Technical data

6-8
Chassis Operations
6
the VMEmodules and the drives in the VME card cage. Cooling air
is drawn in at the front of the fan module, forced past the
VMEmodules, drives, and power supply, and vented through the
right rear panel of the chassis.
The internal fan provides airflow sufficient for most installations,
but some high-density, high-power VMEmodules may require
additional cooling. When integrating VMEmodules that are known
to run hot, testing is advisable to confirm that these modules are
properly cooled.
Note also that for tape storage media, a maximum safe temperature
of 50° C (122° F) is specified. Since the operating temperatures
within the chassis will always be greater than the air inlet
temperature, avoid using tapes if the inlet temperature exceeds
40° C (104° F).
To ensure adequate cooling:
❏ The air space behind the rack must not be blocked, and the
fan inlet screens must be clean.
❏ The air inlet temperature must not exceed 50° C/122° F (or
40° C/104° F if storage tapes are used). When the system is
installed in a rack with other chassis, be sure that each unit in
the rack is provided with its own supply of cooling air. Do not
use air heated by one chassis to “cool” another chassis.
❏ The side and back panels of the rack must be in place.
❏ All unused VMEmodule slots must be covered.
❏ All front bezels must be in place.
❏ All unoccupied rack mount locations must be covered with
blank bezels.
The system is designed for use in a relatively clean (office or lab)
environment. To assure reliable operation in an industrial
environment, you may need to provide protection against airborne
particles and other contaminants, especially for the disk or tape
drives and their associated media.