Is there a risk of overheating?

Spartan-6 USB 3.0 Modules
1

Hi!

I am running a quite power-demanding design on my XEM6310, currently at 100MHz. Is it save to gradually increase frequency or do I risk to overheat and damage the FPGA at some point?

Thanks!

2

You will definitely want to monitor the FPGA and other components on the board. With FPGA densities today, it is very possible to overwhelm the thermal dissipation capabilities.

3

How do I monitor the FPGA? The XEM6310 does not seem to have any temperature sensors.

4

Any of the standard ways to measure temperature apply…

Something like this:

Or this…
http://www.fluke.com/fluke/inen/electrical-testers/thermometers/fluke-59.htm?pid=56093

Or even just a finger.

Of course, the most thorough way is by using the Xilinx power estimation tool with accurate input information to generate a thermal dissipation estimate. From that, you can determine if you need active heat removal.

5

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