Thermally Advantaged Small Chassis (TASC) Design Guide *For Ultra Small Form Factor (uSFF) PCs with miniITX motherboards January 2009 Revision 1.
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Contents 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 5 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 2 Shock Test ............................................................................................ 14 Vibration Test ........................................................................................ 14 Pass Criteria .......................................................................................... 14 Regulatory Considerations .............
Revision History Document Number Revision Number E60781 01 Description Initial release.
Introduction 1 Introduction 1.1 Scope This design guide explores the generic application of chassis features (vents and fans) to adequately cool the internal components of a small form factor personal computer with an Intel Mini ITX motherboard. Design recommendations are presented for implementation within mini desktop and mini tower style enclosures with CPU TDP below 95 Watts. The target audiences for this document are: computer enclosure engineers, designers, and system integrators.
Introduction 1.3 Terminology Term 1.4 6 Description SFF 8-19 liter chassis (IDC definition) Ultra SFF (uSFF) 4-8 liter chassis (IDC definition) Reference Documents Document / Resource Document Location ISO 7779-Acoustics–Measurement of Airborne Noise Emitted by information Technology and Telecommunications Equipment http://www. iso.
Section 2 2 Section 2 2.1 Thermally Advantaged Small Chassis Description The critical thermal objective for processor cooling is to achieve a temperature rise from external ambient to the inlet of the processor thermal solution fan to be less than 5 °C during a worst case system power load. This would equate to a 40°C fan inlet at the maximum recommended room ambient temperature of 35°C.
Section 2 2.1.1.1 System Fans System Exhaust Fan: It is necessary that heat generated within the chassis be effectively exhausted and therefore requires the use of an exhaust fan. It is the responsibility of chassis manufacturer to ensure the performance of the exhaust fan and ensure that an appropriate balance of performance and acoustics is met. While the location of the exhaust fan may be dependent on the chassis design, there are a few considerations that should be made in determining its location.
Section 2 mechanism and its location should be placed to provide airflow over critical system components per the manufacturers’ specifications. Processor Active Fan Heat Sink: Much the same as the rear system and power supply exhaust fans, the processor cooling fan remains a critical piece of the overall system cooling solution. An active CPU fan heat sink with airflow directed towards the main board is assumed in this Design Guide and is needed to properly cool the processor and surrounding components.
Section 2 2.1.1.2 Side Vent Description Location and size The Design Guide requires a side vent as seen in Figure 3. The vent directly over the CPU fan heat sink is most critical for CPU cooling. The location also allows the CPU fan to draw cool air in most effectively and thereby helps with overall internal cooling. This vent configuration has been optimized by means of extensive system level testing. The size of this vent is recommended to be 130mm wide and 100mm tall.
Section 2 Other Venting: Besides the side vent, other vent locations are more difficult to specify as configurations will vary and aesthetic opinions are diverse. While the side vent is most critical, it is also important to ensure the total system is appropriately vented. As the fans are specified as exhausting, vents will become inlets, drawing cool air in. It is therefore beneficial to place venting near critical components, such as the hard drive and power supply.
Section 2 graphics card is targeted, two exhaust system fans or a combination of 1 system fan and 1 power supply exhaust fan is needed to meet Tambient specifications. Figure 5. Component Layout Example Note: Zone between fan inlet and side vent should be free from component obstruction as shown. Arrows illustrate airflow direction.
Section 2 2.2 Summary of Design Recommendations: Key Ingredients 100x130 vent above CPU as defined in drawings section 53% Free Area Ratio recommended minimum Appropriately balanced (speed/size) exhaust fan Distance between fan inlet and vent <50mm Tradeoffs of these ingredients are possible and responsibility of chassis manufacturer Other components need sufficient venting on East and West sides to remain within operating limits.
Dynamics 3 Dynamics While this design guide requires no additional discrete chassis components it is recommended that the chassis is able to withstand the dynamic stress conditions listed below without displaced or damaged components. 3.1 Shock Test Unpackaged 25 g, 11 ms trapezoidal; ~ 170 in/s Two drops in each of the six directions applied to each of the test samples 3.2 Vibration Test Unpackaged Sine sweep: 5 Hz to 500 Hz @ 0.5 g ±10%; @ 0.
Regulatory Considerations 4 Regulatory Considerations The PC must meet a number of regulatory Safety, EMC and Ecology concerns. Specific requirements for Information Technology Equipment vary somewhat by country, however, the overall standards are somewhat unified and are based upon the following standards: Note: Certain countries may require formal certifications and many require a Declaration of Conformance (DOC) be placed in the manual or on the box.
Regulatory Considerations 4.2 Safety This design guide is not intended to cover all safety aspects that may pertain to different countries and regulatory bodies. The safety standards listed below are a starting point for reference however, the manufacturer is ultimately responsible to ensure that all applicable safety standards are adhered to. Safety Standards: 4.
Mechanical Drawings 5 E60781 Mechanical Drawings 17
Mechanical Drawings 18 E60781
Document Number: E60781
