COMe-bKL6 – User Guide Rev.1.2
www.kontron.com
// 31
2.5.
Thermal Management
2.5.1.
Heatspreader and Active or Passive Cooling Solutions
A heatspreader plate assembly is available from Kontron for the COMe-bKL6. The heatspreader plate assembly is
NOT a heat sink. The heatspreader works as a COM Express® standard thermal interface to be use with a heat sink or
external cooling devices.
External cooling must be provided to maintain the heatspreader plate at proper operating temperatures. Under
worst-case conditions, the cooling mechanism must maintain an ambient air and heatspreader plate temperature on
any spot of the heatspreader's surface according to the module’s specifications:
60°C for commercial temperature grade modules
75°C for extended temperature grade modules (E1)
85°C for industrial temperature grade modules by screening (E2S)
2.5.2.
Active or Passive Cooling Solutions
Both active and passive thermal management approaches can be used with heatspreader plates. The optimum
cooling solution varies, depending on the COM Express® application and environmental conditions. Active or passive
cooling solutions provided from Kontron for the COMe-bKL6 are usually designed to cover the power and thermal
dissipation for a commercial temperature range used in housing with proper airflow. For more information
concerning possible cooling solutions, see Chapter 2.2 Accessories.
2.5.3.
Operating with Kontron Heatspreader Plate (HSP) Assembly
The operating temperature defines two requirements:
Maximum ambient temperature with ambient being the air surrounding the module
Maximum measurable temperature on any spot on the heatspreader's surface
The heatspreader is tested for the temperature specifications listed in the table below.
Table 9: Heatspreader Test Temperature Specifications
Temperature Specification
Validation Requirements
Commercial Grade
at 60°C HSP temperature the CPU @ 100% load needs to run at nominal
frequency
Extended Grade (E1)
at 75°C HSP temperature the CPU @ 75% load is allowed to start
speedstepping for thermal protection
Industrial Grade by screening (E2S)
at 85°C HSP temperature the CPU @ 50% load is allowed to start
throttling for thermal protection
2.5.4.
Operating without Kontron Heatspreader Plate (HSP) Assembly
The operating temperature is the maximum measurable temperature on any spot on the module's surface.
