution method of the upgrade circuit for VRD firmware shown in fig. 5, as shown in fig. 6 in conjunction with fig. 4, the method further includes the following steps after S240.

And S310, the logic controller acquires and responds to the first control information to control the discharge unit to discharge the voltage in the second capacitor.

It should be noted that, in the case where the power supply link between the power supply unit and the VDR is disconnected, the second capacitor may provide a voltage to the VDR using the voltage stored therein.

The specific implementation manner of S310 is: after receiving the first control information, the logic controller sends a discharging instruction to the discharging unit, and after receiving the discharging instruction, the discharging unit discharges the voltage stored in the second capacitor until the voltage in the second capacitor is lower than the normal working voltage of the VRD, thereby accelerating the discharging of the VRD.

It should be noted that, the above-mentioned relief unit may be formed by a MOS (metal-oxide-semiconductor) tube and a resistor, and when the relief unit receives the relief instruction, the MOS tube and the resistor in the relief unit may be used to quickly release the electric energy in the second capacitor, so that the second capacitor cannot supply power to the VRD, and the VRD is quickly powered down.

S320, the logic controller controls the current limiting chip to switch on a power supply link between the power supply unit and the VDR.

It should be noted that, the implementation manner of S320 is consistent with the implementation manner of S250, and the specific operation of S250 is specifically referred to in the implementation manner of S320 and will not be described herein.

It should be noted that, when the voltage of the second capacitor drops below the normal working voltage of the VRD, the VRD completes power-down at this time, and at this time, the power supply link between the VRDs of the power supply unit is turned on, so that firmware upgrade in the VRD can be effective.

Optionally, the logic controller controls the bleed unit to stop the bleed operation before S320 or after S320.

According to the upgrading method for the VRD firmware, when the power supply link between the power supply unit and the VDR is disconnected, the logic controller discharges the voltage stored in the second capacitor through the discharge unit, so that the VRD is powered down in an accelerating mode, and the power-down efficiency of the VRD is improved.

Embodiments of the present application provide a computing device that includes a housing and an upgrade circuit for VRD firmware installed in the housing, the upgrade circuit being any of the upgrade circuits shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 5.

In some implementations, the upgrade circuitry for the VRD firmware may not be installed in the housing of the computing device.

Embodiments also provide a computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed on the computing device, cause the computing device to perform the steps of the method embodiments described above.

Embodiments of the present application also provide a computer program product comprising instructions which, when run on the above-described computing device, cause the computing device to perform the steps of the method embodiments described above.

Technical effects concerning the computing device, the computer-readable storage medium, the computer program product refer to the technical effects of the previous method embodiments.

It should be understood that, in various embodiments of the present application, the sequence numbers of the foregoing processes do not mean the order of execution, and the order of execution of the processes should be determined by the functions and internal logic thereof, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative modules and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, or combinations of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the solution. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present application.

It will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art that, for convenience and brevity of description, specific working procedures of the above-described system, apparatus and module may refer to corresponding procedures in the foregoing method embodiments, which are not repeated herein.

In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices, and methods may be implemented in other ways. For example, the above-described device embodiments are merely illustrative, e.g., the division of the modules is merely a logical function division, and there may be additional divisions when actually implemented, e.g., multiple modules or components may be combined or integrated into another device, or some features may be omitted or not performed. Alternatively, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed with each other may be through some interface, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or modules, electrical, mechanical, or other form.

The modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and components shown as modules may or may not be physically separate, i.e., may be located in one device, or may be distributed over multiple devices. Some or all of the modules may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

In addition, each functional module in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated in one device, or each module may exist alone physically, or two or more modules may be integrated in one device.

From the foregoing description of the embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, for convenience and brevity of description, only the above-described division of functional modules is illustrated, and in practical application, the above-described functional allocation may be implemented by different functional modules according to needs, i.e. the internal structure of the apparatus is divided into different functional modules to implement all or part of the functions described above. The specific working processes of the above-described systems, devices and units may refer to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, which are not described herein.

In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods may be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative, e.g., the division of the modules or units is merely a logical functional division, and there may be additional divisions when actually implemented, e.g., multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be omitted, or not performed. Alternatively, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed with each other may be an indirect coupling or communication connection via some interfaces, devices or units, which may be in electrical, mechanical or other form.

The units described as separate units may or may not be physically separate, and units shown as units may or may not be physical units, may be located in one place, or may be distributed on a plurality of network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated in one processing unit, or each unit may exist alone physically, or two or more units may be integrated in one unit. The integrated units may be implemented in hardware or in software functional units.

The integrated units, if implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as stand-alone products, may be stored in a computer readable storage medium. Based on such understanding, the technical solution of the present application may be embodied essentially or in part or all of the technical solution or in part in the form of a software product stored in a storage medium, including instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) or a processor to perform all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of the present application. And the aforementioned storage medium includes: flash memory, removable hard disk, read-only memory, random access memory, magnetic or optical disk, and the like.

The foregoing is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto, and any changes or substitutions within the technical scope of the present disclosure should be covered in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An upgrade circuit for voltage regulator controller VRD firmware, the upgrade circuit comprising: the power supply unit, the controller, the power-down unit and the voltage regulation controller VRD, wherein the VRD comprises VRD firmware; the power supply unit provides working voltages for the VRD and the controller, the output end of the power supply unit is connected with the input end of the power-down unit, the output end of the power-down unit is connected with the power input end of the VRD, the input end of the controller is connected with the output end of the power supply unit, and the output end of the controller is connected with the control end of the power-down unit; wherein the controller is configured to: and controlling the power-down unit to disconnect the electrical connection between the power supply unit and the VRD.

2. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to: the step of controlling the power-down unit to disconnect the electrical connection between the power supply unit and the VRD specifically includes:

the controller is used for: and acquiring target information from the VRD, and controlling the power-down unit to disconnect the electrical connection between the power supply unit and the VRD in response to the target information, wherein the target information is used for indicating that the VRD firmware upgrade is completed.

3. The circuit of claim 2, wherein the controller comprises: an out-of-band controller and a logic controller;

the output end of the power supply unit is respectively connected with the power supply input ends of the out-of-band controller and the logic controller to provide working voltage for the out-of-band controller and the logic controller, the first output end of the out-of-band controller is connected with the control end of the VRD, the second output end of the out-of-band controller is connected with the input end of the logic controller, and the first output end of the logic controller is connected with the control end of the power-down unit;

wherein the out-of-band controller is configured to: controlling the VRD to upgrade the VRD firmware; and when the target information is received, sending first control information to the logic controller, wherein the first control information is used for indicating the logic controller to control the power-down unit to disconnect the electric connection between the power supply unit and the VRD.

4. A circuit according to claim 3, wherein the power down unit further comprises: a first capacitance and/or a second capacitance;

one end of the first capacitor is connected with the output end of the power supply unit, and the other end of the first capacitor is grounded;

And/or;

one end of the second capacitor is connected with the output end of the power-down unit, and the other end of the second capacitor is grounded.

5. The circuit of claim 4, wherein when the power down unit includes the second capacitor, the power down unit further comprises: a bleed unit;

the second output end of the logic controller is connected with the control end of the discharge unit, and the output end of the discharge unit is connected with one end of the second capacitor;

the logic controller is further configured to control the bleed unit to bleed the voltage in the second capacitance in response to the first control information in the event that the electrical connection between the power supply unit and the VRD is broken.

6. An upgrade method for VRD firmware, wherein the method is applied to a VRD firmware upgrade circuit comprising: the power supply unit, the controller, the power-down unit and the VRD comprise VRD firmware; the output end of the power supply unit is connected with the input end of the power-down unit, the output end of the power-down unit is connected with the power input end of the VRD, the input end of the controller is connected with the output end of the power supply unit, and the output end of the controller is connected with the control end of the power-down unit; the method comprises the following steps:

The controller receives target information, wherein the target information is used for indicating that the VRD firmware upgrade is completed;

the controller controls the power-down unit to disconnect the electrical connection between the power supply unit and the VRD in response to the target information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the controller comprises: an out-of-band controller and a logic controller; the output end of the power supply unit is respectively connected with the power input ends of the out-of-band controller and the logic controller, the first output end of the out-of-band controller is connected with the control end of the VRD, the second output end of the out-of-band controller is connected with the input end of the logic controller, and the first output end of the logic controller is connected with the control end of the power-down unit; before the controller receives the target information, the method further comprises:

the out-of-band controller controls the VRD to upgrade the VRD firmware;

the out-of-band controller, in response to the target information, controls the power-down unit to disconnect the electrical connection between the power supply unit and the VRD, comprising:

the out-of-band controller responds to the target information and sends first control information to the logic controller, wherein the first control information is used for indicating the logic controller to control the power-down unit to disconnect the electric connection between the power supply unit and the VRD;

The logic controller controls the power-down unit to disconnect the electrical connection between the power supply unit and the VRD in response to the first control information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the power down unit further comprises: a first capacitor, a second capacitor and a bleed unit; one end of the first capacitor is connected with the output end of the power supply unit, the other end of the first capacitor is grounded, one end of the second capacitor is connected with the output end of the power-down unit, the other end of the second capacitor is grounded, the second output end of the logic controller is connected with the control end of the discharge unit, and the output end of the discharge unit is connected with one end of the second capacitor; the method further comprises the steps of:

the logic controller receives the first control information, and in response to the first control information, controls the bleed unit to bleed the voltage in the second capacitor in the event that the electrical connection between the power supply unit and the VRD is broken.

9. A computing device comprising the upgrade circuit of any of claims 1-5.

10. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed on a computing device, cause the computing device to perform the method of any of claims 6-8.