Kontron AT8060 - Manual (Page 126)

Thermal Considerations
111 AT8060
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6. Thermal Considerations
The following chapter provides system integrators with the necessary information to satisfy thermal and
airflow requirements when using the AT8060.
6.1 Thermal Monitoring
To ensure optimal operation and long-term reliability of the AT8060, all on-board components must remain
within the maximum temperature specifications. The most critical components on the AT8060 are the
processors, the memory modules and the chipset. Operating the AT8060 above the maximum operating
limits will result in application performance degradation (e.g. the processor might throttle 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 AT8060 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. Additionally, the heat sinks
were specifically designed to use forced airflow as found in ATCA systems.
6.1.2 Temperature Sensors
The AT8060 is equipped with 14 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 that are available on the AT8060, its RTM and the AMC 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.