Server rack having payload weighing function

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to server racks, and particularly, to a server rack having a payload weighing function.

2. Description of Related Art

Server racks are used for accommodating a number of blade servers. But the load-carrying capacity of a server rack is limited. When the weight of the blade servers exceeds the load-carrying capacity of the server rack, the server rack is at risk of being damaged.

Therefore, it is desirable to provide a server rack, which can overcome the above-mentioned limitations.

Many aspects of the disclosures should be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a server rack, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 2 is one embodiment of a functional block diagram of the server rack of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is one embodiment of a schematic view of an amplifying circuit of the server rack of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 4 is one embodiment of a microcontroller of the server rack of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 5 is one embodiment of a display of the server rack of FIG. 1 .

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , a server rack 100 is used for accommodating a number of blade servers 200 and includes a main body 10 , an electronic scale 30 , a display 50 , and an alarm 70 . The display 50 and the alarm 70 are electrically connected to the electronic scale 30 .

The main body 10 is hollow and cuboid-shaped, and used for receiving the blade servers 200 therein. The main body 10 is positioned on a loading surface 300 , and includes a bottom surface 101 facing the loading surface 300 . Four supporting feet 11 are respectively fixed on four corners of the bottom surface 101 , and used for supporting the main body 10 . In one embodiment, the supporting feet 11 can be made of light metal.

The electronic scale 30 includes four pressure sensors 33 , four amplifying circuits 35 , and a microcontroller 37 .

Referring to FIG. 3 , each pressure sensor 33 is positioned under a corresponding one of the supporting feet 11 to sense any loads supported by the feet 11 , and includes a first signal terminal 331 and a second signal terminal 332 used for outputting pressure signals.

Referring to FIGS. 2-3 , each amplifying circuit 35 is used for amplifying the pressure signal of the corresponding pressure sensor 33 , and includes a first operational amplifier 351 , a second operational amplifier 352 , a third operational amplifier 353 , a first resistor R 1 , a second resistor R 2 , a third resistor R 3 , a fourth resistor R 4 , a fifth resistor R 5 , a sixth resistor R 6 , a seventh resistor R 7 , an eighth resistor R 8 , a first capacitor C 1 , a second capacitor C 2 , a third capacitor C 3 , and a fourth capacitor C 4 .

The first operational amplifier 351 includes a first negative input terminal 351 a , a first positive input terminal 351 b , and a first output terminal 351 c . The second operational amplifier 352 includes a second positive input terminal 352 a , a second negative input terminal 352 b , and a second output terminal 352 c . The third operational amplifier 353 includes a third positive input terminal 353 a , a third negative input terminal 353 b , and a third output terminal 353 c.

The first negative input terminal 351 a is connected to the first signal terminal 331 through the first resistor R 1 . The first positive input terminal 351 b is connected to the first output terminal 351 c through the second resistor R 2 . The first output terminal 351 c is also connected to the third negative terminal 353 b through the third resistor R 3 . The first negative input terminal 351 a is also connected to the first positive input terminal 351 b through the first capacitor C 1 . The second positive input terminal 352 a is connected to the second signal terminal 332 through the fourth resistor R 4 . The second negative output terminal 352 b is connected to the second output terminal 352 c through the fifth resistor R 5 . The second output terminal 352 c is connected to the third positive input terminal 353 a through the sixth resistor R 6 . The second positive input terminal 352 a is connected to the second negative terminal 352 b through the second capacitor C 2 . The third positive input terminal 353 a is grounded through the seventh resistor R 7 . The third negative input terminal 353 a is connected to the third output terminal 353 c through the eighth resistor R 8 . The first positive input terminal 351 b is also connected to the second negative input terminal 352 b through a rheostat R 9 . The first negative input 351 a is grounded through the third capacitor C 3 . The second positive input terminal 352 a is grounded through the fourth capacitor C 4 .

The first, second, third operational amplifiers 351 , 352 , 353 respectively include a voltage input terminal and a voltage output terminal. The voltage input terminal is connected to a direct current power supply VCC. The voltage output terminal is grounded. In one non-limiting example, the resistance of the first resistor R 1 is equal to that of the fourth resistor R 4 . The resistance of the second resistor R 2 is equal to that of the fifth resistor R 5 . The resistance of the third resistor R 3 is equal to that of the sixth resistor R 6 . The resistance of the seventh resistor R 7 is equal to that of the eighth resistor R 8 . The capacitance of the first capacitor C 1 is equal to that of the second capacitor C 2 . The capacitance of the third capacitor C 3 is equal to that of the fourth capacitor C 4 .

In one embodiment, the resistances of the first resistor to the eighth resistor R 1 -R 8 respectively can be about 1KΩ, 20KΩ, 1KΩ, 1KΩ, 20KΩ, 1KΩ, 51KΩ, 51KΩ. The capacitances of the first capacitor to the fourth capacitor C 1 -C 4 respectively can be about 100 pF, 100 pF, 0.1 uF, 0.1 uF. The voltage of VCC can be about 10V.

The third output terminals 353 c of the four amplifying circuits 35 respectively output an A/D 1 signal, an A/D 2 signal, an A/D 3 signal, and an A/D 4 signal.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the microcontroller 37 is electrically connected to the four amplifying circuits 35 and the display 50 , and used for adding the output signals of the four amplifying circuits 35 to obtain the total weight of the main body 10 and the blade servers 200 . The microcontroller 37 includes an RA 0 terminal, an RA 1 terminal, an RA 2 terminal, an RA 3 terminal, an RC 0 terminal, an RC 1 terminal, an RC 2 terminal, an RC 3 terminal, an RC 4 terminal, an RC 5 terminal, and an RC 6 terminal. The RA 0 -RA 3 terminals are analog to digital (A/D) conversion terminals, and electrically connected to the third output terminals 353 c of the four amplifying circuits 35 . The RC 0 -RC 6 terminals are input/output terminals, and electrically connected to the display 50 .

Referring to FIG. 5 , the display 50 is positioned on the sidewall of the main body 10 , and is used for displaying the weight calculated by the microcontroller 37 . In this embodiment, the display 50 is a crystal display, and includes an LCD CON 0 terminal, an LCD CON 1 terminal, an LCD CON 2 terminal, an LCD CON 3 terminal, an LCD CON 4 terminal, an SDA terminal, and an SDL terminal. The LCD CON 1 -LCD CON 4 terminals are input/output terminals. The LCD CON 0 -LCD CON 2 terminals are respectively electrically connected to the RC 0 -RC 2 terminals of the microcontroller 37 . The LCD CON 3 terminal and the LCD CON 4 terminal are electrically connected to the RC 5 terminal and the RC 6 terminal of the microcontroller 37 . The SDA terminal is a serial data terminal. The SCL terminal is a serial clock terminal. The SDA terminal and SDL terminal are electrically connected to the RC 3 terminal and the RC 4 terminal of the microcontroller 37 .

Referring to FIG. 2 , the alarm 70 is positioned on the sidewall of the main body 10 , and electrically connected to the microcontroller 37 . The alarm 70 includes a memory 71 , a comparison unit 72 , and a buzzer 73 . A predetermined weight threshold is stored in the memory 71 and represents the total weight of the main body 10 and the maximum blade servers that the main body 10 can bear. The comparison unit 72 is used for comparing the calculated weight with the predetermined weight threshold. The buzzer 73 is used for alerting users when the calculated weight is larger than the predetermined weight threshold.

In other embodiments, the number of the supporting feet 11 can be other than four according to practical need. In yet other embodiments, the supporting feet 11 can be omitted, and the pressure sensors 33 positioned directly under the main body 10 . The number of the pressure sensors 33 can be varied according to number and placement of supporting feet.

It should be noted that in any embodiments, the weight of the supporting feet 11 can be tared before use.

It will be understood that the above particular disclosures and methods are shown and described by way of illustration only. The principles and the features of the present disclosure may be employed in various and numerous disclosures thereof without departing from the scope of the disclosure as claimed. The above-described disclosures illustrate the scope of the disclosure but do not restrict the scope of the disclosure.