Analysis of the requirements and their impact on the design of electronic cabinets for the current generation of ESO ELT instruments

Abstract

In the ESO ELT control electronics guidelines, the hardware devices are located in standard COTS cabinets, each equipped with an air-liquid heat exchanger and customized for the specific application. The customization is done in order to achieve compliance to the stringent thermal and vibrational requirements. The cabinet design must also fulfil the required earthquake protection. In this paper these requirements are highlighted and analysed. An alternative custom design of the cooling system is then proposed and analysed, with specific focus on the thermal and vibrational aspects. The custom solution also allows for the use of a different cabinet, optimized for the use of DIN rail electronic components. The possibility of not using fans for air recirculation inside the cabinet is also considered, in order not to introduce further vibrations to the system.