In recent years, edge servers have developed rapidly in the market and are used most commonly in outdoor environments, for example, edge AI and edge computing servers are both commonly utilized in modern smart cities. Since edge servers are placed outdoors, most adopt fanless designs for waterproofing and dustproofing. Although it depends on the location they are placed in, usually edge servers are small in size. This is where issues like heat dissipation and durability come into play with small sizes and fanless designs.
Temperature changes are the biggest issues for outdoor edge servers.
In tropical areas, summer temperatures combined with sun exposure could cause the server to reach over 60°C. In colder areas, temperatures may drop below -40°C. There could be a 40°C difference between the day and night in areas with large temperature differences. The following are some of the potential risks of outdoor edge servers.
- High temperatures during the day could cause the servers to have inefficient heat dissipation due to their fanless design, sometimes even forcing a shutdown.
- Low temperatures at night could cause electronic components to fail, preventing the server from starting up.
- Long-term temperature differences can shorten the product life of edge servers.
When these issues cause server failure, smart cities and smart vehicles that depend on these servers will no longer be “smart”. It could even cause serious traffic accidents.
For the three risks mentioned above, Allion can provide the following consulting services for assistance:
- Evaluate the highest and lowest withstanding temperatures when the server is working
- Evaluate the highest and lowest withstanding temperatures that cause permanent damage to the server
- Simulate scenarios of high and low temperatures according to specific outdoor environments to ensure normal operation
- Evaluate the expected product life based on the findings above
After outdoor edge servers are evaluated by Allion before shipment, our clients can understand the potential risks and estimated probability of an issue occurring through our simulation testing. This helps our clients avoid shipping their products to unsuitable locations.
Faster, Easier, Better: Your Trusted Product Testing Consultant
In addition to the consulting services mentioned above, partnering with Allion also has the following advantages.
Faster
Allion has a variety of testing equipment and testing laboratories that can conduct verification testing according to our client’s products, such as different sizes, weights, and even different conditions (for example temperature conditions from -100°C to 200°C).
Easier
Allion has accumulated decades of experience with testing, and we can perform evaluation tests without our clients needing to be on-site.
Better
Allion can help clients plan out simulation tests and usage scenarios to evaluate an accurate warranty period.
For more information or to discuss consulting needs, please feel free to explore the following services online or contact us through the online form.
