JPH06124145A - Control system for uninterruptive power unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To monitor an uninterruptive power unit by an electronic computer main body by providing an interface which transfers information between the electronic computer main body and this power unit. CONSTITUTION:An electronic computer main body 1 is interface-connected through a bi-directional data trasfer line 31 with a no-break power unit 2. The electronic computer main body 1 is equipped with a means which transmits a command through the data transfer line 31 to the power unit 2, and a means which decodes the content of the power state information received from the power unit 2. Then, the power unit 2 is equipped with a means which monitors the power source state, and detects the occurrence of an interruption, and a means which transmits interruption occurrence detection information and a response according to the command through the data transfer line 31 to the electronic computer main body 1.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a control system for an uninterruptible power supply unit applied to an electronic computer system operated by an uninterruptible power supply.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an electronic computer system, there is a system in which an uninterruptible power supply device is provided on a power supply line between a power supply source of the electronic computer and the electronic computer in order to ensure reliability.

The uninterruptible power supply of this type of system has a battery for backing up the power supply so that the system operation can be continued for a certain period of time even during a power failure, and the system operation is monitored for power failure occurrence monitoring. It detects the input voltage level of the power supplied from the outside as the external power source for the power supply, and when the input voltage level falls below a preset allowable voltage limit level, it determines the occurrence of a power failure and turns on the power source of the internal battery. It is used to generate a power supply for system operation that replaces the power supplied from the outside, and continuously supplies the power for operation to the electronic computer.

At this time, the control unit provided inside the uninterruptible power supply always detects the input voltage level of the electric power supplied from the outside at a constant cycle and judges the occurrence of the power failure, and the power failure occurs in the electronic computer. It sends a signal to notify the computer of the occurrence of a power failure. By such control of the uninterruptible power supply, the electronic computer can continue the processing without abnormality even if a power failure occurs.

However, in the conventional system using this kind of uninterruptible power supply, as described above, the electronic computer simply receives the notification of the occurrence of the power failure from the uninterruptible power supply, and therefore the electronic computer is notified of the occurrence of the power failure. It is not possible to know the details of the judgment (judgment level, allowable voltage fluctuation range, abnormal voltage occurrence time width, etc.). Further, it is not possible to know the operation abnormality of the uninterruptible power supply unit, the fluctuation of the power failure determination level, or the like.

That is, conventionally, a power outage determination is made according to a fixed determination standard preset in the uninterruptible power supply, and in accordance with the notification of the power outage occurrence, the electronic computer causes the power outage to occur each time by the operation by the battery power supply. The predetermined processing including the accompanying data saving preparation was executed.

Therefore, conventionally, it is impossible for the computer to judge whether the power failure judged by the uninterruptible power supply is a power failure that truly causes an abnormal operation, and the computer notifies the power failure. Each time it is received, unnecessarily processing such as data saving preparation must be executed, which leaves a problem in terms of system performance and reliability.

[0008]

As described above, in the prior art, a power failure determination is made according to a preset fixed criterion of the uninterruptible power supply, and according to the notification of the power failure occurrence,
Whether or not the power failure judged by the uninterruptible power supply is a power failure that occurred because the electronic computer was performing the predetermined processing including the data saving preparation due to the power failure due to the operation by the battery power supply. Cannot be determined by the computer side, and every time the computer receives a notification that a power outage has occurred, it is necessary to unconditionally perform wasteful processing such as data backup preparation, thus reducing system performance and reliability. There was a problem in terms.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances,
The computer can monitor the operating state of the uninterruptible power supply, the state of the supplied power, etc., and can set the parameters for the power outage determination, so that the system performance and reliability can be improved and the system functionality can be improved. An object is to provide a control system for a power failure power supply.

[0010]

According to the present invention, an uninterruptible power supply and an electronic computer main body are interface-connected via a bidirectional data transfer line, and the electronic computer main body is provided with the data transfer line. Command to read the specific information obtained with the UPS through the UPS,
And a means for sending setting parameters and the like for specifying a power failure detection level and a detection cycle, etc. added to the command, and means for decoding and processing the information received from the uninterruptible power supply, In the device, a notification of the occurrence of a power failure obtained by monitoring the power supply state and the input voltage level at the time of the determination, and various response data such as the voltage level of the input power supply, the internal state of the device, the internal diagnosis result, etc. according to the above command are provided as the above data. Having means for sending to the computer main body via the transfer line, the computer directly controls the uninterruptible power supply, setting the power failure occurrence detection level, acquisition of various information obtained by the uninterruptible power supply, The feature is that the function of the uninterruptible power supply can be easily diagnosed.

[0011]

With the bidirectional interface between the computer and the uninterruptible power supply having the above configuration, the computer can
It can always recognize the input voltage level of system operating power supplied from the outside and its state change, and can set and update various parameters such as power failure detection level and detection cycle for the uninterruptible power supply. Moreover, the function diagnosis of each part of the uninterruptible power supply can be performed arbitrarily as needed.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a system configuration in an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, 1 is an electronic computer, and 2
Is an uninterruptible power supply. The uninterruptible power supply 2 is interfaced with the electronic computer 1 through a bidirectional data transfer line 31 having a plurality of bit widths.

The electronic computer 1 has an interface for bidirectional data transfer with the uninterruptible power supply 2 and is supplied from the uninterruptible power supply 2 via a control section 11 which controls internal control and a power supply line 32. A power supply unit 12 and the like for obtaining various operation power supplies (secondary power supplies) to be supplied to each component in the system based on the power supply (primary power supply).

The uninterruptible power supply unit 2 has an interface for bidirectional data transfer with the electronic computer 1, and has a control unit 21 for internal control including a power supply monitoring process for detecting a power failure, which will be described later. Under the control of the battery 22 which is the power supply source to the system and the control unit 21, when the power failure occurs, the power input source (that is, the power supplied to the system) is normally supplied from the outside on the power supply line 33. A changeover switch 23 for switching the power supply source (commercial power source) to the battery 22 and a detection unit 24 for detecting the input voltage level on the power supply line 33 are provided.

The power supply monitoring process for detecting a power failure of the control unit 21 is performed from the outside according to the parameter values (power failure detection level and its detection cycle, etc.) set in the computer 1 as shown in FIG. A process of monitoring the state of the supplied power on the power supply line 33 via the detection unit 24 and determining a power failure is included. FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a command processing procedure in the uninterruptible power supply 2. The operation of the above embodiment will now be described.

During normal operation, the changeover switch 23 is controlled to be switched to the A side under the control of the control unit 21 of the uninterruptible power supply 2 so that the electric power input from the power supply line 33 does not flow through the power supply line 32. It is supplied to the power supply unit 12 of the power failure power supply 2.

The power supply unit 12 of the uninterruptible power supply 2 generates power for operating each unit in the system from the power supplied from the outside through the power supply line 33, the changeover switch 23, the power supply line 32, etc. To the corresponding system components. At this time, the detection unit 24 of the uninterruptible power supply 2 samples the input voltage on the power supply line 33 at a constant cycle and sends the detected voltage data to the control unit 21.

The control unit 21 of the uninterruptible power supply 2 recognizes the input voltage state from the detection voltage data supplied from the detection unit 17, and the detected input voltage is the limit level (power failure detection set by the computer 1). When it falls below the level), it is determined that there is a power failure, the changeover switch 23 is switched from the A side to the B side, and the electric power of the internal battery 22 is output onto the power supply line 32 instead of the electric power supplied from the outside. The power supply monitoring and switching processing operations up to this point are the same as those in the conventional technique except for the setting of the power failure detection level from the electronic computer 1 (steps S21 to S23 in FIG. 2).

Here, in accordance with the power switching, the control unit 21 sends a power failure occurrence signal to the control unit 11 of the electronic computer 1 via the bidirectional data transfer line 31, and at the same time, the input voltage level at that time. Is transmitted (step S24 in FIG. 2). As a result, the control unit 11 of the electronic computer 1 can detect the input voltage level determined by the uninterruptible power supply 2 as a power failure.

Further, during normal operation, the control unit 11 of the computer 1 wants to detect the input voltage level of the power supplied from the outside to the system, and the bidirectional data transfer line 31.
A command instructing the transfer of the input voltage level is sent to the control unit 21 of the uninterruptible power supply 2 via the.

The control unit 21 of the uninterruptible power supply 2 interprets the above command and transfers the data of the input voltage level detected by the detection unit 24 to the control unit 11 of the electronic computer 1 via the bidirectional data transfer line 31. Send (Step S in FIG. 2)
10-S12). As a result, the electronic computer 1 can detect the input voltage level of the electric power supplied from the outside to the system, for example, in a constant cycle, if necessary.

Similarly, when the control unit 11 of the electronic computer 1 wants to update the power failure detection level, the detection cycle, etc. set in the uninterruptible power supply 2, the update command is transmitted via the bidirectional data transfer line 31 together with the parameter. It is sent to the control unit 21 of the power failure power supply 2.

The control unit 21 of the uninterruptible power supply 2 interprets the above command, updates the power failure detection level, the detection cycle, etc. according to the parameters accompanying the command, and thereafter,
Power supply monitoring processing for power failure detection is executed according to the updated power failure detection level, detection cycle, etc. (steps S13, S14, S21, S22 in FIG. 2).

Similarly, when the control unit 11 of the electronic computer 1 wants to know the operating state of the uninterruptible power supply 2, it sends an instruction command requesting internal status information via the bidirectional data transfer line 31. To the control unit 21.

When interpreting the above command, the control unit 21 of the uninterruptible power supply 2 sends the latest internal status information monitored at a constant cycle to the control unit 11 of the computer 1 via the bidirectional data transfer line 31. It is sent (steps S15 and S16 in FIG. 2). As a result, the electronic computer 1 can grasp the internal operation state of the uninterruptible power supply 2 as needed, for example, at a constant cycle.

Similarly, when the control unit 11 of the electronic computer 1 wants the uninterruptible power supply 2 to execute the function diagnosis, the execution instruction command for the function diagnosis is sent to the bidirectional data transfer line 31.
To the control unit 21 of the uninterruptible power supply 2 via.

When the control unit 21 of the uninterruptible power supply 2 interprets the above command, it executes a function diagnosis according to a predetermined procedure, and the information of the diagnosis result is transmitted via the bidirectional data transfer line 31 to the electronic computer 1 To the control unit 11 (steps S17 and S18 in FIG. 2). As a result, the electronic computer 1 can execute the diagnosis of the uninterruptible power supply 2 at a constant cycle, for example, and can know the result thereof, if necessary.

In this manner, the bidirectional interface between the electronic computer 1 and the uninterruptible power supply 2 allows the electronic computer 1 to constantly monitor the input voltage level of the system operating power supplied from the outside and its state change. In addition to being recognizable, the setting of various parameters such as power failure detection level and detection cycle can be changed for the uninterruptible power supply 2, and the function diagnosis of each part of the uninterruptible power supply 2 can be arbitrarily performed as necessary. be able to. Therefore, the system down due to the operation abnormality of the uninterruptible power supply 2 can be avoided as much as possible, and it is possible to flexibly deal with the fluctuation state of the power supplied from the outside, and useless processing such as preparation for data saving in the event of power failure. Can be avoided as much as possible, and system reliability and performance can be improved.

The processing procedure of the uninterruptible power supply unit 2 is not limited to the procedure of the flowchart shown in FIG. 2, and, for example, a functional configuration including processing to which other functions required for system construction are added, or It may be a functional configuration in which some of the functions shown in 2 are excluded. The system configuration is not limited to that shown in FIG. 1, and the present invention can be applied to, for example, a system including an uninterruptible power supply device that performs switching control for two external power systems.

[0031]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, in an electronic computer system provided with an uninterruptible power supply, the electronic computer has an input voltage level of system operating power supplied from the outside and its input voltage level. You can always recognize the status change and change the setting of various parameters such as power failure detection level and detection cycle for the UPS.
In addition, it is possible to arbitrarily perform function diagnosis of each part of the uninterruptible power supply as needed, so that it is possible to avoid system down due to abnormal operation of the uninterruptible power supply as much as possible.
It is possible to flexibly cope with the fluctuation state of the power supplied from the outside, and avoid unnecessary processing such as data backup preparation due to the occurrence of power failure as much as possible, thereby improving the system reliability and performance.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of a main part in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of the above embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Electronic computer, 2 ... Uninterruptible power supply device, 11 ... Control part in an electronic computer, 12 ... Power supply part in an electronic computer, 21 ... Control part in an uninterruptible power supply device, 22 ... Battery, 23 ... Changeover switch, 24 ... Detecting unit, 31 ... Bidirectional data transfer line, 32, 33 ... Power supply line.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. In an electronic computer system using an uninterruptible power supply, the uninterruptible power supply and the computer main body are interface-connected via a bidirectional data transfer line, and the computer main body is connected to the computer main body. Has means for sending a command to the uninterruptible power supply through the data transfer line, and means for decoding and processing the content of information received from the uninterruptible power supply. Includes a means for sending power failure occurrence information obtained by monitoring the input power status and response information of the command to the computer main body through the data transfer line. Power supply control method. 2. The control system for an uninterruptible power supply according to claim 1, wherein the command is added with parameters for setting a power failure detection level and a detection cycle thereof. 3. The information sent from the uninterruptible power supply to the computer mains power supply includes all or part of input power source voltage level information, power failure occurrence notification information, device internal state information, and device internal diagnostic result information. The control system of the uninterruptible power supply according to claim 1, which is included. 4. The control system of the uninterruptible power supply according to claim 1, wherein the power outage occurrence information sent from the uninterruptible power supply to the computer main body includes voltage level information of the input power supply at the time of the occurrence of the power outage determination.