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.

Monitoring tool: SEMA controller provides real-time voltage/current monitoring, which can be read through SEMA API for dynamic power management or abnormal warning.

SEMA onboard controller - embedded intelligent management core

SEMA is a key value-added feature that distinguishes Express HL from regular COM Express modules, and its integrated resources include:

Voltage/current monitoring: Real time tracking of the core power rail to assist in locating power supply anomalies.

Power timing debugging support: Record the power on timing for easy troubleshooting of startup failures.

AT/ATX mode control: software switchable, no hardware jumper required.

Logistics and forensic information: Production batches, serial numbers, and operation logs of storage modules for asset management.

Tablet control: Provides signals such as backlight adjustment and panel switch.

Universal I2C interface: expands external sensors or EEPROM.

Fault safe BIOS (dual BIOS): Automatically switches to backup when the main BIOS is damaged, ensuring system recoverability.

Watchdog timer: prevents software deadlock, supports timeout reset or interrupt.

Fan control: Supports PWM speed regulation and dynamically adjusts the speed according to temperature.

Application Practice:

In critical task systems, it is recommended to enable watchdog and configure a reasonable timeout period (such as 30 seconds), and feed the dog at regular intervals in the application.

Under the dual BIOS mechanism, users do not need to manually intervene. After the main BIOS verification fails, it automatically boots from the backup, but it should be noted that the backup BIOS version should be consistent.

The I2C interface of SEMA can be connected to ambient temperature sensors to supplement the shortcomings of onboard temperature monitoring.

Display and PCIe expansion configuration

5.1 Three independent displays

The module provides three DDI ports (DDI1/2/3), each of which can be configured as a DisplayPort, HDMI, or DVI (with level conversion required), and additionally offers:

VGA: Analog output, supports QXGA (2048 × 1536) @ 60Hz.

LVDS: Derived from eDP (two channel) conversion, supports single/dual channel 18/24 bit, and can be directly connected to industrial LCD screens.

Suggestion for multi screen applications: Three DDIs can output simultaneously (such as two DP and one HDMI), and LVDS shares bandwidth with one of the DDIs. Please refer to the carrier design guidelines to avoid conflicts.

5.2 PCIe Channel Allocation

One PCIe x16 (Gen3): can be configured as a single x16, or two x8s, or one x8+two x4s (adjusted through BIOS).

Seven PCIe x1: six from Lane 0-5 (AB group) and one from Lane 6 (CD group).

Typical configuration:

When a dedicated graphics card or high-speed FPGA acceleration card is required, it occupies x16.

If multiple gigabit Ethernet ports, serial port cards, CAN cards, etc. are required, x1 channel can be used.

Note that Gen3 speed requires high signal integrity, and cable length and connector quality must meet the standards.

BIOS and firmware advanced settings

Express HL uses AMI EFI BIOS (8 MB SPI Flash) and supports Intel AMT 9.0 (i217LM network card only). The key settings include:

Startup sequence: UEFI and Legacy boot devices can be set separately, and it is recommended to use UEFI mode to support GPT and fast boot.

AMT configuration: When enabled, remote management (KVM, SOL) can be achieved, but additional ME firmware needs to be loaded.

TPM 1.2: Onboard Atmel AT97SC3204, can be enabled in BIOS and used for BitLocker or secure boot.

Serial port redirection: COM1/COM2 supports console redirection for easy debugging of headless systems.

Dual BIOS switching: Usually does not require manual operation, but if you need to force boot from backup, you can refer to SEMA related commands.

Attention: It is recommended to back up the current configuration (through AMI's Save/Load function) before changing BIOS settings to avoid misoperation that may cause failure to boot.

Common hardware troubleshooting and solutions

7.1 Module has no response when powered on

Check if the input voltage of the power supply is within the allowable range (12V ± 5% and 5VSB normal at ATX, only 12V at AT).

Confirm that the power switch signal (PWR_BTN #) on the carrier board has been correctly pulled down (ATX mode needs to trigger power on, AT mode is always low).

Use the SEMA power timing debugging function to observe the power on sequence of each power rail and determine if there is a short circuit or undervoltage.

7.2 Sudden restart or crash during system operation

Read SEMA voltage/current monitoring data and check if+12V drops (possibly due to insufficient power supply).

Check the CPU temperature (BIOS or SEMA reading), if it exceeds 90 ° C, it will trigger overheating protection and require enhanced heat dissipation.

Check if the watchdog has been accidentally triggered (due to the application not feeding the dog in a timely manner), and temporarily disable the watchdog for testing.

7.3 Display no output or screen blur

Confirm the display interface type and cable matching (e.g. DVI requires DVI signal, LVDS requires correct panel resolution configuration).

Try resetting BIOS to default (via SEMA or jumper) to eliminate incorrect video output settings.

If using VGA, check if the DAC load is too heavy (it is recommended to use a standard 75 Ω terminal).

7.4 PCIe devices not recognized

Check the PCIe port configuration in BIOS (whether specific lanes are turned off).

Confirm that the device supports Gen3 or can be downgraded to Gen2 (try BIOS forcing Gen2).

Measure whether the PCIe reference clock (100 MHz) and reset signal (PERST #) are normal.

7.5 USB 3.0 or SATA performance abnormalities

Confirm that the drivers have been installed with Intel chipset drivers and USB 3.0 host controller drivers.

SATA ports support 6 Gb/s, but require appropriate cables and storage devices.

If multiple high-speed devices are connected simultaneously, pay attention to the total bandwidth limit (DMI 2.0 is about 2 GB/s).

Key points of carrier board design and Starter Kit reference

For teams using Express HL for the first time, it is strongly recommended to purchase the COM Express Type 6 Starter Kit Plus, which includes the Express-BASE6 carrier board, power supply, and accessory kit. This carrier board provides a complete interface circuit and reference design, and developers can customize based on its schematic, effectively shortening the hardware development cycle.

Key carrier board signal:

Four SATA ports require+5V power supply and correct interfaces.

USB 3.0 requires strict control over differential impedance (90 Ω) and equal length.

The three DDI ports need to be configured with level conversion according to the output type (such as HDMI requiring+5V and DDC).

A level conversion chip (RS-232/422/485) needs to be added to the serial port to match external devices.

Long term stability and maintenance recommendations

Regular cleaning: Dust accumulation can reduce heat dissipation efficiency. In industrial environments, it is recommended to check fans and heat sinks every six months.

Firmware update: Follow the new BIOS and SEMA firmware released on the ADLINK official website to fix known issues and improve compatibility.

Storage medium: Use industrial grade SSDs (wide temperature, high TBW) to avoid premature damage of consumer grade products in harsh environments.

Log recording: Regularly export operation logs through SEMA's forensic information function for fault precursor analysis.