Thermal considerations, 1 thermal monitoring, 1 heat sinks – Kontron AT8940 User Manual
Page 72: 2 temperature sensors, Heat sinks, Temperature sensors
Thermal Considerations
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6. Thermal Considerations
The following chapter provide system integrators with the necessary information to satisfy thermal and
airflow requirements when using the AT8940.
6.1
Thermal Monitoring
To ensure optimal operation and long-term reliability of the AT8940, all on-board components must remain
within the maximum temperature specifications. Operating the AT8940 above the maximum operating limits
will result in application performance degradation (e.g. the processor might throttles if it overheats) or may
even damage the board. To ensure functionality at the maximum temperature, the blade supports several
temperature monitoring and control features.
6.1.1
Heat Sinks
Multiple key components of the AT8940 are equipped with a specifically designed heat sink to ensure the
best possible product for operational stability and long-term reliability. The physical size, shape, and
construction of the heat sinks ensure the lowest possible thermal resistance. Moreover, the heat sinks were
specifically designed to use forced airflow as found in ATCA systems.
6.1.2
Temperature Sensors
The AT8940 is equipped with 10 temperature sensors that are accessible via IPMI. Sensors are precisely
positioned near critical components to accurately measure the on-board parts temperature. Temperature
monitoring must be exercised to ensure highest possible level of system thermal management. An external
system manager constitutes one of the best solution for thermal management, being able to report sensor
status to end-user or manage events filters for example.
All sensors available on the AT8940, its RTM can carry are listed into the Sensor Data Repository with their
thresholds as defined by the PICMG 3.0 specification. The following extract (from the PICMG 3.0 Base
Specification) details naming convention for thresholds as well as the meaning of each threshold level.
IPMI non-critical / PICMG 3.0 minor / telco minor:
Temperature is getting closer to operating limit; it is not really a "problem" yet. It's only a warning.
IPMI critical / PICMG 3.0 major / telco major:
Temperature is at or over normal operating limit, but not in destructive zone. Unit still operating but
MTBF might be affected.
IPMI non-recoverable / PICMG 3.0 critical/ telco critical: