Pace Micro uses EMC to boost hard drive life

摘要

Pace Micro Technology has used thermal and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) software to reduce temperature of a new set-top box by as much as 5 per cent, substantially increasing disk drive reliability and life, claims the company. Alan Bate, senior design engineer for Pace Micro, used Flotherm software from Flomerics to simulate the thermal performance of the case. He used the simulation results to trade off the thermal performance of different heat sink geometries and materials and venting arrangements against their cost. Meanwhile, Bate used generic EMC design guidelines developed by Araf Suhail, consultant EMC engineer for Pace Micro, using Flomerics Flo/ EMC software to ensure that the mechanical design kept emissions at the level required to maintain EMC.