Kontron COMe-cBT6 User Manual
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COMe-cBT6 / Product Specification
3.13 Thermal Management, Heatspreader and Cooling Solutions
A heatspreader plate assembly is available from Kontron Europe GmbH for the COMe-cBT6. The heatspreader plate on top
of this assembly is NOT a heat sink. It works as a COM Express®-standard thermal interface to 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 the module specifications:
» 60°C for commercial grade modules
» 75°C for extended temperature grade modules (E1)
» 85°C for industrial temperature grade modules (E2/XT)
The aluminum slugs and thermal pads or the heat-pipe on the underside of the heatspreader assembly implement thermal
interfaces between the heatspreader plate and the major heat-generating components on the COMe-cBT6. About 80
percent of the power dissipated within the module is conducted to the heatspreader plate and can be removed by the
cooling solution.
You can use many thermal-management solutions with the heatspreader plates, including active and passive approaches.
The optimum cooling solution varies, depending on the COM Express® application and environmental conditions. Active
or passive cooling solutions provided from Kontron Europe GmbH for the COMe-cBT6 are usually designed to cover the
power and thermal dissipation for a commercial grade temperature range used in a housing with proper air flow.
Documentation and CAD drawings of COMe-cBT6 heatspreader and cooling solutions are provided at
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