Thin Client / Small PC Enclosure Frequently Asked Questions

In this article:

• What are the advantages of the Hope Industrial enclosure over an off-the-shelf industrial enclosure?
• Which Thin Clients or Small Form Factor PC's will work with this enclosure?
• Will my Thin Client, Small Form Factor PC, or other devices run too hot inside this enclosure?

What are the advantages of the Hope Industrial enclosure over an off-the-shelf industrial enclosure?

For years, customers have used off-the-shelf enclosures along with Hope Industrial displays, keyboards, and mounts to create full standalone workstations. Using basic enclosures requires solving a common set of engineering problems: mounting the thin client or PC, supplying power, cooling, and routing cables. The HIS enclosure solves these problems, allowing the customer to concentrate on selecting the proper thin client or small form factor PC and on the application itself.

• Thin Client Ready - Internal mounting plate includes standard 75mm and 100mm VESA mounting holes, as well as mounting patterns for a variety of 3rd-party thin clients (see below). The oversized mounting plate can be drilled to accommodate any other required mounting pattern.
• Ruggedizes Non-Industrial Hardware - Provides a safe environment for an office-rated thin client; makes an inexpensive office-grade thin client feasible for the factory floor.
• Integrated Cooling - A single internal circulating fan cools the integrated power supply, circulates the air inside the enclosure, and also directs air flow over the thin client or PC to minimize heat rise. Air is circulated over 735 in² of surface area to cool the enclosure interior without circulating outside air.
• Stainless Steel - Rugged stainless steel construction (black carbon steel optional) is tougher than plastic while maintaining a full NEMA Type 4/4X (IP65/66) rating for wash-down applications.
• Integrated Power Supply - Integrated industrial power supply provides up to 40 W of power at 5 or 12 VDC, meeting the needs of most thin clients and many small form factor PC's. Input power is integrated with display AC power so only a single AC input is required, and DC output is provided via convenient terminal block connections.
• Integration with Hope Industrial Mounts - The enclosure is pre-drilled and fitted for use with Hope Industrial pedestal mount options. All cable routing is handled internally without any additional drilling or sealing by the customer.
• Wall-Mount Option - When a full pedestal is not required, the enclosure can be mounted directly to a wall using an optional bracket (HIS PN: WB-ENCL1-SS4).
• Internal Cable Management - Included, pre-fit cable raceway comes pre-mounted, ensuring a clean installation.

Which Thin Clients or Small Form Factor PC's will work with this enclosure?

The enclosure can be used with most devices that will physically fit inside the enclosure, and will not give off more heat than can be safely dissipated by the enclosure's cooling mechanism, while maintaining an operating temperature that is within the device's normal operating range. This section discusses physical fit and device mounting, while the next discusses heat.

Physical Constraints

Physically, the enclosure can accommodate a device up to (W x H x D) 228 mm x 304 mm x 93 mm (9.0" x 12.0" x 3.7") which includes an allowance for typical cable connectors plugged into the front and back of the device. The maximum allowable space is (W x H x D) 275 mm x 290 mm x 93 mm (10.8" x 11.4" x 3.7").

To mount the thin client or small form factor PC, an internal mounting plate is provided which includes standard 75mm and 100mm VESA mounting holes, as well as mounting patterns for a variety of 3rd-party thin clients. The oversized mounting plate can be drilled to accommodate any other required mounting pattern. The following chart illustrates several popular thin clients, their preferred mounting method, and whether a separate bracket is required:

	Model	Mounting Method	Optional Mfg. Bracket (if needed)
HP	t5145, t5325, t5540, t5545, t5630, t5730, t5735, t5740, t5745, st5742, st5747, gt7720, gt7725	Bolts to enclosure using existing mounting holes and HP bracket	HP Quick Release and VESA Side Panels (FV248AA)
HP	MultiSeat t100	Bolts to enclosure using existing mounting holes and included bracket from HP
Arista	MicroBox-6824A-ACP	Bolts directly to enclosure using existing mounting holes
Arista	MicroBox-7824A-ACP	Bolts directly to enclosure using existing mounting holes
Arista	AP-3200-ACP, AP-3300-ACP	Bolts to enclosure using existing mounting holes and Arista bracket	Arista VESA Mounting Kit
Advantech	C-UNO-2053E-ACP	Bolts directly to enclosure using existing mounting studs
Wyse	S Class (S10, S30, S50)	Bolts to enclosure using existing mounting holes and Wyse bracket	Wyse Wall Mount (920277-01)
Wyse	C Class (C10, C30, C90)	Bolts to enclosure using existing mounting holes and Wyse bracket	Wyse Wall Mount (920277-01)
Wyse	V Class (V10, V30, V50, V90)	Bolts to enclosure using existing mounting holes and Wyse bracket	Wyse Wall Mount (920278-01)

Don't see your device listed? Contact us

Power Supply Limits

The integrated power supply can provide a maximum of 40 W.

Will my Thin Client, Small Form Factor PC, or other devices run too hot inside this enclosure?

Using Hope-Industrial-Tested Thin Clients

Hope Industrial has tested many thin clients to determine the actual heat-rise around the devices' circuit boards when mounted in our enclosure. Thanks to the internal circulating fan, many vented commercial thin clients, which are designed to be placed on a desk, will actually run cooler inside our enclosure than they would in a typical office environment.

For example, when testing a Wyse S10 placed on a desk, we found that the operating temperature surrounding the electronics inside the thin client was 17°C (31°F) higher than the ambient temperature; meaning that in a 72°F office the thin client electronics are actually running at ~103°F.

When the same device was placed inside the Hope Industrial enclosure, the temperature rise around the electronics was only 8.3°C (14.9°F), since the enclosure's internal fan removes heat from the thin client and convects that heat to the inner walls of the enclosure. This means that the Wyse S10 will run cooler inside our enclosure than sitting on a desk in the same environment.

The fan has a great impact on thin clients with case vents like the S10, but unvented thin clients get the same benefit; circulating air takes heat away from the device. Heat inside the enclosure is generally not an issue for industrial thin clients since they are designed to keep the internal electronics cool. Tests using a popular Advantech thin client (rated to an operating temperature of 55°C) showed an internal heat rise of only ~7°C (12.6°F). When inside our enclosure, the internal heat rise was still only 10.4°C (18.7°F). Either way, the thin client can easily handle the vast majority of industrial environments.

Manufacturer	Model	Mfg. Max Temp Rating	Typical Operating Watts	Heat Rise around Circuit board, on Desktop	Heat Rise around Circuit board, in Hope Industrial Enclosure
Wyse	S10	40°C	6.6 W	8°C	5°C
Wyse	V90	40°C (vertical)	14.1 W	10°C	3°C
HP	T5145	40°C	18 W	18°C	19°C
Advantech	UNO-2053	55°C	15 W	11°C	17°C

 

Don't see your device listed? Contact us and we will gladly review your device to determine what type of additional heat benefits the enclosure can provide.

Using Small Form Factor PC's or Other Devices Inside the Enclosure

To determine the maximum wattage of small PC's (or any other combination of hardware not yet tested by Hope Industrial), you must take into account the total wattage consumed by the equipment, the maximum expected ambient temperature (outside the enclosure), and the maximum rated operating temperature of the device. Please contact us for a consultation, or use the following steps:

1. Calculate the total expected wattage that will be consumed by the equipment you will place in the enclosure.
2. Refer to the chart below to determine the expected heat rise inside the enclosure at the wattage determined in step 1.
3. Determine the maximum ambient temperature expected outside the enclosure and add this to the heat rise determined in step 2.
4. Compare this to the maximum rated operating temperature of the equipment to make sure that the calculated temperature does not exceed the rated temperature of the device.

When selecting a small form factor PC or other device, keep in mind that vented devices and those with lower-wattage consumption will typically run cooler inside the enclosure. Cooler operating temperatures will extend the life of most electronic components.

Internal Enclosure Temperature Rise Graph

Note that this graph does not take into account the additional benefits of circulating air through the vented enclosure of some commercial thin clients, which provides additional heat handling. Also, this graph assumes that the internal circulating fan is running. If the fan is bypassed or disabled in any way, this graph is no longer valid.