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How Do I Stop My PXI Chassis or Module From Overheating?

Updated Dec 19, 2023

Environment

Hardware

  • PXI Chassis

I have a PXI or PXIe chassis with one or more modules, and the chassis temperature gets very high when my application is running. The temperature is either getting close to or exceeding the maximum operating temperature for my chassis or modules. What can I do to keep the temperature down?

​Make sure to follow the Best Practices for Building and Maintaining PXI Systems when designing and using your system. Below are a few temperature-specific points from this document.
  • Best practices for a PXI or PXIe chassis is to put NI PXI Slot Blockers in unused slots. This will enhance system cooling by redirecting airflow from unused slots to populated slots.
  • Clean chassis fan filters at a minimum interval of six months (if applicable).
  • It is recommended to set fan speed selector to HIGH on applicable chassis
  • Rearrange the modules within the chassis.

Additional Information

Here, Operating Temperature and Ambient Temperature mean the same thing. 

Definition of Ambient Temperature for Chassis: The chassis fan control system uses the intake air temperature as the input for controlling fan speeds when in Auto Fan Speed mode. Because of this, the chassis ambient temperature is defined as the temperature of the air just outside of the fan intake vents on the bottom of the chassis. Note that this temperature may be higher than ambient room temperature depending on the surrounding equipment and/or blockages present. If the temperature exceeds the stated spec, the front-panel temperature LED blinks red.