A power control system comprises at least one point-of-load (POL)
regulator adapted to provide an output voltage to a corresponding load
and a system controller operatively connected to the at least one POL
regulator via a data bus and adapted to send a first data message in a
first format to the at least one POL regulator via the data bus. A bus
translator is interposed along the data bus between the at least one POL
regulator and the system controller. The bus translator converts the
first data message from the first format to a second format that is
compatible with the at least one POL regulator. The bus translator is
adapted for bi-directional operation to convert a second data message
communicated from the at least one POL regulator in the second format to
the first format compatible with the system controller. The first and
second data formats may comprise either a digital data format or an
analog data format. The bus translator may further include a phase-locked
loop circuit adapted to synchronize operation of the bus translator to a
detected data rate of the data bus.