ADLINK Express HL Module Selection and Heat Dissipation Configuration Guide

ADLINK Express HL Module Selection and Heat Dissipation Configuration Guide

ADLINK Express HL is a series of COM Express Basic size modules (125 mm x 95 mm) that comply with the PICMG COM. 0 Rev 2.1 Type 6 standard and are equipped with the fourth generation Intel Core ™ Haswell mobile processor and QM87/HM86 chipset, supporting up to 16GB dual channel DDR3L memory, three independent display outputs, seven PCIe x1 and one PCIe x16 (Gen3) expansion channel, as well as rich I/O (USB 3.0/2.0, SATA 6 Gb/s, GbE, UART, etc.). This module is specially integrated with Smart Embedded Management Agent (SEMA) ®） The on-board controller provides advanced management functions such as voltage/current monitoring, dual BIOS fault protection, watchdog timer, fan control, and the optional Extreme Rugged wide temperature version from -40 ° C to+85 ° C, which is suitable for military, transportation, outdoor edge computing and other harsh environments.

Model Overview and Selection Decision Tree

Express HL offers eight CPU options, covering the full range from high performance to low power consumption, with the following core differences:

Model: CPU baseband/turbo TDP core/graphics card level L3 cache

i7-4860EQ 1.8 GHz / 3.2 GHz 47W 4C / GT3 6MB 

i7-4700EQ 2.4 GHz / 3.4 GHz 47W 4C / GT2 6MB 

i5-4400E 2.7 GHz / 3.3 GHz 37W 2C / GT2 3MB 

i5-4402E 1.6 GHz / 2.7 GHz 25W 2C / GT2 3MB 

I3-4100E 2.4 GHz (no turbo) 37W 2C/GT2 3MB

I3-4102E 1.6 GHz (no turbo) 25W 2C/GT2 3MB

Celeron 2000E 2.2 GHz (no turbo) 35W 2C/GT1 2MB (inferred)

Celeron 2002E 1.5 GHz (no turbo) 25W 2C/GT1 2MB (inferred)

Selection suggestion:

High computing power&graphics intensive (such as multi-channel 4K decoding, 3D rendering): Choose i7-4860EQ (GT3 level graphics card, 40 EU) or i7-4700EQ (GT2, 20 EU), but note that the 47W TDP has higher requirements for heat dissipation.

Balanced general-purpose computing (industrial control, machine vision processing): i5-4400E (37W) or i5-4402E (25W) are ideal choices, the latter suitable for compact fanless designs.

Cost sensitive&low-power (simple HMI, data acquisition): Celeron 2002E (25W) or i3-4102E, supporting basic display and I/O functions.

Wide temperature extreme environment: All models can choose the Extreme Rugged version (-40 ° C~+85 ° C), but it needs to be equipped with corresponding heat dissipation schemes and wide temperature level components.

Thermal mechanical design: from thermal diffuser to active fan

The heat dissipation compatible design of Express HL (shared with Express BL) provides flexible thermal management options, arranged in ascending order of heat dissipation capacity as follows:

2.1 Heat Spreader

HTS-HL-B: Bottom Installation (Threaded Stud)

HTS-HL-BT: Top installation (through-hole screw)

The main function of the heat diffuser is to evenly distribute the heat from the CPU and chipset to the entire module surface, making it easier to connect larger areas of heat sinks or cold plates in the future. Suitable for the design of conductive heat dissipation chassis or closely attached metal shells.

2.2 Passive heat sink

Low rise type (THS-HL-BL/BT): suitable for chassis with a height of less than 2U, with natural airflow convection.

High end (THS-HL-BL, bottom mounted only): With a larger heat dissipation area, it is suitable for spaces that allow for higher heights.

2.3 Active fan cooling module

THSF-HL-BL: High end heat sink integrated fan with bottom mounting threads, providing the strongest heat dissipation capability, ensuring stable operation of the 47W model at an ambient temperature of 60 ° C.

Design points:

Bottom installation (BL suffix) requires reserved threaded holes on the carrier board, while top installation (BT suffix) is fixed from above the module through through through holes, paying attention to mechanical interference.

The actual thermal performance needs to be combined with the internal air duct design of the chassis, and it is recommended to use thermal simulation or actual measurement verification.

For the wide temperature version (+85 ° C), it is necessary to use high type heat sinks and ensure forced air cooling, or adopt more aggressive solutions such as liquid cooling.

Power architecture and power consumption optimization strategy

3.1 Input voltage mode

ATX mode: requires+12V ± 5% and+5VSB ± 5% (standby power), supports S3/S4/S5 sleep and remote wake-up (WOL, USB wake-up).

AT mode: Only requires+12V ± 5% (no standby power), starts immediately upon power on, suitable for simple embedded devices.

3.2 Wide compression options

The standard input is a fixed 12V, but a wide voltage version (8.5V~20V) is available, allowing the use of non regulated industrial DC power sources (such as 12V or 24V batteries) to enhance system robustness.

3.3 Power Management Status

The module supports ACPI 4.0, including C1~C6 (CPU power-saving state), S0 (working), S1 (sleep), S3 (suspend to memory), S4 (suspend to hard drive), S5 (soft shutdown), and S5 ECO mode (deep power-saving, minimizing standby power consumption). The actual power consumption depends on CPU load and integrated display usage. At full load, the typical peak of the 47W model (such as i7-4860EQ) is about 55W. When selecting a power supply, a 30% margin should be reserved.