[Skimmertalk] Red Pitaya set up with N6TV's instructions

[Bob Wilson, N6TV]

I've tried both methods.  Both work, but the fan seemed a lot louder when
on the inside, and it just touched the top of the heat sink. I ended up
using a different fan that was thicker and quieter, and I put it on top as
shown in the photos:

http://www.kkn.net/~n6tv/XFMR

73,
Bob, N6TV

On Thu, Oct 5, 2017 at 6:48 PM, N4ZR <n4zr at comcast.net> wrote:

> I mounted a 25mm muffin fan on the *outside* of the plastic case.  The
> worst temperature experienced was 58C.It looks to me likeeither one will do
> but I think I'll move the fan inside to protect it.
>
> 73, Pete N4ZR
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> On 10/5/2017 5:08 PM, dd5xx at web.de wrote:
>
>> Thanks for info Bob. I want to share my experience:
>>
>> I used the aluminium case before and with the help of your script I
>> monitored the temperature. I never exceeded 67° C even after long working
>> periods (several hours!) and while running sdr_transceiver_hpsdr for the
>> use of 6-band-CW-decode. I cannot explain why my RedPitaya was cooled down
>> better than yours. One hour ago I did a test and replaced the aluminium
>> case with the original RedPitaya plastic housing. Under this housing I
>> installed a fan "SUNON MagLev DC5V ~0.55W". The fan sits exactly (!) above
>> the FPGA heat sink, it fits perfect between FPGA heat sink and plastic
>> housing. I want to emphasize, the cooling fan does not sit above/outside
>> the plastic housing but directly on top of the FPGA heat sink. With this
>> setup the maximum temperature achieved was 56° C. The temperature decreased
>> about 10° C. I definitely will stay at this setup, the fan is doing a great
>> job and I am quite happy.
>>
>> Just wanted to share this information with you.
>>
>> Best 73
>> Saki, DD5XX
>>
>> Gesendet: Donnerstag, 05. Oktober 2017 um 02:56 Uhr
>> Von: "Bob Wilson, N6TV" <n6tv at arrl.net>
>> An: dd5xx at web.de, "SkimmerTalk Reflector" <skimmertalk at contesting.com>
>> Betreff: Re: [Skimmertalk] Red Pitaya set up with N6TV's instructions
>>
>> For Alpine Linux running on the Red Pitaya, try this version of the
>> temperature / voltage display script that I just uploaded (it was modified
>> by Pavel Demin to work in the ash shell):
>>   http://www.kkn.net/~n6tv/xadc-new.sh
>>   According to the FPGA data sheet, 85° C. is the absolute maximum
>> temperature supported by the FPGA.  Of course, heat is the enemy of all
>> electronics (this is why so many un-cooled QS1Rs like mine eventually
>> failed), so the cooler you can keep it, the better.
>>   To cool the aluminum case, I simply mounted a 30mm 5V fan a few mm
>> above the top center of the case, right above the center of the heat sink.
>> That required drilling and tapping some small mounting holes.
>>   Since there is no room inside, and no cooling holes, it's about the
>> only place to put it.  You can then carefully run two thin power wires into
>> a gap on the left side of the case to bring them inside, then carefully
>> solder or somehow connect those two wires to the power pins next to the
>> Ethernet connector (the positive pin is closest to the center of the
>> case).  This Red Pitaya is currently running 66° C with the ambient room
>> temperature around 24° C.
>>   The Red Pitaya next to it in a plastic case with a similar fan on top
>> is running 58° C.
>>   When the room got very warm on a hot day (28° C.) I saw the temperature
>> of the Red Pitay in the metal case get as high as 78° C., which was too
>> close to the limit IMHO.  After adding the fan on top, the most I've seen
>> is around 70° C.
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>>
>
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