Jonathan Arbib

Just purchased a PC Engines Alix 3d3. online from MS Distribution (UK) for ~£110.00. I have a plan for it… read on…

Specs follow:

First Mod: Heatsink with fan!

I noticed that my processor was going up to the 50′s plus degrees when working, so I decided to keep it cool by adding a Heatsing with a FAN. I found one on Amazon.co.uk, specifically designed for Graphics chips, so I thought it would be ok for my Alix. It came with a self-adhesive strip on the bottom which made installation simple. Then after seeing that an 18V supply for the Alix was too high, and hmm… I ran out of adequate resistors to step down the voltage… I hooked on the 5V supply right behind the Serial port! And that ensures i get minimal fan spin, and hence virtually no noise from the fan. The airflow is enough to cool down the heatsink, as there is a noticeable difference when the fan is operational and not.

Update: While compiling the kernel the cpu temperature stays below 42 degrees (Celsius)

Application:

I am now trying to develop a home-made GPS tracker with a GPRS modem to “report back” the location… More on this coming soon!