PMBus

PMBus, short for Power Management Bus, is a standardized communication protocol developed through the collaborative efforts of Artesyn Technology and major power supply and semiconductor manufacturers. This initiative aimed to establish an open standard for power management communication protocols. The culmination of these efforts resulted in the release of the PMBus specification in March 2005.

Designed to provide an open standard for data transmission, command execution, and data formatting, PMBus facilitates the emulation of smart battery standards. The protocol has found widespread application in diverse power management scenarios, spanning industrial control systems, servers, communication equipment, and more. By leveraging PMBus, real-time monitoring, adjustment, and optimization of power sources become achievable, leading to enhanced system performance and energy efficiency.

PMBus utilizes two primary signal lines: SCK (Clock) and SDA (Data). SCK is responsible for synchronizing data transmission, while SDA handles the actual data transfer. Voltage requirements within the PMBus framework mandate compliance with the specifications of the corresponding integrated circuits (ICs). Consequently, the specific voltage needs and characteristics are contingent upon the ICs utilized and the associated application scenarios. PMBus stands as a critical enabler for efficient and intelligent power management in a variety of technological domains.

Logic Analyzer / MSO

TB3016E

TB3000 series Specifications PDF

MSO2116B (w/ analog channels)

MSO2000 series Specifications PDF

MSO3124B (w/ analog channels)

MSO3000 series Specifications PDF

PMBus Decode

Save as TXT/CSV

In Logic Analyzer mode, click the icon above the report area to save the decoded data as a TXT/CSV file.

PMBus Decoding Setup Steps

1. Click Quick Settings or Add Protocol Decode to select a protocol for logic analyzer capture.

2. Select PMBus for decoding.

3. If you use Quick Settings, the system will recommend configurations for trigger type, sampling rate, voltage threshold, and channel settings.

4. Click the icon to access the Decode Settings screen.

Decode Settings

Channel: Show the selected channels.

Decode With PEC: Group command protocol with PEC.

7-bit addressing (Include R/W in address): Show 8-bit addressing (include 7-bit addressing and 1-bit R/W).

Ignore glitch: Ignore the glitch when the slow transitions.

YouTube Video

PMBus Decoding Examples