Media Player Thermal Design Case Study
Introduction
A consumer electronics company was developing a new Set Top Box(STB) HD DVR for a well known satellite television provider. The clientrequested the assistance of Aavid, Thermal division of BoydCorporation, in their overall thermal and mechanical design of thechassis. The objective was to develop a cost effective solutionconsidering ease of manufacturing in a high volume application.
The Challenge
Aavid must provide a mechanical chassis design that meetsrequirement specified from STB service provider.
Select or design a natural convection heat sink(s) for the CPU andchipset and determine the optimum location for a cost effective,inexpensive, and easily manufactured solution.
Design proper heat spreader for hard disk drive (HDD)
The Solution
Aavid’s thermal analysis & design included:
-Optimizing air ventilation in terms of percentage opening and location.
-Use part of chassis for heat sinking while monitoring its touchtemperature.
-Optimizing internal and external thermal radiation and internalconduction. Maximize cooling performance for natural convection andselect a low speed fan/blower if additional cooling is necessary.
The Deliverables/Results
Aavid:
-Optimized air ventilation in terms of percentage opening and location
-Designed proper heat spreader for HDD
-Designed natural convection heat sinks for CPU and chipset anddetermined optimum location.
-Allowed the client to have a reliable thermal solution for its endcustomer.