Thursday, September 30, 2010

What I learnt today: plastic top + passively cooled case = component overheat

Luckily I realized this before the T_junction reached 125°C. Or did it.

I know regulators have over-temperature shutdown, I don't think op-amps have.

So, er, people with acrylic and wood cases, take note. Have some vents at where the heatsinks are, both for intake and exhaust (due to convection - rising hot air).

Strange thing is even with the top open and a bit of forced airflow, the regulators still get warm.

This experience is cautionary for me - I was thinking of putting a T-amp in a picture frame, transparent side facing up of course.

But then again, these Zhaolu DACs run hotter than my T-amps, way hotter.

It was only until Zhaolu D3 when they realized to bolt the regulators to the casing to use the casing as a heatsink, no more temperature problem ever since.

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