Introduction To The PMBus™

Presented By
Robert V. White, Artesyn Technologies;
Chair, PMBus Specification Working Group
May 2005
www.powerSIG.org

©2005 System Management Interface Forum. All Rights Reserved

 What Is PMBus?

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 What Is PMBus?
A Standard Way
To Communicate
With Power Converters
Over A Digital
Communications Bus
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 Configure

PMBus
System Device

Configure PMBus
Device

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 Configure

Control
PMBus
System Device

Configure Control PMBus

Device

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 Configure

Control
PMBus
System Monitor Device

Monitor
Configure Control PMBus
Device

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 Configure

Control

System Maintenance PMBus

Processor
System Monitor
– Or –Device
Spare Gates In An FPGA
– Or –
Monitor
Laptop Computer
– Or –
Configure PMBus IC
Control Dedicated Controller
– Or –Device
General Purpose
Microcontroller
– Or –
Automatic Test Equipment
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PMBus Is An Open Standard
• Owned By The
System Management Interface Forum (SM-IF)
– SM-IF Membership Is Open To All
• Royalty Free
• Released Specifications Freely Available
• Works With All Types Of Power Converters
– AC-DC Power Supplies
– Isolated DC-DC And Bus Converters
– Non-Isolated Point-Of-Load Converters
– Microprocessor Power Converters
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PMBus: What It Is Not
• Not A Standard For A Power Supplies Or
DC-DC Converters
– No Form Factor, Pin Out, Efficiency, Etc.
– Alliances Like POLA And DOSA Will Define
• No Converter-To-Converter Communication
– Such As Current Share And Analog Voltage Tracking
– Left To The IC And Power Supply Manufacturers
– Including These Would Inhibit Future Innovation

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Some Basic PMBus Requirements
• PMBus Devices Must Start Up Safely Without
Bus Communication
• PMBus Devices Can Be Used With Or Without
A Power System Manager/Controller
• PMBus Devices Support “Set And Forget”
– Can Be Programmed Once At Time Of Manufacture
– Then Operate Forevermore Without Bus
Communication
• Defaults From Either/Or
– Non-Volatile Memory
– Pin Programming
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 Who Is PMBus?

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PMBus Founders And Supporters
Founders
Artesyn Technologies Emerson/Astec
Texas Instruments Intersil
Microchip Technology Summit Microelectronics
Volterra Semiconductor Zilker Labs

Supporters

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System Management Interface Forum, Inc.

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System Management Interface Forum, Inc.

www.powerSIG.org
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System Management Interface Forum, Inc.

SM-IF Membership
Open To Any And All

www.powerSIG.org
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 PMBus Specification

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PMBus Specifications
• Part I: Transport
– SMBus V1.1 Plus Extensions
– Addressing
– Hardwired Signals
• Example: CONTROL Signal (On/Off Function)
• Part II: Command Language
– Configuration
– Control
– Status Monitoring
– Fault Management
– Information Storage: Inventory, User Data, Etc.
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Why SMBus?
• Low Cost Like I²C
• More Robust Than I²C
– Timeouts Force Bus Reset
• More Features Than I²C
– SMBALERT# Line For Interrupts
– Packet Error Checking (PEC)
– Host Notify Protocol
• Generally Electrically Compatible With I²C

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Addressing I²C Shortcomings
• “Noise Sensitivity” – Edge Triggering
– False START: Timeouts Force Reset
– False STOP: PMBus Devices Detect Failed
Transmissions As Faults
• “Noise Sensitivity” – Corrupt Data
– Data Rates Permit Digital Filtering
– Packet Error Checking (PEC)
– Every Value That Can Be Written Can Be Read

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Addressing I²C Shortcomings
• Slave Device Hangs Bus
– Timeouts Force Device Reset
• Requires Retrieving Device Information
By Polling
– SMBALERT# Line Acts As An Interrupt
– Automatic Bitwise Arbitration Of Simultaneous
Requests
• No More Than 8 Devices Of A Type On One Bus
– No Central Address Control Bureaucracy
– Over 100 Device Addresses Available
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Other Issues
• Fault Tolerance
– Physically Failed Devices Are A
Problem With Any Bus
– Must Add Isolating Switches And Multiplexers
• 400 pF Maximum Bus Capacitance
Requires Repeaters Or Bridges For:
– Large Numbers Of Devices
– Long Distance

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PMBus™ Connections
SYSTEM HOST/
BUS MASTER

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PMBus™ Connections
SYSTEM HOST/
BUS MASTER

Data

Clock

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PMBus™ Connections
SYSTEM HOST/
BUS MASTER

Optional
CONTROL
Signal Is For
On/Off Control

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PMBus™ Connections
SYSTEM HOST/
BUS MASTER

Optional
SMBALERT#
Signal Acts As An
Interrupt Line And
Activates The
Alert Protocol

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PMBus™ Connections
SYSTEM HOST/
BUS MASTER

Required
Hardwired Pins
To Set
Physical Address

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PMBus™ Connections
SYSTEM HOST/
BUS MASTER

Optional
Write Protect
Pin To Prevent
Unwanted Data
Changes

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PMBus™ In A Large System
Local/On-Board
Power Bus
System Bus
POL w/ VOUT1
Power Bus Converter
PMBus

POL w/ VOUT2
PMBus

POL w/ VOUT3
PMBus

STD VOUT4
Host — Power System POL
Communication Bus
(e.g. IPMI Or RS-485)
STD VOUT5
Host
Power PMBus
System POL Analog Control
System
Interface Lines (Sense,
Enable, Trim,
Power Good)
PMBus
Interface
IC
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PMBus™ In A Large System
Local/On-Board
Power Bus
System Bus
POL w/ VOUT1
Power Bus Converter
Existing System Processor PMBus

– Or – VOUT2
POL w/
Extra Gates In An FPGA PMBus
– Or –
General Purpose POL w/ VOUT3
PMBus
Microcontroller
STD VOUT4
Host — Power System POL
Communication Bus
(e.g. IPMI Or RS-485)
STD VOUT5
Host
Power PMBus
System POL Analog Control
System
Interface Lines (Sense,
Enable, Trim,
Power Good)
PMBus
Interface
IC
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Typical Packet Structure

ADDRESS BYTE COMMAND BYTE DATA BYTE 1

S 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 A 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 A 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 A

DATA BYTE 2 DATA BYTE N OPTIONAL PEC BYTE

7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 A 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 A 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 A P

START Signal From READ/WRITE# ACKNOWLEDGE STOP Signal From

S Host System 0 Bit A Signal From Converter P Host System

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Addressing
• PMBus Devices Use A 7 Bit Address
Per The SMBus Specification
– Provides More Than 100 Possible Device Addresses
After Allowing For Reserved Addresses
• No I²C Style Address Control Assignments
Or Limitations
• PMBus Users Can Expect Device Addresses To
Be Set By A Mix Of:
– Hardwired Address Pins
– High Order Address Bits Set By The
PMBus Device Manufacturer
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Addressing (cont’d)
• PMBus Device Manufacturers Will Trade Off
Cost Of Pins Versus Address Flexibility
• Expect Device Makers To Offer Tri-State Pins
Or Resistor Value Programming
• Examples Of The Possibilities
– 3 Tri-State Pins => 27 Addresses
– 1 Resistor Programmed Pin => 16–32 Addresses

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Multiple Output Units And Paging
• Paging Allows One Physical Address To Be
Used To Control Multiple Outputs
– One Address Per Physical Unit
– One Page Per Output
– Pages Contain All The Settings Of Each Output
• Paging Process
– Set Page For Output Of Interest
– Send Commands
• Configure, Control, Read Status

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Paging: Multiple Output Units

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Paging: Non-PMBus Device Adapter

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Paging: Non-PMBus Device Adapter
Example Device:
POL Converter
Example Device:
With An
Analog Margin/
Analog Interface
Sequence
Controller With
PMBus Interface

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Command Language
• Extensive And Comprehensive
• Commands Take Effect Immediately
• Every Value That Can Be Written
Can Be Read

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Command Language
• Extensive And Comprehensive
• Commands Take Effect Immediately
• Every Value That Can Be Written
Can Be Read

Not All Devices Support All Commands!

Devices Will Support Commands Appropriate

To Their Intended Application
And Price Point
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Concept: Setting The Output Voltage

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Memory And Startup Concepts
Hard Coded
1 Parameters

Pin
2 Programmed
Values
RESTORE_
DEFAULT
Operating 3 Default
Memory STORE_DEFAULT Store
(Volatile) (Non-Volatile)

RESTORE_USER
4 User
STORE_USER Store
(Non-Volatile)

BUS
5 COMMUNICATION
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Memory And Startup Concepts
Hard Coded
1 Parameters

Pin
2 Programmed
Values
Operating
RESTORE_ Memory
DEFAULT
Operating 3 Default
Memory ConceptualStore
STORE_DEFAULT Volatile
(Volatile) (Non-Volatile)
Memory Store For Device’s
RESTORE_USER
4 Operating Parameters
User
STORE_USER Store
(Non-Volatile)

BUS
5 COMMUNICATION
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Memory And Startup Concepts
Hard Coded
1 Parameters

Pin
2 Programmed
Hard Coded Parameters
RESTORE_
Values

Operating 3 DEFAULT Default

Memory At Device Power
STORE_DEFAULT Store Up,
(Volatile) (Non-Volatile)
Values Hard Coded Into The
4 PMBus Device AreUser
RESTORE_USER Loaded First
Into The Operating
STORE_USER StoreMemory
(Non-Volatile)

BUS
5 COMMUNICATION
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Memory And Startup Concepts
Hard Coded
1 Parameters

Pin
2 Programmed
Values
RESTORE_
DEFAULT
Operating 3 Default
Memory STORE_DEFAULT Store
(Volatile) Pin Programmed Values
(Non-Volatile)

RESTORE_USER
4 User
Next, Pin Programmed
Store Values
STORE_USER
Are Loaded Into Operating
(Non-Volatile)
Memory. This Overwrites Any
5 Previously Loaded
BUS Values.
COMMUNICATION
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Memory And Startup Concepts
Default Values Hard Coded
1 Parameters
Next, Values From The Non-Volatile Default
Store (If Provided) Are Loaded. This Overwrites
Pin
2
Any Previously Programmed
Loaded Values.
Values
RESTORE_
DEFAULT
Operating 3 Default
Memory STORE_DEFAULT Store
(Volatile) (Non-Volatile)

RESTORE_USER
4 User
STORE_USER Store
(Non-Volatile)

BUS
5 COMMUNICATION
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Memory And Startup Concepts
User Stored Values Hard Coded
1 Parameters
Next, Values From The Non-Volatile User Store
(If Provided) Are Loaded. This Overwrites
Pin Any
2
Previously Programmed
Loaded Values. Values
RESTORE_
DEFAULT
Operating 3 Default
Memory STORE_DEFAULT Store
(Volatile) (Non-Volatile)

RESTORE_USER
4 User
STORE_USER Store
(Non-Volatile)

BUS
5 COMMUNICATION
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Memory And Startup Concepts
1Bus Communication
Hard Coded
Parameters

Next, Values Sent Via The SMBus Are Pin

Loaded.
This Overwrites Any
2 Previously Loaded Values.
Programmed
Values
RESTORE_
DEFAULT
Operating 3 Default
Memory STORE_DEFAULT Store
(Volatile) (Non-Volatile)

RESTORE_USER
4 User
STORE_USER Store
(Non-Volatile)

BUS
5 COMMUNICATION
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Memory And Startup Concepts
Hard Coded
Used To 1Store A Snapshot Of The Device’s
Parameters
Operating State. When Power Removed And
Restored, Device Can Resume Operation
Pin From Its
Last2 Programmed State.Values
Programmed
RESTORE_
DEFAULT
Operating 3 Default
Memory STORE_DEFAULT Store
(Volatile) (Non-Volatile)

RESTORE_USER
4 User
STORE_USER Store
(Non-Volatile)

BUS
5 COMMUNICATION
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Setting The Output Voltage
• Two Step Process
• Step 1: Set Or Determine
Voltage Command Mode
• Step 2: Send Output Voltage Command

• Output Voltage Command Modes

– Linear In LSB
– Popular VIDs
– “IPMI Like” Equation Mode

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On/Off Control
• Two Inputs Control Whether A PMBus Device Is
Operating Or Not
– Hardwired CONTROL Pin (Programmable Polarity)
– OPERATION Command From The Bus
• On/Off Control Totally Programmable
• CONTROL Pin Options
– Active High Or Active Low
– Followed Programmed Sequencing Or
Shutdown Immediately

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On/Off Control Options
• “Always On”
– Device Providing Output Power Anytime
Input Power Is Present
• Respond To CONTROL Pin,
Ignore OPERATION Command
• Respond To OPERATION Command,
Ignore Control Pin
• Respond To Both CONTROL Pin
And OPERATION Command
– An “Off” From Either Turns Output Off
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OPERATION Command Data Byte

One Command Used To Set Operation Mode: On/Off/Margin

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Group Commands/Operation
• Used When Multiple Units Need To Execute A
Command Simultaneously
• One SMBus Transaction Used To Send
Commands To Multiple Addresses
– Sent In One Large Packet Using Repeated STARTs
• Can Be Same Or Different Commands
– Example: Command One Unit To Margin Low
And All Others To Margin High
• Commands Are Executed When SMBus STOP
Condition Received
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Interleaving
• INTERLEAVE
Command
Sets
– Group
Number
– Number Of
Units In The
Group
– Switching
Order Within Interleave Order Of Unit X
The Group Tdelay (Unit X ) = • TS
Number In Group
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Many Other Configuration Commands
• Maximum Output Voltage
• Maximum Output Power
• Voltage Scale For External Divider Network
• Maximum Duty Cycle
• Switching Frequency
• Turn On/Off Levels For Input Voltage
• Current Scale For Current Sense Resistance
• Current Measurement Calibration

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Sequencing: Event Driven
• Event Driven Sequencing Is Closed Loop
• Requires Power System Manager
To Close The Loop

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Sequencing: Time Driven Commands
• Open Loop: Does Not Require
Power System Manager
On

Off

Ton-Rise Toff-Delay

Output
Time

Ton-Delay Ton-Max Toff-Fall Toff-Max

Fault Fault
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Fault Management: Input

Converter
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Fault Management: Input

Converter
Faults

Faults Cause Action.

Response To A Fault Can
Be Programmed

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Fault Management: Input

Warnings

Warnings Do Not Directly

Converter
Cause Action. Status Bits
Are Set And Host Notified
(If Device Supports)

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Fault Management: Output
Voltage Current

OV FAULT OC FAULT
Converter

OV WARN OC WARN

UV WARN

UV FAULT UC FAULT

Related Commands:
POWER_GOOD_ON, POWER_GOOD_OFF
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Other Fault Management
Converter

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Fault Response Programming Byte

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Notifying The Host Of A Fault
• Host Can Continuously Poll PMBus Devices
• PMBus Device Can Send An Interrupt
– SMBALERT# Signal Is Optional
– See The SMBus Specification For Details
• PMBus Device Can Become A Bus Master And
Transmit Notice To System Host
– Optional
– Requires A More Sophisticated Host

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Handling Unsupported Commands & Bad Data

• Choice 1
– PMBus Device NACKS Command Or Data Byte
– Reason Put Into Status Registers
• Choice 2
– PMBus Device ACKs Everything, Processes Later
– If An Unsupported Command Or
Data Out Of Bounds Is Received:
• Set CML Bit In STATUS_BYTE
• Set Appropriate Bit In Status Registers (If Supported)
• Notify Host (If Supported)

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 Status Reporting: 3 Levels Of Detail
Level 1:
STATUS_BYTE
Most Critical Info

Level 2:
STATUS_WORD
Adds More Important Info

Level 3:
Status Registers
Detailed Information

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STATUS_BYTE & STATUS_WORD

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Status Registers
STATUS_WORD
High Byte Low Byte
STATUS_BYTE
UNKNOWN FAULT OR WARNING UNIT IS BUSY
Reserved UNIT IS OFF
Reserved VOUT_OV FAULT
POWER_GOOD Negated IOUT_OC FAULT
MFR SPECIFIC² VIN_UV FAULT
INPUT FAULT OR WARNING TEMPERATURE FAULT OR WARNING
IOUT FAULT OR WARNING COMM, LOGIC, MEMORY EVENT
VOUT FAULTS OR WARNINGS OTHER FAULT OR WARNING

7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

STATUS_VOUT STATUS_OTHER
Register Register

STATUS_IOUT STATUS_CML¹
Register Register

STATUS_INPUT STATUS_TEMPERATURE
Register Register

STATUS_MFR² ¹: CML: Communication, Memory, Logic

Register ²: MFR SPECIFIC: Manufacturer Specific

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Parametric Information
• Input Voltage
• Input Current
• Output Voltage
• Output Current
• Hold Up Capacitor Voltage
• Temperature
– Up To 3 Sensors
• Fan Speed
– Up To 2 Fans
• Duty Cycle
• Switching Frequency

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Parametric Information
• Input Voltage
• Input Current REMEMBER!
• Output Voltage
• Output Current Not All PMBus
• Hold Up Capacitor Voltage Devices Will
• Temperature Support All
– Up To 3 Sensors Commands!
• Fan Speed Support Based
– Up To 2 Fans On Application
• Duty Cycle And Price Point
• Switching Frequency

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Manufacturer And User Data
• Manufacturer’s Information
– Inventory Information (Model Number, Etc.)
– Ratings Information (Input Voltage Range, Etc.)
• User Data
– 32 Command Codes For PMBus Device Makers To
Support User Inventory And Configuration Data
– Example: Digital Control Loop Coefficients
• Manufacturer Specific Commands
– 45 Command Codes Reserved For PMBus Device
Makers To Implement Manufacturer Specific
Commands
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Data Integrity And Security
• Protecting Against Corrupted Transmissions
– Packet Error Checking Can Be Used
• Unwanted Or Unintentional Data Changes
– Write Protect Pin
– WRITE_PROTECT Command

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Summary
• PMBus Is A Flexible, Powerful Tool For
Digital Power System Management
• Supports Both Embedded, Discrete Converters
As Well As Complete, Purchased Converters
• Has The Features Needed By Nearly All Users
• Application Oriented Feature Sets Control Cost

More Information And Specifications At:

www.powerSIG.org
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