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Pico E-15 Hardware Reference
www.picocomputing.com
Pico Computing
(206) 283-2178
150 Nickerson Street. Suite 311
Seattle, WA 98109
44
Appendix H – FPGA Performance Enhancements
Overview:
Like most silicon devices, the FPGA on the Pico E-15 can be overclocked if proper cooling
techniques are employed. Care must be taken to avoid thermal runaway.
Thermal Runaway:
As the die temperature of the FPGA increases, it draws more power. This extra power gets
turned into heat. If thermal equilibrium is not reached with proper cooling, the FPGA will
overheat. The E-15 is protected against catestropic overtemperature conditions via the
integrated temperature sensor, although the limits should not routinely be pushed. The
maximum FPGA core temperature is 150°C. Note that chips surrounding the FPGA can be
damaged by temperatures above 70°C.
Heat Sink Placement:
The heat sink of the FPGA is internally connected via thermal grease to the case of the
CardBus card on the bottom side (no markings). Placing a large heat sink on the outside of the
case can allow higher performance.