Acoustics management for server debug validation platforms

Combination of higher cooling power with the introduction of fully buffered dual in-line memory module (FBD) memory technology and accessibility requirements for server validation platform have driven cooling fan selection at relatively high speeds resulting in high acoustic noise. Most validation platforms are open systems and hence the acoustic noise becomes worse without system walls to act as sound barriers. This paper presents the implementation of the dynamic and hard-coding fan control schemes for validation platforms based on analyses from thermal simulations to reduce the noise. The studies showed that these acoustic management schemes can reduce the noise by 6-15 dB depending on the fan choice.