Intel Thin Mini-ITX Guide

Thin Mini-ITX Based PC
System Design Guide
All In One, Tiny PC
December 2012
Revision 1.2

2 Thin Mini-ITX Based PC System Design Guide
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Thin Mini-ITX Based PC System Design Guide 3
Contents
1Introduction ...................................................................................................... 8
1.1 Purpose / Scope ..................................................................................... 8
1.2 Overview ............................................................................................... 8
1.2.1 All In One PCs ........................................................................... 9
1.2.2 Tiny PCs ..................................................................................10
1.3 Terminology ..........................................................................................11
1.4 Reference Documents.............................................................................12
2Thin Mini-ITX Internal Electrical Interfaces...........................................................13
2.1 Common Connector List..........................................................................13
2.2 Flat Panel Display ..................................................................................14
2.2.1 LVDS ......................................................................................14
2.2.2 eDP (VESA Embedded Display Port™) .........................................17
2.2.3 Flat Panel Display Brightness .....................................................19
2.2.4 On Screen Display (OSD)...........................................................20
2.3 Audio ...................................................................................................21
2.3.1 Front Panel Audio .....................................................................21
2.3.2 Internal Stereo Speakers ...........................................................22
2.3.3 Digital Microphone ....................................................................23
2.4 SATA....................................................................................................24
2.5 Internal USB .........................................................................................24
2.5.1 Front Panel Dual USB 2.0 Header ...............................................24
2.5.2 Internal Dual USB 2.0 Header ....................................................25
2.5.3 Internal Single USB 2.0 Header ..................................................26
2.5.4 Internal USB 3.0 Header............................................................26
2.6 Front Panel (Buttons, LEDs) ....................................................................28
2.7 Internal Power Input ..............................................................................29
2.8 Fans.....................................................................................................31
2.8.1 CPU Fan ..................................................................................31
2.8.2 System Fan .............................................................................31
2.9 Consumer Infrared Receiver ....................................................................32
2.10 Wireless Bluetooth .................................................................................32
2.11 Monitor Switch ......................................................................................32
3Power Supply ...................................................................................................34
3.1 External AC Adapter ...............................................................................34
3.2 External Power Connector for Socketed CPU Based Systems........................34
4Thermals & Acoustics ........................................................................................36
4.1 General Thermal-Acoustics Considerations ................................................36
4.1.1 Blowers ...................................................................................37
4.1.2 Fan Speed Control and CPU Throttling .........................................37
4.1.3 Vent Free Area Ratio .................................................................40
4.1.4 Dust Considerations ..................................................................40
4.2 Environmental and Skin Temperature Limit Recommendations ....................40
4.3 Motherboard Component Cooling .............................................................40
4.3.1 Memory Cooling .......................................................................40

4 Thin Mini-ITX Based PC System Design Guide
4.3.2 Platform Controller Hub (PCH) Cooling ........................................41
4.3.3 Voltage Regulator Cooling..........................................................41
4.4 Acoustics ..............................................................................................42
5Mechanical.......................................................................................................44
5.1 CPU Mechanicals ....................................................................................44
5.2 Internal Motherboard Header Locations ....................................................45
5.3 System Cables and Connectors................................................................46
5.3.1 System Cable Kitting.................................................................46
5.4 CPU Thermal Solution and System Fan Mechanical Interface .......................46
5.5 Thin Mini-ITX I/O Shield .........................................................................50
5.6 Industrial Design, System Layout, and Usability Considerations ...................51
5.6.1 AIO Specific System Mechanicals ................................................52
6Low Profile Reference Heat Pipe Thermal Solution .................................................53
6.1 General Volumetrics / Requirements ........................................................53
6.2 Reference Design CPU Thermal Solution ...................................................53
7Reference System Layouts .................................................................................55
7.1 Thin Mini ITX Based System Design..........................................................55
7.1.1 General System Design Considerations........................................55
7.2 Reference Core Components Layouts........................................................56
7.3 Thermal Test Method..............................................................................65
7.3.1 Components Used for Testing.....................................................65
7.3.2 Stress Software........................................................................66
7.3.3 Temperature Measurement Locations ..........................................67
Figures
Figure 1-1. Thin Mini-ITX Applications ................................................................. 9
Figure 1-2. Mini-ITX (left) vs Thin Mini-ITX (right) ...............................................11
Figure 2-1. 40-pin LVDS Header ........................................................................15
Figure 2-2. 40-pin eDP MB Header .....................................................................17
Figure 2-3. PC & Software Brightness Control: ....................................................19
Figure 2-4. FPD Brightness Header ....................................................................19
Figure 2-5. Front Panel Audio Header .................................................................21
Figure 2-6. Internal Stereo Speakers Header.......................................................22
Figure 2-7. DMIC MB Header.............................................................................23
Figure 2-8. 2x5 USB 2.0 Header (Keyed at Pin 9) ................................................24
Figure 2-9. 2x5 USB 2.0 Header (Keyed at Pins 9 and 10) ....................................25
Figure 2-10. 1x5 USB 2.0 Header ......................................................................26
Figure 2-11. 2x10 USB 3.0 Header.....................................................................26
Figure 2-12. USB 3.0 Header Orientation ............................................................28
Figure 2-13. Front Panel Main Header.................................................................28
Figure 2-14. Internal Power Header ...................................................................29
Figure 2-15. 4-Pin CPU Fan Header ....................................................................31
Figure 2-16. CIR Receiver Header ......................................................................32
Figure 2-17. Monitor Switch Header ...................................................................32
Figure 3-1. External Power Connector for Socketed CPU Based Systems .................35
Figure 4-1. Example of Voltage Regulator Induced Throttling ................................38
Figure 4-2. Example of a Typical CPU DTS Readout When Not Throttling.................38

Thin Mini-ITX Based PC System Design Guide 5
Figure 4-3. CPU Die Temperature Induced Throttling............................................39
Figure 4-4. Air Temperature Increase Across Memory...........................................41
Figure 4-5. ECMA-74 Extract –Figure C.4c .........................................................42
Figure 4-6. ECMA-74 Extract –Figure C.4d .........................................................43
Figure 4-7. ECMA-74 Extract –Figure C.4a .........................................................43
Figure 5-1. CPU Location and Additional Keep In Zones ........................................44
Figure 5-2. Header Zones .................................................................................45
Figure 5-3. Blower and Heat Exchanger Retention Locations for Two Blower
Configuration Option 1 ................................................................................47
Figure 5-4. Blower and Heat Exchanger Retention Locations for Two Blower
Configuration Option 2 ................................................................................48
Figure 5-5. Blower and Heat Exchanger Retention Locations for a Single Blower
Configuration .............................................................................................49
Figure 5-6. Minimum Blower Gap .......................................................................50
Figure 5-7. Example Thin Mini-ITX I/O Shield ......................................................51
Figure 6-1. Reference Side and Top View Dimensions for Low Profile Reference
Thermal Solution ........................................................................................54
Figure 6-2. Reference Blower Mounting Flange Standoff Height as Measured from the
Bottom of the Flange ..................................................................................54
Figure 7-1. Core Component Layout –Example A ................................................56
Figure 7-2. Core Component Layout –Example B ................................................57
Figure 7-3. Core Component Layout –Example C ................................................58
Figure 7-4. Core Component Layout –Example D ................................................59
Figure 7-5. Core Component Layout –Example E ................................................60
Figure 7-6. Core Component Layout –Example F.................................................61
Figure 7-7. Core Component Layout –Example G (Effective Single Blower Option) ..62
Figure 7-8. Core Component Layout –Example H (Effective Single Blower Option) ..63
Figure 7-9. Core Component Layout –Example H (Effective Single Blower Option) ..64
Figure 7-10. Power Thermal Utility Example ........................................................66
Tables
Table 1-1. Common AIO Features in Thin Mini-ITX Based AIO PCs .........................10
Table 1-2. Terms and Descriptions.....................................................................11
Table 1-3. Reference Documents .......................................................................12
Table 2-1. Internal Motherboard Connectors .......................................................13
Table 2-2. 40-pin LVDS Header Pin-Out..............................................................15
Table 2-3. 40-pin eDP Header Pin-Out................................................................18
Table 2-4. 8-pin FPD Brightness Header Pin-Out ..................................................19
Table 2-5. Passive AC’97 Front Panel Audio Header Pin-Out ..................................21
Table 2-6. HD Audio Front Panel Audio Header Pin-Out.........................................21
Table 2-7. Internal Stereo Speakers Header Pin-Out ............................................23
Table 2-8. DMIC Header Pin-Out........................................................................23
Table 2-9. 2x5 USB 2.0 Header (Keyed at Pin 9) Pin-Out ......................................24
Table 2-10. 2x5 USB 2.0 Header (Keyed at Pins 9 and 10) Pin-Out ........................25
Table 2-11. 1x5 USB 2.0 Header Pin-Out ............................................................26
Table 2-12. 2x10 USB 3.0 Header Pin-Out ..........................................................27
Table 2-13. Front Panel Main Header Pin-Out ......................................................29
Table 2-14. Internal Power Header Pin-Out .........................................................30
Table 2-15. Monitor Switch Header Pin-Out.........................................................33
Table 4-1. Environmental and Skin Temperature Limit Recommendations ...............40

6 Thin Mini-ITX Based PC System Design Guide

Thin Mini-ITX Based PC System Design Guide 7
Revision History
Revision
Number
Description
Revision Date
1.2
USB 3.0 added
eDP section added
General clarifications in Section 2
December 2012
1.1
Minor updates to align with Compliance Requirements
Section 2.2.1 LVDS
Section 7.4 SATA
Section 2.5 USB
Section 2.6 Front Panel
Section 2.7 Internal Power Input
Section 3 Power Supply
August 2012
1.0
Initial release
April 2012
§

Introduction
8 Thin Mini-ITX Based PC System Design Guide
1Introduction
1.1 Purpose / Scope
This document outlines possible solutions to creating a system utilizing a Thin Mini-ITX
motherboard, as specified in the Mini-ITX Addendum To The microATX Motherboard
Interface Specification Version 1.2. It will focus on the electrical, mechanical and
thermal interfaces between a Sandy Bridge/Ivy Bridge or Cedar Trail based Thin Mini-
ITX motherboard, and its enclosure and peripherals
Compliance with the guidance outlined in this document enables chassis and Thin
Mini-ITX motherboards that can be interchangeably used between systems. This
increases the system design options using a building block approach, while mitigating
the need for custom solutions.
Revision 1.2 of this document Design Guide includes changes that are intended to
improve the interoperability and system integration experience based on the thin mini
ITX motherboard standard. When designing a chassis based on this revision of the
design guide, a chassis manufacturer should take into consideration whether to
accommodate motherboards in production prior to this document revision.
Motherboard designs based on revision 1.0 of this document are generally expected to
be compatible with Chassis designs based on later revisions, however issues could
include cable length mismatch due to tightening of the connector placement zones in
revision 1.1. Refer to the Channel AIO (Thin Mini-ITX Form Factor) –Compatibility
Matrix for Revision 1.0 based motherboards.
1.2 Overview
Thin Mini-ITX motherboards evolve the standard Mini-ITX form factor in to even
smaller system designs. They are especially useful in segments that place a premium
on small, slim chassis. Typical usages of such chassis are:
All In One (AIO) PCs
Stackable home theater PC to be size compatible with the standard width of AV
components such as DVD players and receivers
VESA mountable Thin PC
Digital signage PC (Built inside or behind a TV or other display)
In this design guide, particular attention is given to slim, sub-4 liter Tiny PCs, and All
In One PCs.

Introduction
Thin Mini-ITX Based PC System Design Guide 9
Figure 1-1. Thin Mini-ITX Applications
1.2.1 All In One PCs
The business model for AIO that works for system integrators is when they can buy
inter-changeable components and design their own custom system configurations, just
like the white box desktop business model.
For this business model to work the following building blocks will be sourced
separately:
AIO Enclosure or Chassis Kit (includes flat panel display, AIO metal and plastics of the
chassis, power adapter and thermal solution if custom)
Motherboard will ship with low profile IO shield, cables to power the HDD and ODD
Other standard components: CPU, Memory, HDD, ODD
All In One PCs which tightly integrate a flat panel display with PC components have
traditionally been based on custom motherboard and chassis designs. Leveraging the
common interfaces in this design guide enables a building block approach to AIO
systems. Common design features on Thin Mini-ITX based AIO PCs can include the
following:

Introduction
10 Thin Mini-ITX Based PC System Design Guide
Table 1-1. Common AIO Features in Thin Mini-ITX Based AIO PCs
Feature
Detailed Description –Guide assumption
18.5” or larger, 16:9, thin, low
power flat panel
LED backlight, goal < 15mm thickness, LVDS
Thin Mini-ITX Motherboard
Motherboard compliant to the Thin Mini-ITX spec standards
in the Mini-ITX Addendum Version 2.0 To the microATX
Motherboard Interface Specification Version 1.2
Audio speakers
4 Ohm speakers capable of supporting 3W
Qty 1, ODD
Thin profile 5.25” ODD, SATA
3.5 or 2.5” SATA, SSD or HDD
Enclosure may support one or two HDD or SSD
Wireless LAN
Mini-PCIe half card
Bluetooth optional
Assume USB Bluetooth module –with antenna on module
or support for discrete antenna
Walkup I/O ports
Options that may be designed in to the chassis include
USB, microphone, headphone ports, and SD card reader.
No specific configurations are defined in this guide.
Buttons / LEDs
On/off, Power on/off LED, Screen brightness switch
System may be supported by the main Thin Mini-ITX motherboard, daughter boards,
and discrete devices.
Daughter boards would be required to support walkup I/O, backlight inverter/driver,
and front panel interface.
Discrete devices with direct cable attach could include the flat panel, HDD, ODD,
camera, touchscreen, IR receiver, IR emitter, right/left speakers, digital microphone,
CPU fan, and system fans.
1.2.2 Tiny PCs
The Mini-ITX form factor enabled chassis down to the 4 –8 liter range. Standard
chassis built around Thin Mini-ITX motherboards may shrink to below 4 liters, creating
a “Tiny PC” category. Tiny PCs include slimmer designs that make especially good use
of the lower height inherent to Thin Mini-ITX motherboards. Figure 1-2 shows a
comparison between current mini-ITX vs. Thin Mini-ITX motherboard thickness
characteristics.