Figure 1 Data acquisitions system in a harsh environment

It is not unusual to find high-end electronic equipment in non-traditional environments such as communications equipment on mast, pole or roof-mounted enclosures. Figure 1 shows a system mounted on a tower in the arctic collecting weather readings.

Construction equipment, trains, planes, and sea vessels are also demanding onboard computer systems for GPS tracking, navigation, and control systems, which must function in severe weather and vibration such as heavy seas, turbulence, and construction sites.

Dust Build-Up Problems

Most high end computer systems require cooling fans and vent holes for air cooling. But over time even in a relatively clean and climate-controlled environment dust and other potentially conductive debris will be infused into the unit over time. Figure 2 shows a damaged power supply due to dust build up on the electrical components. This dust and debris can cause bridging of circuits and traces due to conductive material resting across insulating barriers.

Figure 2 A damaged power supply caused by dust and  conductive material building up on the internal components

Dust build up acts as a reservoir for ionic contaminates and moisture entrapment from humidity. Over time, these can enable the growth of conductive dendrites that may ultimately bridge insulating barriers.

Dendrites are microscopic conductive paths that are formed into ionic materials. Dust accumulation will degrade the performance of heat sinks and air filters that provide cooling for heat elements such as processors and chipsets. As these get clogged, the operating temperature of components will increase, ultimately leading to reduced component life.

Humidity and Moisture Problems
Humidity and moisture are more pronounced in outdoor environments. Even in air-conditioned cabinets, moisture condensation may occur as temperatures increase and decrease as cabinet doors are opened for service. If equipment is located near the ocean, salt fog penetration will accelerate metal corrosion, as well as provide a rich mixture of ions to promote dendrite growth.

Temperature Problems

Outdoor computer electronic systems must withstand the rigors of the climate they are installed in, with temperature extremes as low as -30°C (-22°F) and as high as 45°C (113°F). Solar loading can increase the effective operating temperature by as much as 20° to 30°C.

Orbit Micro Fanless Systems

Our fanless systems are completely enclosed in aluminum chassis that have no vent holes, so dust cannot enter into the system. The aluminum chassis also serves as a huge external heatsink that dissipates heat from the components inside the system such as processors that are cooled by heatpipes that are connected to the external heatsink.

Orbit Micro fanless systems utilizes state of the art high performance processors borrowed from the laptop industry that consume very low amounts of power and output very little heat. These processors provide maximum performance in harsh outdoor environments subjected to solar loading without sacrificing performance due to thermal throttling.