VXIbus--A Modular Standard for Test & Measurement

System Cooling Requirements

The VXIbus specification fully defines the cooling requirements for both mainframes and modules. Cooling requirements are specified in a way that accommodates a wide range of system applications.

Each manufacturer of chassis and/or modules, is required to publish the product's cooling capacity and/or requirements. Modules should specify necessary rates of air flow and resulting pressure drop across the module- Mainframe manufacturers must publish a curve of air volume as a function of the pressure drop from the top to bottom of the card cage for the worst slot position in the mainframe. These two specifications will allow the user to determine that a module is compatible with a mainframe.

Direction of airflow is also specified from P3 towards Pl. This allows the module manufacturers to design the module with airflow direction to the hottest components or by placement of heat-sensitive components towards the bottom of the card. Methods of testing the cooling requirements are also defined.