---
title: Mounting and Cooling
slug: microflux-4lpi/mounting-and-cooling
icon: {"faIcon":"fa-solid fa-fan"}
docTags:
createdAt: 2024-01-12T06:15:32.013Z
---
:::CtaButton{label="Thermal Performance" docId="FL-SOLn7H8xyfZawXe5bA" openInNewTab="true"}
:::
The micro**FLUX** 4LPi offers 6x M2 mounting holes to secure the
unit to your cooling solution/aircraft. Ensure you use a tightening torque
appropriate to the fastener and mounting material you are
using. The mounting holes accommodate a head diameter/
washer diameter of 4 mm \[0.15in].
The correct installation of the micro**FLUX** 4LPi relies heavily on ensuring proper isolation. The bare board contains numerous exposed contacts, including a significant area of exposed live copper. This particular region serves to enhance thermal transfer, thus, establishing adequate electrical isolation for the board is imperative to prevent potentially hazardous short circuits. As a rule of thumb, there must be a minimum 0.6 mm [0.023 in] air gap between exposed contacts and any conductive materials in the mounting assembly. All direct contacts to the unit, especially the thermal interface materials (TIM), must be electrically insulative. Keep-out zones for the micro**FLUX** 4LPi can be found in the CAD available from our .
The micro**FLUX** 4LPi board should not be placed under high
stress and torsional loads. The micro**FLUX** 4LPi should be
mounted in a floating arrangement. Standoffs or a sled that raises the unit should be used to create the required air gap between the electronics and the mounting surface, as well as to allow airflow for passive cooling to take place. The diameter of the standoffs cannot exceed 5 mm [0.19in] and should be at least 3.5 mm [0.13in] tall to allow sufficient clearance between the components and the mounting surface. See the diagram below for details.
The displayed integration sled and heatsink are optional accessories for the micro**FLUX** 4LPi. These accessories will greatly reduce the airflow required to keep the unit cool and will assist in getting your vehicle operational sooner.
The heatsink integration kit includes - 1x heatsink and 1x thermal tape solution, and the mounting sled integration kit includes - 1x mounting sled and 6x M2 socket head caps.
hermal tape. To install the heatsink, remove the plastic backing sheet, carefully position the heatsink and press it firmly into place. Take care to not damage components on the underside of the board when applying pressure to the heatsink.
Removal of thermal tape should be done using plastic tools to avoid scratching or otherwise damaging the electrical contacts of the board.
If you decide to purchase the micro**FLUX** 4LPi standalone, we recommend using our integration designs as a reference for how you should mount and cool the unit. CAD files for the sled and heatsink are available on request.
The micro**FLUX** 4LPi is a bare-board smart power supply with
exposed electrical connections. Contact with water or
significant amounts of dust/particulate can result in unit
failure. Ensure that the micro**FLUX** 4LPi is mounted in a
location with appropriate environmental protection to reflect
the vehicle’s operating conditions.
## Cooling Considerations
The heat generating components on the micro**FLUX** 4LPi are highlighted in the below drawing.
::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/MIXUvgEo5LjmssoyMwenk/esgR96x5vkdOHcamuSesj-20260520-224926.png" size="60" width="2354" height="1305" darkWidth="2354" darkHeight="1305" position="center" caption="microDRIVE LPi - Heat Generating Zones" showCaption="true"}
The micro**FLUX** 4LPi has a particularly high power density, making effective cooling a challenge. To ensure the micro**FLUX** 4LPi can operate continuously at
the required current, you need a cooling solution that
can effectively dissipate the thermal power from the unit to
ambient. This specific area to cool is identifiable by the presence of the exposed copper thermal transfer pad. To find power dissipation and temperature limit calculations, please consult the section.
It is important to note that without any sort of heat-spreader solution to thermally connect components, the temperature sensors are thermally isolated from critical components and thus, may not provide accurate readings of the temperature of these components.