Industrial control computers (ICCs) have numerous applications in industrial control systems, which is one of the factors contributing to their continued strong sales in the market. To enhance understanding of ICCs, this article will introduce topics such as noise levels and maintenance procedures.
I. How to reduce industrial computer noise
(a) Reduce radiator noise
1. Silent radiator
The principle behind silent heatsinks is to increase fan speed, accelerate airflow, increase fan diameter, widen airflow channels, and increase the heatsink's surface area, while also increasing fan diameter. Alternatively, the heatsink's fan shape can be optimized, and a drainage design can be used to prevent surrounding airflow from flowing, rather than forcing airflow.
2. Integration of radiator and chassis
External "cold" air is drawn in through the radiators at the front and sides of the chassis via various accessories of the industrial computer. A portion of the hot air from the CPU is exhausted through the radiator at the rear of the chassis, while the remaining hot air is exhausted through the power radiator. This design increases the airflow of the radiator, improves its rotation speed, effectively dissipates heat, reduces radiator noise, and extends the machine's lifespan.
(II) Speed Control
The primary goal of heatsink fans is to meet the cooling requirements of high-load processors. However, in actual use, they are mostly used for medium- and low-load mainstream processors, which do not require high speeds to provide a large airflow. Therefore, many manufacturers control the speed to reduce the noise of the heatsink.
Industrial control computers are now used more and more widely, and are involved in almost all industries. Noisy industrial control computers can no longer meet the needs of some users, and they are now being replaced by embedded fanless industrial control computers one after another.
Heat dissipation of embedded industrial PCs:
Embedded industrial computers are fanless and use centralized heating for balanced heat dissipation, resulting in near-zero noise. They are suitable for research and office environments and completely solve the problems of insufficient heat dissipation and noise in traditional industrial control computers.
II. Maintenance and upkeep of industrial control computers
1. Chassis
The chassis includes a power supply, passive baseplate, and fan. The power supply is designed for continuous operation over extended periods and requires high performance, featuring overvoltage and overcurrent protection, electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection, and lightning protection. Regularly check for dust entering the power supply fan to prevent interference with its operation.
Passive backplanes provide power to various expansion cards, including graphics cards, sound cards, and network cards. For routine maintenance, pay attention to the following three points: 1. Never insert or remove expansion cards while the backplane is powered on. When inserting or removing cards, do not use excessive force. When cleaning the backplane with alcohol or other cleaning agents, be careful to avoid scratching it. 2. Dust should not accumulate inside the slots, otherwise it will lead to poor contact or even short circuits. 3. Check whether the metal feet inside the slots are aligned and not bent; otherwise, it will affect the operation of the expansion cards in the system, causing various problems such as failure to display anything upon startup or system crashes.
The fan inside the industrial control computer chassis is specifically designed for industrial computers. It blows air into the chassis to lower the internal temperature. Regularly check that the power supply is plugged in and that the fan's external filter is cleaned periodically to prevent excessive dust from entering the chassis.
2. Motherboard
Industrial PC motherboards are designed for long-term operation in complex environments. When using them, please note the following: Do not hot-swap memory modules, mouse, keyboard, etc., to avoid damaging the connectors and the motherboard. Do not arbitrarily change the jumpers on the motherboard; consult the manual or user manual, otherwise, damage may occur due to different voltage settings between different motherboard models. Clean the motherboard regularly to remove dust. Ensure the gold fingers of the motherboard are clean and properly secured in the passive baseplate.
3. Hard drive, optical drive
Do not disassemble the hard drive arbitrarily, and avoid vibration and pressure. When moving it, be sure to pack it in an anti-static plastic bag or secure it with shock-absorbing materials such as sponge. Avoid turning off the computer power while the hard drive is running, as sudden shutdown can damage the hard drive tracks and cause data loss. Do not tamper with the jumpers on the hard drive. Use power-saving features in the operating system as efficiently as possible to extend the hard drive's lifespan. Regularly check for viruses to prevent infection.
Do not open the optical drive door arbitrarily when using an industrial computer; do not use damaged optical discs; prevent dust from entering the optical drive; do not vibrate, bend, or hit the optical drive during use; ensure the data cable is properly connected to guarantee smooth disc reading.
4. Various expansion cards (graphics cards, sound cards, network cards, etc.)
For circuit boards, the following precautions should be taken: keep them dust-free; ensure the pins are intact; insert the board vertically without bending it; and do not plug or unplug the connectors on the external sockets of the board while it is powered on.
In routine maintenance, the first step is to provide the industrial PC with a stable operating environment. Vibration during hard drive read/write operations can cause severe wear on the drive or even damage the hard drive. If the industrial PC is to be placed against a wall, there should be sufficient clearance to ensure good heat dissipation; otherwise, components will age faster.
