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Raptor Computing Systems Hardware => Blackbird => Topic started by: MPC7500 on December 10, 2019, 07:39:02 am

Title: Heatsink dual fan configuration
Post by: MPC7500 on December 10, 2019, 07:39:02 am
Hello,

I would like to know, if the dual fan configuration works in the meantime on the Blackbird? Was there any progress or any kind of update?
Title: Re: Heatsink dual fan configuration
Post by: ClassicHasClass on December 10, 2019, 10:35:16 pm
What do you mean, "dual fan configuration"? My Blackbird has four fans, two on each fan header (CPU and case) using a splitter. I can observe both pairs operating independently.

Or are you referring to some sort of dual HSF assembly?
Title: Re: Heatsink dual fan configuration
Post by: MPC7500 on December 11, 2019, 04:20:35 am
Yes, CPU dual fan config. On the Talos-II it works, on the Blackbird not:
https://wiki.raptorcs.com/wiki/Dual_92mm_fan_CPU

On my 2U HS the CPU is running a little bit hot.
Title: Re: Heatsink dual fan configuration
Post by: mx08 on December 17, 2019, 04:26:42 pm
I think that depends on the fans you are using in combination with the firmware.

AFAIK the reason the dual fan mod using two Noctua NF-A9 PWM fans doesn't work on the Blackbird is that it uses a newer firmware than the Talos II. See also the point:
Quote
note, on firmware 04-16-2019 dual-fan mod no longer works reliably, as new less agressive profiles spin down fans below minimum speed and opembmc print a lot of warnings about CPU0 fan being inoperational. fan still spins, but fails every 10 seconds, spins up and fails again endlessly. refer to Fan Tuning page for a fix.
from https://wiki.raptorcs.com/wiki/Dual_92mm_fan_CPU (https://wiki.raptorcs.com/wiki/Dual_92mm_fan_CPU)

As explained in the Fan Tuning (https://wiki.raptorcs.com/wiki/Fan_Tuning) page, you can adjust the parameters in OpenBMC to make it work.

I suppose you could also use !BMC (https://git.anastas.io/dormito/br-blackbird-external (https://git.anastas.io/dormito/br-blackbird-external)) in place of OpenBMC, where you can configure the fan settings more easily (AFAIK you need to recompile it to update fan the settings, but compilation takes less time and the fan daemon infrastructure is simpler).

Title: Re: Heatsink dual fan configuration
Post by: MPC7500 on December 17, 2019, 05:02:32 pm
Cool, thanks. I didn't read the thing about the fix. I will give bangBMC also a try. It's quite possible that I'll get back to you, then.
Title: Re: Heatsink dual fan configuration
Post by: MPC7500 on January 22, 2020, 05:30:49 pm
@mx08 or @ shawnanastasio:
In the next few days would like to update to bangBMC. Is the procedure identical to Updating the BMC firmware (https://wiki.raptorcs.com/wiki/Updating_Firmware#Updating_the_BMC_firmware)?
Or how do I proceed?

And is there a comparison table (features/ pros and cons) somewhere between OpenBMC and bangBMC?
Title: Re: Heatsink dual fan configuration
Post by: xilinder on January 23, 2020, 06:46:23 am
On my 2U HS the CPU is running a little bit hot.

Could you please post a picture of your 2U heat sink setup?
Never seen one. :-[
Title: Re: Heatsink dual fan configuration
Post by: shawnanastasio on January 25, 2020, 11:13:47 am
@mx08 or @ shawnanastasio:
In the next few days would like to update to bangBMC. Is the procedure identical to Updating the BMC firmware (https://wiki.raptorcs.com/wiki/Updating_Firmware#Updating_the_BMC_firmware)?
Or how do I proceed?

And is there a comparison table (features/ pros and cons) somewhere between OpenBMC and bangBMC?

bangBMC is currently in pretty early stages and I wouldn't really recommend it unless you have flashing hardware and BMC serial access to recover in case something goes wrong.
As far as a comparison table, I don't think such a thing exists, but I should talk to bangBMC's creator (dormito on IRC) about creating one.

The TL;DR is that it's a super simple distribution that just contains the bare minimum for booting the P9 cores and nothing else. (no systemd, no dbus, no web servers, no python, no C++ runtime)
This makes it well suited for desktop machines where you don't necessarily need/want all the features oBMC provides and would prefer a minimal (and much faster!) replacement.

The fan daemon I wrote is pretty bare-bones and should be much easier to configure than the oBMC one.
The current algorithm works by just reading the current maximum temperature per-zone and looking up a corresponding fan speed in a table, so changing it should be pretty straightforward:

https://git.anastas.io/shawnanastasio/op-fan-daemon/src/branch/master/include/curve.h

Eventually I'll add config file support and a fancier PID-based control algorithm. Once this is done, Raptor has expressed interest in potentially shipping it along with bangBMC as an option for some of their machines.  ;D
Title: Re: Heatsink dual fan configuration
Post by: MPC7500 on January 25, 2020, 05:55:34 pm
Hi,

I thought shawnanastasio / dormito are the same person. Sorry about that.

In the next couple days I will do some small modifications on my setup. Also I will put in an ASSMANN AK-610300-003-E. Then I have a serial connection. What just comes to my mind, wouldn't it be better to buy another chip and program bangBMC on it? Then you can easily change the chips if needed. I have a Bus Pirate, too.

Could you please post a picture of your 2U heat sink setup?
Never seen one. :-[

At the end, it's a 3U HSF, little bit smaller and without fan.
Title: Re: Heatsink dual fan configuration
Post by: MPC7500 on February 03, 2020, 01:22:41 pm
@xilinder: Pictures (https://imgur.com/NEisdPV)

Not beautiful, but rare (picture quality) ;)

Edit: Here is by far a better picture (https://wiki.raptorcs.com/wiki/File:Illusion-nacelle-removed.png).
Title: Re: Heatsink dual fan configuration
Post by: MauryG5 on March 22, 2020, 04:49:57 pm
Sorry guys, taking up the second fan speech managed by the Blackbird, I didn't understand exactly how to regulate the speed. I have a fan installed in the case which acts as an extractor fan to blow out the hot air produced by the CPU and GPU. Except that the speed of both fans, that of the CPU and the external one connected to the FAN2 pin of the motherboard, are the same so that after loading the PetitBoot, these slow down to the minimum speed. I would like to set the second fan FAN2 at a higher speed so that it sucks all the heat produced inside better. Is there a way through BMC to adjust this speed? Thank you
Title: Re: Heatsink dual fan configuration
Post by: MPC7500 on March 22, 2020, 05:40:21 pm
You have three fan connectors on your Blackbird.
Fan1: CPU
Fan2: Rear
Fan3: Front

In total, I have installed six fans in my case.
You can't adjust the fan speed by yourself.
Title: Re: Heatsink dual fan configuration
Post by: MauryG5 on March 22, 2020, 05:45:12 pm
So you're telling me that it's not possible to independently adjust the fan speed. Does Fan 3 also have the same speed as Fan 1 and Fan 2? I need to have a faster fan for extracting hot air from the inside ...
Title: Re: Heatsink dual fan configuration
Post by: MPC7500 on March 22, 2020, 05:53:08 pm
Why do you need a faster fan? My fans often spin at the same speed (100RPM). Sometimes one spins faster (200 or 300RPM).
The fan speed is self-regulating. It is a PWM signal.

The fan curve when and how fast the fans are rotating can be adjusted. But for that you have to adjust the curve and then recompile the firmware.
Title: Re: Heatsink dual fan configuration
Post by: MauryG5 on March 22, 2020, 06:06:31 pm
I wanted it a little faster because after a few hours of use, especially when you make the system work more, it starts to warm up a little, it feels to the touch touching the case and therefore the low speed does not help to expel the whole well hot air. I therefore put a fan connected directly to the power supply and then at maximum speed and in doing so the air is expelled much better and the system remains fresh but it makes itself feel like a little noise. If I could adjust this fan I think it would have been better but since it cannot be done, I will try to find a quieter fan and always connect it directly without going through the motherboard, in this way I will always have a full expulsion of air.
Title: Re: Heatsink dual fan configuration
Post by: MPC7500 on March 22, 2020, 06:11:31 pm
Very odd. Do you have a 2U or 3U heatsink?
Title: Re: Heatsink dual fan configuration
Post by: MauryG5 on March 22, 2020, 06:22:01 pm
I have the 3U, but it is not an exaggerated thing, attention, there is only a little heat but on the top of the Case not on the processor. Obviously if the system feels high CPU temperatures it makes the fan or fans go faster, so there are no problems, only that I wanted to try to get rid of even the little heat that is generated after a few hours of use, which with the high speed fan I can do very well.
Title: Re: Heatsink dual fan configuration
Post by: MPC7500 on March 22, 2020, 06:29:34 pm
If you have a 3U heatsink, then everything is fine. The fan rotates as fast as it needs to. An external fan is nonsense. It's useless.
Title: Re: Heatsink dual fan configuration
Post by: MauryG5 on March 23, 2020, 04:52:39 am
Yes, you are right, however, I noticed that by placing the top one in the case, in a suction position, that is, it takes all the hot air that is produced inside and throws it out, the system always remains cool even after a few hours of use and therefore there is a general improvement in heat dissipation. In my opinion, if I find a fan that runs at full speed like this but that is more silent, I arrange everything better.
Title: Re: Heatsink dual fan configuration
Post by: MPC7500 on March 23, 2020, 11:30:07 am
Warm air rises to the top.

Push-pull configuration:
Front/Bottom: Pushes air to mainboard
Top/back: Pulls the air away from the mainbaord
Title: Re: Heatsink dual fan configuration
Post by: MauryG5 on March 25, 2020, 10:51:06 am
After a few days of testing I realized that with the intake fan, the one mounted in the case, the upper part no longer heats even the little that it heated before after a few hours of use. I connected it directly to the 12 volt of the second 4-pin molex connector that comes out of the power supply for the CPU. Since we have a CPU on the Blackbird, the second connector remains free and usable. The only problem is the noise going at maximum speed in the case of this fan that I had inside. I then purchased a quality fan or a much quieter Noctua NF-A9 and with the possibility of using it at a lower speed but always higher than that which the Blackbird gives when switching the speed after loading the petit boot. I'll mount it later and see how it goes but I'm sure that in this way I have the best solution ever.
Title: Re: Heatsink dual fan configuration
Post by: MPC7500 on March 25, 2020, 12:24:30 pm
You don't need the maximum spped. The fans are rotating as fast as needed ...
Title: Re: Heatsink dual fan configuration
Post by: MauryG5 on March 25, 2020, 04:33:03 pm
Yes, I know, when they need to increase their speed, the problem was that by sticking at low speed all the time, they made it warm up a bit in the upper part of the case. Now it does not happen anymore because this fan is more adequate in size and I turn it at a constant average speed and in this way it goes great and makes to dispose of the little heat that was formed before.