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Cooling & Fan Control

Manage cooling profiles and fan settings for optimal performance and noise levels.

⏱️ Time Required: 2 minutes (check status) | 5 minutes (change profile)

Overview​

Your EDC includes an active cooling system with intelligent fan control to keep components running at optimal temperatures:

Cooling System:

  • High-performance cooling fans located at the back of the compute drawer
  • Fans exhaust hot air directly out the rear panel
  • Intake from interior airflow through perforated materials
  • Temperature-based automatic speed control
  • Three user-selectable cooling profiles

Location: Fans are mounted at the back of the larger drawer shelf, facing the rear panel

[IMAGE: Fan location at rear of compute drawer with rear panel exhaust vents]

Control: Manual profile selection via button on the fans in the top drawer

For Most Users: Leave on Balanced​

The EDC comes pre-configured with the "Balanced" cooling profile, which works well for most deployments.

Quick Check (30 seconds):​

  1. Listen to the fan noise:

    • Should be a steady, low hum during normal operation
    • Fans will speed up under heavy load
    • Should not be excessively loud or completely silent

  2. Feel the exhaust air:

    • Place hand near rear panel exhaust vents
    • Should feel warm air flowing out
    • Not hot enough to be uncomfortable

✅ Fans running normally? You're done!

👉 Continue to Storage Drawers

Understanding Cooling Profiles​

The EDC offers three cooling profiles with different fan speed curves:

🌿 Eco Profile (Quietest)​

Best for:

  • Office environments where noise matters
  • Light workloads (basic VMs, low CPU usage)
  • Cooler ambient temperatures (< 20°C / 68°F)

Fan Behavior:

  • Starting speed: 2800 RPM at 25°C (77°F)
  • Maximum speed: 4000 RPM at 45°C (113°F)
  • Noise level: Very quiet, gentle hum
  • Cooling capacity: Adequate for light loads

When NOT to use Eco:

  • High ambient temperatures (> 25°C / 77°F)
  • Heavy sustained workloads
  • All nodes running at high CPU utilization
  • Dense VM deployments

Best for:

  • Most deployments and use cases
  • Mixed workloads (some VMs, normal usage)
  • Normal ambient temperatures (15-25°C / 59-77°F)
  • Good balance of cooling and noise

Fan Behavior:

  • Starting speed: 3200 RPM at 25°C (77°F)
  • Maximum speed: 4600 RPM at 45°C (113°F)
  • Noise level: Moderate, noticeable but not loud
  • Cooling capacity: Good for typical edge workloads

This is the default profile - works well in most situations.

⚡ Turbo Profile (Maximum Cooling)​

Best for:

  • Hot environments (> 25°C / 77°F ambient)
  • Maximum compute workloads
  • High-density VM deployments
  • When you need maximum cooling capacity
  • Shorter deployments where noise isn't a concern

Fan Behavior:

  • Starting speed: 3600 RPM at 25°C (77°F)
  • Maximum speed: Maximum RPM at 40°C (104°F)
  • Noise level: Loud, datacenter-level noise
  • Cooling capacity: Maximum available

Trade-off: Significantly louder but provides best thermal performance.

How to Change Cooling Profile​

Locate the Fan Control Button:​

  1. Unlock and open the top storage drawer

    • This is the larger, full-depth drawer

  2. Look at the rear of the drawer

    • Fans are visible at the back
    • Control button is located on or near the fans

[IMAGE: Fan control button location at rear of top drawer]

Change the Profile:​

  1. Press the fan control button to cycle through profiles:

    • Each press switches to the next profile
    • Profile order: Eco → Balanced → Turbo → (back to Eco)

  2. Listen to the fan speed change

    • You'll hear the fans speed up or slow down immediately
    • New profile takes effect right away

  3. Close the drawer when done

Note: The selected profile is retained even after power cycling the EDC.

Monitoring Temperature & Fan Speed​

📊 Check Temperature via IoT Dashboard

The IoT monitoring device can show real-time temperature and fan status:

  1. Access the IoT web interface:

    • Open browser and navigate to IoT device IP address
    • Log in with your credentials

  2. View the dashboard:

    • Internal temperature readings
    • Current fan RPM
    • Active cooling profile

  3. Monitor trends:

    • Temperature over time
    • Fan speed variations
    • Thermal alerts (if any)

For detailed IoT setup: → IoT Monitoring

📊 Monitor via HCI Platform

Most HCI platforms (Scale Computing, StorMagic, etc.) provide temperature monitoring:

  1. Log into your HCI management console

  2. Navigate to hardware monitoring or health status

  3. Check node temperatures:

    • CPU temperatures
    • Storage temperatures
    • System temperatures

  4. Look for thermal warnings or alerts

Normal operating temperatures:

  • Idle: 30-40°C (86-104°F)
  • Light load: 40-50°C (104-122°F)
  • Heavy load: 50-65°C (122-149°F)
  • Warning threshold: > 70°C (158°F)

Airflow and Ventilation​

Keep Vents Clear​

Rear Panel Exhaust:

  • Keep at least 6 inches (15cm) clearance behind the EDC
  • Don't block exhaust vents with equipment or walls
  • Exhaust area should have open air circulation

Front Panel Intake:

  • Perforated materials allow air intake from front
  • Don't cover the front panel completely during operation
  • Optional mesh filter cloth may be available (check your edition)

Side Ventilation:

  • EDC case has ventilation holes and perforations
  • Don't stack items on top of closed EDC
  • Maintain clearance on sides if possible

[IMAGE: Diagram showing airflow path - intake from front/interior, exhaust from rear]

Cooling Performance by Edition​

📦 NUC Edition​

Thermal Characteristics:

  • Lowest heat generation (3× NUC nodes)
  • Typical power: 250-400W
  • Cooling requirement: Low to moderate

Profile Recommendations:

  • Eco: Good for most deployments
  • Balanced: Use if ambient > 20°C (68°F)
  • Turbo: Rarely needed unless very hot environment

🔶 HR01-2 Edition​

Thermal Characteristics:

  • Moderate heat generation (2× HR-01 nodes)
  • Typical power: 350-550W
  • Cooling requirement: Moderate

Profile Recommendations:

  • Eco: Light workloads, cool environments
  • Balanced: Most deployments (default)
  • Turbo: Hot environments or sustained heavy load

🔷 HR01-4 Edition​

Thermal Characteristics:

  • Highest heat generation (4× HR-01 nodes)
  • Typical power: 600-900W
  • Cooling requirement: High

Profile Recommendations:

  • Eco: Not recommended for most deployments
  • Balanced: Moderate workloads, controlled environment
  • Turbo: Recommended for most production deployments

Environmental Considerations​

🌡️ Operating Temperature Guidelines

Recommended ambient temperature range:

  • Ideal: 15-25°C (59-77°F)
  • Acceptable: 10-30°C (50-86°F)
  • Not recommended: Below 10°C or above 30°C

Note: The EDC is designed for deployment in controlled environments, not exposed to extreme temperatures.

If deploying in hot environments:

  • Use Turbo cooling profile
  • Ensure excellent ventilation
  • Consider reducing workload during peak heat
  • Monitor temperatures closely
  • Provide shade or climate control if possible

If deploying in cold environments:

  • Allow EDC to warm up before heavy workloads
  • Condensation may occur when bringing cold EDC into warm environment
  • Let system acclimate for 30 minutes before powering on
🏜️ Dusty Environments

Current Configuration:

  • No user-serviceable air filters at this time
  • Airflow design uses perforated materials
  • Not recommended for extremely dusty environments

If deploying in dusty conditions:

  • Use Balanced or Turbo profile (higher airflow helps prevent dust buildup)
  • Position EDC to minimize dust intake
  • Some editions may include optional mesh filter cloth for front intake
  • Monitor for dust accumulation over time
  • Contact your reseller/partner about filter options

Dust-sensitive deployments:

  • Construction sites: Use with caution, provide dust barriers
  • Desert/sandy areas: Minimize exposure, use enclosure if possible
  • Industrial environments: Assess dust levels before deployment

Troubleshooting​

🔧 Fans running very loud constantly

Problem: Fans at maximum speed all the time, very noisy

Possible causes:

  1. Turbo profile is active

    • Check fan control button, switch to Balanced or Eco
    • May have been changed accidentally

  2. High ambient temperature

    • Check room/environment temperature
    • Is EDC in direct sunlight or hot area?
    • Provide better ventilation or cooler location

  3. Heavy workload

    • Check what VMs/applications are running
    • High CPU usage will increase temperature
    • This is normal behavior - fans doing their job

  4. Blocked airflow

    • Check rear panel exhaust - is it blocked?
    • Is EDC against a wall or in tight space?
    • Ensure 6+ inches clearance at rear

  5. Temperature sensor issue

    • If fans run at max speed even when system is cool
    • May indicate sensor problem
    • Contact your reseller/partner for support
🔧 Fans not running or very slow

Problem: Can't hear fans running, no air from exhaust

Solutions:

  1. Check cooling profile

    • May be on Eco with low system load
    • This is normal - fans run slower when cool
    • Try Balanced profile to hear fans clearly

  2. System is very cool

    • If ambient temperature is low and workload is light
    • Fans may run at minimum speed
    • This is normal and efficient

  3. Fan failure

    • If no air at all from exhaust even under load
    • Temperature warnings in HCI platform
    • Power down system immediately
    • Contact your reseller/partner for service

  4. Fan control issue

    • Try cycling through profiles with control button
    • If button doesn't change fan speed
    • May need service - contact support
🔧 Temperature warnings or thermal throttling

Problem: HCI platform showing high temperature warnings, performance degraded

Immediate actions:

  1. Switch to Turbo cooling profile

    • Provides maximum cooling immediately
    • Should reduce temperatures within minutes

  2. Check airflow obstructions

    • Verify rear exhaust is completely clear
    • Remove any objects blocking vents
    • Ensure EDC has proper clearance

  3. Reduce workload temporarily

    • Shut down non-essential VMs
    • Reduce CPU-intensive processes
    • Let system cool down

  4. Improve environment

    • Move EDC to cooler location if possible
    • Add external fan or air circulation
    • Reduce ambient temperature

Long-term solutions:

  1. Reassess deployment environment

    • May be too hot for sustained operation
    • Consider climate control
    • Evaluate workload distribution

  2. Check for hardware issues

    • Failed fan or sensor
    • Dust accumulation
    • Contact support if thermal issues persist

Best Practices​

For Quiet Operation:

  • Use Eco profile in office/quiet environments
  • Keep workloads moderate
  • Deploy in climate-controlled space
  • Maintain good ventilation

For Maximum Performance:

  • Use Balanced or Turbo profile
  • Ensure excellent ventilation
  • Monitor temperatures under load
  • Don't restrict airflow

For Long Equipment Life:

  • Avoid sustained operation at high temperatures (> 65°C)
  • Use appropriate cooling profile for your environment
  • Keep exhaust clear at all times
  • Respond to temperature warnings promptly

What's Next?​

After understanding cooling management:

👉 LED Control - Control interior and exterior lighting

👉 Storage Drawers - Organize and access storage drawers