congatec introduced three new embedded cooling solutions for its 3.5-inch Single Board Computers (SBCs). Based on the PICMG specifications for standardized COM Express heat spreaders and their large footprint, the company offers a maximum cooling mass and surface area for 3.5-inch SBC designs.

Heat dissipation is standardized and all solutions feature a massive heat spreader, made of light metal, which disperses waste heat from the CPU hotspots. Depending on the TDP, the heat spreader can be expanded with passive finned heat sinks or active ventilation systems.

With congatec also offering its three cooling solutions in a standardized height, OEMs can implement footprint-identical cooling solutions for comparable TDP requirements. According to the company, this will make it easier to scale 3.5-inch SBC based embedded systems across multiple processor generations. First configurations of the fully in-house developed new cooling solutions are optimized for the use with the new conga-JC370 3.5-inch SBCs based on 8th Generation Intel Core processor series (codenamed Whiskey Lake).

The three cooling systems, for 3.5-inch SBCs, have been developed with a view to future processors requiring up to 45 Watt cooling capacity in timely limited cTDP-up modes. When running high loads an external system fan is recommended for the passive cooling variant. The active cooling is designed for standalone operation. In order to make system integration easy and flexible each of the above cooling solutions is available in threaded and borehole variants.

The fan-based active cooling system, which is used for example in the 3.5-inch systems with 25 Watt 8th generation Intel Core i7 processors (i7-8665UE / codename Whiskey Lake), is designed for 24/7 operation in harsh industrial environments. In this complete cooling system, the fans are not only mounted securely, but also fixed to reduce wear and tear. In addition, the bearings are equipped with a seal and cover to provide protection for mechanics and lubricant. With a high-performance synthetic oil as lubricant, the fan has an MTBF of several decades, and this in the industrial temperature range from -45 to +85°C and with industrial-grade shock and vibration resistance.

For more information, visit: https://www.congatec.com/en/technologies/35-sbc-based-on-8th-generation-intel-core-mobile-processors.html