319977-003 Datasheet, PDF (38/45 Pages) Intel Corporation – Intel Atom Processor 230 Series Features

Thermal Specifications and Design Considerations
5
5.1
Thermal Specifications and
Design Considerations
The processor requires a thermal solution to maintain temperatures within operating
limits as set forth in Section Thermal Specifications. Any attempt to operate the
processor outside these operating limits may result in permanent damage to the
processor and potentially other components in the system. As processor technology
changes, thermal management becomes increasingly crucial when building computer
systems. Maintaining the proper thermal environment is key to reliable, long-term
system operation.
A complete thermal solution includes both component and system level thermal
management features. Component level thermal solutions include active or passive
heatsink attached to the exposed processor die. The solution should make firm contact
to the die while maintaining processor mechanical specifications such as pressure. A
typical system level thermal solution may consist of a system fan used to evacuate or
pull air through the system. For more information on designing a component level
thermal solution, please refer to the appropriate Thermal and Mechanical Design
Guidelines (see Section 1.3). Alternatively, the processor may be in a fan-less system,
but would likely still use a multi-component heat spreader. Note that trading of thermal
solutions also involves trading performance.
Thermal Specifications
To allow for the optimal operation and long-term reliability of Intel processor-based
systems, the system/processor thermal solution should be designed such that the
processor remains within the minimum and maximum case temperature (Tc)
specifications at the corresponding thermal design power (TDP) value listed in Table
5-14. Thermal solutions not designed to provide this level of thermal capability may
affect the long-term reliability of the processor and system. For more details on
thermal solution design, refer to the appropriate Thermal and Mechanical Design
Guidelines (see Section 1.3).
The case temperature is defined at the geometric top center of the processor. Analysis
indicates that real applications are unlikely to cause the processor to consume the
theoretical maximum power dissipation for sustained time periods. Intel recommends
that complete thermal solution designs target the TDP indicated in Table 5-14 instead
of the maximum processor power consumption. The Intel Thermal Monitor feature is
designed to help protect the processor in the unlikely event that an application exceeds
the TDP recommendation for a sustained period of time. For more details on the usage
of this feature, refer to Section 5.1.2. In all cases the Intel Thermal Monitor feature
must be enabled for the processor to remain within specification.
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Datasheet