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Overheating of single board computers

Expert for electronics cooling
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Overheating of single board computers

Case Studies

Overheating of single board computers

They are small, compact and have astonishing application possibilities – the single board computers (SBC).

Since 2019 they have become widely known. They are small, compact and have an astonishing wide field of application. The PCs of credit card size are highly valued not only for their high flexibility and performance but also for their affordability and energy-efficient operation. Inventors, programmers, makers and educational institutions throughout the world are impressed by this development.

However, what happens when a single board computer overheats?

Complex applications, high ambient temperatures or unfavourable installation conditions all contribute to increasing the temperature of the CPU. As a consequence the processor automatically reduces its clock speed to lower the temperature. This is a useful form of self-protection but it can however, cause problems for the application. It results in less power, longer reaction times or instable behaviour during intensive CPU-bound processes. This can be a particularly critical factor in industrial applications when data has to be processed in real-time or control tasks are required to run reliably. If the temperature continues to increase this can result in system failures or at worst in permanent damage.

Active coolers provide a reliable solution

Chipkühler HZ25B

An active cooler is a combination of a heat sink and an integrated or mounted fan. The heat sink absorbs the heat directly from the heat source while the fan targets the airflow. The heat is thus more efficiently dissipated than is the case with purely passive cooling.

Active cooling reduces the temperature

A practical example describes the effect quite clearly: After using SEPA EUROPE’s HZ25B active cooler the temperature of a single board computer was successfully reduced from 80 °C to 60 °C with the consequence that the risk of thermal throttling was likewise minimized and the system significantly improved.

The HZ25B active cooler was developed by SEPA EUROPE and is a smart combination of a heat sink and a micro fan. The heat sink comprises high-purity aluminium and has a convincing low thermal resistance. The integrated MF17B miniature fan is equipped with a special, long-lasting MagFix® sleeve bearing that is designed for operating temperatures of up to 80°C. Thanks to its extremely flat design, the cooler is particularly suitable for applications where space is restricted.

Plan thermal management from the outset

Thermal management should be addressed at an early stage of development and not at the end. If consideration is given to the cooling issue too late, the installation space, airflow paths or mounting points have often already been determined. Subsequent solutions are then frequently more complex, less efficient or mechanically more difficult to implement. It is therefore constructive to define the thermal requirements already in the concept phase. These include the maximum power loss, the ambient temperature, the installation position, the housing shape, the permissible surface temperature and the operating time. Load profiles are also of importance: Is the single board computer running constantly at peak loads or do performance peaks occur only for a short time?

SEPA EUROPE’s specialist will gladly support you in choosing both the right cooling solution and the design-in.

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