US 12,461,167 B2
Detecting a short in a power supply unit
Tongsheng Guo, Shanghai (CN); and Ruifeng Jin, Shanghai (CN)
Assigned to Dell Products L.P., Round Rock, TX (US)
Filed by Dell Products L.P., Round Rock, TX (US)
Filed on Nov. 27, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/519,192.
Claims priority of application No. 202311306105.5 (CN), filed on Oct. 9, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2025/0116725 A1, Apr. 10, 2025
Int. Cl. G01R 31/40 (2020.01); G01R 31/52 (2020.01)
CPC G01R 31/40 (2013.01) [G01R 31/52 (2020.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of detecting a short in a power supply unit (PSU), the method including:
setting, by a microcontroller unit (MCU), an input of a relay to establish a first power path between an input of the PSU and a low voltage output of an auxiliary PSU;
receiving, at the auxiliary PSU, an input power signal;
converting, by the auxiliary PSU, a first voltage of the input power signal to a second voltage;
outputting, at the low voltage output of the auxiliary PSU, an output power signal having the second voltage to provide the output power signal through a resistor and to the input of the relay;
measuring, by the MCU, a voltage at a terminal between the resistor and the input of the relay;
determining, by the MCU and based on the measuring, that the voltage at the terminal is less than a first threshold;
in response to determining that the voltage at the terminal is less than the first threshold, determining, by the MCU and based on the measuring, that the voltage at the terminal is less than a second threshold;
in response to determining that the voltage at the terminal is less than the second threshold:
maintaining, by the MCU, the first power path such that the PSU does not receive the input power signal.