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6 Design Considerations
Kontron User's Guide ETX CD 41
6 Design Considerations
6.1 Thermal Management
A heat-spreader plate assembly is available from Kontron Embedded Modules GmbH for the ETX®-CD. The
heat-spreader plate on top of this assembly is NOT a heat sink. It works as an ETX®-standard thermal
interface to use with a heat sink or other cooling device.
External cooling must be provided to maintain the heat-spreader plate at proper operating
temperatures. Under worst-case conditions, the cooling mechanism must maintain an ambient air and
heat-spreader plate temperature of 60°C or less.
The aluminum slugs and thermal pads on the underside of the heat-spreader assembly implement
thermal interfaces between the heat spreader plate and the major heat-generating components on the
ETX®-CD. About 80 percent of the power dissipated within the module is conducted to the heat-spreader
plate and can be removed by the cooling solution.
You can use many thermal-management solutions with the heat-spreader plates, including active and
passive approaches. The optimum cooling solution varies, depending on the ETX® application and
environmental conditions. Please see the ETX® Design Guide for further information on thermal
management.
6.2 Heatspreader Dimensions
This is the backside view of the heatspreader plate.