Thermal Design; Ordering Code - Seco SBC-C57 User Manual

Single board computer with the nxp i.mx 8x processors on 3.5" form factor

Table of Contents

4.1 Thermal Design

A parameter that has to be kept in very high consideration is the thermal design of the system.

Highly integrated modules, like SBC-C57 board, offer to the user very good performances in minimal spaces, therefore allowing the system's minimization. On the

counterpart, the miniaturizing of IC's and the rise of operative frequencies of processors lead to the generation of a big amount of heat, that must be dissipated to

prevent system hang-off or faults.

The board can be used along with specific heatspreaders, but please remember that they will act only as thermal coupling device between the board itself and an

external dissipating surface/cooler. The heatspreader also needs to be thermally coupled to all the heat generating surfaces using a thermal gap pad, which will

optimize the heat exchange between the module and the heatspreader.

The heatspreader is not intended to be a cooling system by itself, but only as means for transferring heat to another surface/cooler, like heatsinks, fans, heat pipes

and so on.

When using SBC-C57 boards, it is necessary to consider carefully the heat generated by the module in the assembled final system, and the scenario of utilization.

Until the board is used on a laboratory shelf, on free air, just for software development and system tuning, then a heatsink with integrated fan could be sufficient for

board's cooling. Anyhow, please remember that all depends also on the workload of the processor. Heavy computational tasks will generate much heat with all

SOCs versions.

Therefore, it is always necessary that the customer studies and develops accurately the cooling solution for his system, by evaluating processor's workload, utilization

scenarios, the enclosures of the system, the air flow and so on.

SECO can provide SBC-C57 specific passive heatsinks, but please remember that their use must be evaluated accurately inside the final system, and that they

should be used only as a part of a more comprehensive ad-hoc cooling solutions.