[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device in a temperature abnormality for suppressing self-heating in a switching system in a communication network and a mounting rack in an information processing system in order to suppress self-heating when the temperature is abnormal. The present invention relates to a protection method and a circuit therefor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a replacement system and an information processing system, one or a plurality of cooling fans are installed, and a temperature sensor monitors the temperature inside the apparatus, and when a temperature abnormality is detected, the cooling fan Countermeasures such as increasing the operating number or increasing the rotation speed of the cooling fan have been considered. Further, when the temperature sensor is connected to a power supply control circuit and the temperature sensor detects an abnormal temperature in the device, the power supply control circuit also turns off the power supply of the device.

[0003]

However, these conventional methods have the following problems. In other words, in a system that takes a backup form with a plurality of devices, even if the power of one device is turned off, it is possible that a plurality of devices will continue to malfunction, and there is a risk that the system will go down during operation of the exchange system. There is. Further, if the number of rotations of the cooling fan that cools the internal temperature of the apparatus is increased, the driving noise becomes loud and the noise problem may occur.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to stop the operation of the system in an electronic device such as a switching system in a communication network when the temperature inside the device rack is abnormal without increasing the rotation speed of the cooling fan and shutting down the power. It is to provide a method and a circuit for suppressing a self-heating of a circuit in a functional board of the device and avoiding an abnormal temperature in the device without doing so.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention detects an abnormality in temperature at an arbitrary position in an equipment rack in which a plurality of function boards are mounted and notifies each function board of the abnormality. When this temperature abnormality is a high temperature abnormality, the functional board that received this notification gradually decreases the clock frequency in each board, and when the temperature abnormality is recovered, the clock frequency is gradually increased to a normal value.

For this purpose, the present invention further provides a temperature sensor having means for detecting and notifying a temperature abnormality in the device rack, and a notification from the temperature sensor, which is received according to the contents of the notification. And a means for gradually increasing or decreasing the clock frequency of the device protection circuit at the time of abnormal temperature.

[0007]

According to the present invention having such a structure, when the temperature inside the rack of the apparatus is abnormal, the clock frequency can be autonomously lowered to suppress the self-heating of the function board to avoid the abnormal temperature state.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention, in which 1-1 to 1-n are function boards, 2 is a temperature sensor, 3 is a system bus, and 4 is a signal from the temperature sensor. line,
5-1 to 5-n are clock generation circuits installed in the function board, 6-1 to 6-n are clock multiplication circuits installed in the function board, and 7-1 to 7-n are function boards. Clock control circuits 8-1 to 8-n mounted inside are internal circuits mounted on the function board. In this configuration, the temperature sensor is installed at an arbitrary position in the rack, for example, on the functional board having a large amount of heat generation or on the rack.

A series of operations of each component will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The temperature sensor 2 detects the temperature inside the rack and determines whether or not there is a temperature abnormality, and transfers the result to the clock control circuits 7-1 to 7-n in the function boards 1-1 to 1-n via the signal line 4. To do. The sensor uses the internal temperature of the device as a threshold value, for example, 10 to 40 ° C. When the internal temperature of the device is normal (within the range of the threshold value), the level signal "0" is transmitted to the clock control circuit and the temperature is abnormal. In the case of (outside the threshold range), the level signal “1” is transmitted.

When the temperature is abnormal, the clock control circuit 7-1
7 to 7-n, after confirming that the level signal “1” has been received, the clock frequency increasing / decreasing circuit 6-6 to 6-n transmits the clock frequency decreasing request signal to the clock increasing / decreasing circuit 6-n.
In 1 to 6-n, the clock frequency received from the clock generation circuits 5-1 to 5-n is reduced by a preset multiplication factor and supplied to the subordinate internal devices 8-1 to 8-n. This series of operations is repeated until the temperature inside the rack detected by the temperature sensor 2 falls within the threshold range and the level signals transmitted to the clock control circuits 7-1 to 7-n become "0".

When the clock control circuits 7-1 to 7-n receive the level signal "0" again, it is judged whether or not the clock frequency has been reduced, and if it is the reception after the frequency reduction, the clock multiplication / increase / decrease circuit 6- A clock frequency increase request signal is transmitted to 1 to 6-n. The clock frequency increasing / decreasing circuits 6-1 to 6-n increase the clock frequency to the normal value in the reverse procedure of the case of the frequency decreasing.

Next, the second aspect of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.
An example will be described. FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram, symbol 1
5 to 8 are the same as those in FIG. 1, 10 is a system control board,
11 is a temperature status receiving circuit, 12 is a temperature status notification internal bus, 13
Is a temperature abnormality avoidance control unit, 14 is a system control board internal bus, 15-0 to 15-n are system bus interfaces, 16-1
To 16-n are function board internal buses, 17-1 to 17-n are clock supply lines (1), 18-1 to 18-n are clock frequency increasing / decreasing control circuits, and 19-1 to 19-n are clock supplies It is a line (2), and in this example, a separately configured system control board is coupled to each function board via the system bus interface via the system bus. Temperature abnormality avoidance control unit 13
Includes a microprocessor and a memory, and the control program is stored in the memory.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the configuration of FIG. The temperature sensor is the same as in the first embodiment,
When the temperature condition is detected and it is judged that the detected temperature condition is within the threshold range, the temperature signal is regarded as normal and the level signal “0” is sent to the temperature condition receiving circuit 11 in the system control board 10 through the temperature condition notification line 4. Send out. When it is judged that the detected temperature condition is out of the threshold range, the level signal "1" is sent to the temperature condition receiving circuit 11 in the system control board 10 through the temperature condition notification line 4 as the temperature abnormality.

The temperature abnormality avoidance control unit 13 in the system control board 10 judges the level signal received from the temperature state receiving circuit 11 via the temperature state notification internal bus 12, and when this signal is level "1". As a temperature abnormality, a clock frequency diminishing control instruction is sent to the system bus interface 15-0 in the system control board 10 via the system control board internal bus 14 and converted to the system bus protocol.
Using the system bus 3 as a control information transmission route, the system bus interface 15-1 in each functional board 1-1 to 1-n
Broadcast to 15 to n.

Each function board 1-1 to 1-n that receives this
The internal system bus interfaces 15-1 to 15-n instruct the clock frequency gradual increase / decrease control circuits 18-1 to 18-n via the function board internal buses 16-1 to 16-n to perform frequency gradual decrease control. To do. The clock frequency increase / decrease control circuits 18-1 to 18-n that have received this control instruction are
The clock frequency received from the 5-n via the clock supply line (1) 17-1 to 17-n is reduced, and the clock supply line (2) 19
-1 to 19-n to supply the clock frequency to the board internal devices 8-1 to 8-n.

Further, as a result of the temperature abnormality avoidance control unit 13 in the system control board 10 judging the level signal received from the temperature state receiving circuit 11 after the clock frequency reduction control, if this signal is the level "0", , As the temperature is normal, a clock frequency increase control instruction is sent to the system bus interface 15-0 in the system control board 10 via the system control board internal bus 14 and converted to the system bus protocol, and then the system bus 3 transmits control information. As the root
Broadcast to system bus interfaces 15-1 to 15-n in each function board 1-1 to 1-n.

Each of the function boards 1-1 to 1-n receiving this
The internal system bus interfaces 15-1 to 15-n instruct the clock frequency increasing / decreasing control circuits 18-1 to 18-n via the function board internal buses 16-1 to 16-n to perform the frequency increasing control. To do. The clock frequency increase / decrease control circuits 18-1 to 18-n that have received this control instruction are
The board internal device 8-1 via the clock supply lines (2) 19-1 to 19-n without reducing the clock frequency received from the 5-n via the clock supply lines (1) 17-1 to 17-n Through 8-n
Clock frequency.

[0018]

According to the present invention, when the temperature inside the equipment is abnormal, the clock frequency is autonomously lowered to suppress the heat generation of the function board, the air volume of the cooling fan is not increased, and the system operation is stopped due to the power interruption of the equipment. Moreover, the abnormal temperature state can be avoided.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an operation flowchart of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an operation flowchart of the second embodiment of the present invention.

1-1 to 1-n Function board 2 Temperature sensor 3 System bus 4 Signal line from temperature sensor 5-1 to 5-n Clock generation circuit installed in function board 6-1 to 6-n Function board Clock multiplication circuit 7-1 to 7-n Clock control circuit mounted on the function board 8-1 to 8-n Internal circuit mounted on the function board 10 System control board 11 Temperature status reception circuit 12 Temperature status notification internal bus 13 Temperature abnormality avoidance controller 14 System control board internal bus 15-0 to 15-n System bus interface 16-1 to 16-n Function board internal bus 17-1 to 17-n Clock supply line ( 1) 18-1 to 18-n clock frequency increase / decrease control circuit 19-1 to 19-n clock supply line (2)