National Instruments sbRIO-9695 Thermal Kit

The sbRIO-9695 (part numbers: 153901-01, 153901A-02) from National Instruments is a heat spreader/thermal kit designed to optimize the heat management of your sbRIO device and ensure that t operates at its peak potential. The sbRIO-9695 has two distinct part numbers, starting with part number 153901-01, which refers to the version of the thermal kit made for sbRIO models 9605/9606/9623/9626/9633/9636. Part number 153901A-02 refers to the casted version of the sbRIO-9695, made for use with sbRIO models 9607/27/37.

The sbRIO-9695 thermal kit features a heat spreader designed to efficiently dissipate heat from critical components, eliminating the risk of performance limitations due to excessive temperatures. Versatility is at the heart of this kit, with multiple mounting options to suit your specific needs. The first mounting option is to affix the heat spreader with its flat face against a thermally conductive base mounting surface. 

Alternatively, you can mount the heat spreader with its flat face exposed to the surrounding air, which gives you the option to enhance heat dissipation further by adding a heat sink to augment convective cooling. The sbRIO-9695 thermal kit is also compatible with RMC (Remote Mounting Connector) setups, offering flexibility in installation. The choice of the best orientation depends on various factors, including the base mounting material, system enclosure material, interaction with other heat sources, space constraints, and the availability of airflow.

While the sbRIO-9695 thermal kit significantly improves thermal management, it's important to note that systems utilizing this kit must still adhere to the sbRIO device manual's specifications. This includes measuring the local ambient temperature by strategically placing thermocouples on both sides of the PCB, 0.2 inches (5 mm) from the board surface. 

For added convenience, systems utilizing the sbRIO-9695 thermal kit have the option to measure only the heat spreader temperature, rather than individual component case temperatures.