HDD temperature and Fan

[gat]

Hi,

I am using CF 3.13 and my Humax display is showing "Too Hot 54C" and flashing red/blue. I have ordered a new hard disk as i know this drive is failing (see other thread). However, i have a couple of questions regarding the hdd temp and fan ...

The CF tempmon 'alert' setting is at its default of 50c, hence the pending alert. The CF minimum fan settings is at its default of 0%. The fan notes state the following:

• 70% - once the HDD temperature reaches 55°C
• 65% - when the temperature drops to 54°C
• 55% - when the temperature drops to 51°C
• 0% - when the temperature drops to 49°C

The system monitoring graph shows the fan switching on at full speed when my hdd temp reached 55C and dropping to half speed when hdd temp fell to 54C and dropping to quarter speed when the hdd temp fell to 50C, switching off at 49C.

To summarise the sequence of events...
- hdd rises to 50C
- alert occurs
- hdd rises to 55C
- fan comes on at full speed
- hdd drops to 54C
- fan reduces to half speed
- hdd drops to 51C
- fan reduces to quarter speed
- hdd drops to 49C
- fan switches off

Why is the alert defaulted to occur before the fan has switched on to try and cool things down?
What is considered to be a normal hdd temperature?

Thanks

 

[Black Hole]

The system monitoring graph shows the fan switching on at full speed when my hdd temp reached 55C and dropping to half speed when hdd temp fell to 54C and dropping to quarter speed when the hdd temp fell to 50C, switching off at 49C.

I can't answer your questions, but note that sysmon does not tell you how fast the fan is running, it only predicts how fast it thinks the fan should be running given the observed characteristics.

NB: this should be in the CF section of the forum, no doubt it will be moved shortly.

 

[gat]

I can't answer your questions, but note that sysmon does not tell you how fast the fan is running, it only predicts how fast it thinks the fan should be running given the observed characteristics.

NB: this should be in the CF section of the forum, no doubt it will be moved shortly.

Understood. However, the graph does show the temperature falling at the same point as it "predicts" the fan is running, so this at least shows the fan is working.

 

[Ezra Pound]

The CF minimum fan settings is at its default of 0%.

The 70, 65, 55, 0% figures you are quoting is how the Humax performs when using the 'Humax Software', If you are using the custom firmware 'Fan' package they don't apply, the 'Fan' minimum setting is not intended to be run at 0%, it is supposed to be run at a percentage that prevents the Humax software from kicking in at 55 Deg. C. Try something like 40% as a starting point

 

[gat]

The 70, 65, 55, 0% figures you are quoting is how the Humax performs when using the 'Humax Software', If you are using the custom firmware 'Fan' package they don't apply, the 'Fan' minimum setting is not intended to be run at 0%, it is supposed to be run at a percentage that prevents the Humax software from kicking in at 55 Deg. C. Try something like 40% as a starting point

But leaving at 0% does seem to give standard Humax software behaviour, but you seem to be saying that standard behaviour does not apply when this package is installed? I installed the package just in case i wanted to change the behaviour assuming that if i did not change the setting then i would get normal fan behaviour. This seems to be correct, contrary to what you state. Perhaps i am misunderstanding something here?

 

[Ezra Pound]

If you set the minimum fan speed to 0% you will get 'normal' Humax behavior because the package must be running AND preventing the HDD reaching 55 Deg. C, once you exceed this temperature the 'Fan' package is dissabled. There is no point in installing the 'Fan' package and then dissabling it, you might as well un-install the package

standard behaviour does not apply when this package is installed and is running properly, it is not running properly at the moment

 

[gat]

If you set the minimum fan speed to 0% you will get 'normal' Humax behavior because the package must be running AND preventing the HDD reaching 55 Deg. C, once you exceed this temperature the 'Fan' package is dissabled. There is no point in installing the 'Fan' package and then dissabling it, you might as well un-install the package

Thanks for the info. Installed the package out of curiosity. I will probably use it short-term at the 40% setting to keep my hdd cool, until the new one arrives.

 

[Trev]

It will.
I have my min fan set to 50% and the HDD runs at a pretty constant 39-40 deg.
The idea of the fan package is twofold:
1. To keep the HDD cool.
2. To override the default so that a. The HDD doesn't get as hot as it would and b. to stop the fan coming on at full speed sounding like a bloody jet engine when the HDD reaches 55 deg.
I would highly recommend that you use it for the above t=reasons. Don't use it short term, use it all the time.

 

[Black Hole]

If you set the minimum fan speed to 0% you will get 'normal' Humax behavior because the package must be running AND preventing the HDD reaching 55 Deg. C, once you exceed this temperature the 'Fan' package is dissabled. There is no point in installing the 'Fan' package and then dissabling it, you might as well un-install the package

standard behaviour does not apply when this package is installed and is running properly, it is not running properly at the moment

That's very unclear.

The percentage setting in the fan package sets a minimum speed for the fan; if the standard behaviour requires a higher fan percentage that's what it gets (overriding the fan package setting, not disabling it).

As Trev says, the intention of fan is to even out the HDD temperature rather than have it oscillate between extremes. The standard Humax behaviour is (apparently) designed to minimise the noise generated by the HDR-FOX, but suffers from bursts of turbo charger interrupting periods of silence - which is more distracting than a constant low-level noise from a slow fan.

By setting fan to (say) 40% (some experimentation required if you want the optimum, and it is affected by ambient temperature), the fan noise will remain imperceptible and the HDD will be prevented from reaching the temperature at which the standard firmware eventually turns the fan on. The fan package is thus a good thing on two fronts, and not just for Christmas.

However, I agree that if the HDD can reach 55°C under normal circumstances (fan not installed, or set too low) before the fan kicks in, the WebIF warning should not trigger until a bit higher than that.

 

[Trev]

I can't hear my fan at 50%
And to BH's last paragraph.

The CF tempmon 'alert' setting is at its default of 50c, hence the pending alert.

So it's not that surprising that he gets the alert when the HDD gets to 55 degrees is it?
But if he used the fan package as designed, he will keep the temp of the HDD down, not be able to hear the fan and not get any overheat alerts.

 

[gat]

I can't hear my fan at 50%
And to BH's last paragraph.So it's not that surprising that he gets the alert when the HDD gets to 55 degrees is it?
But if he used the fan package as designed, he will keep the temp of the HDD down, not be able to hear the fan and not get any overheat alerts.

My general point is why have the alert threshold default lower than the default fan trigger point? Yes, i have now adjusted the fan to 40% and all is good. As for fan noise, i can only hear mine if my ear is pressed against the humax.

 

[Black Hole]

So it's not that surprising that he gets the alert when the HDD gets to 55 degrees is it?
But if he used the fan package as designed, he will keep the temp of the HDD down, not be able to hear the fan and not get any overheat alerts.

Doesn't it strike you as daft having alarm bells for what would be a normal situation if the system were operating without the fan package? It does to me.

 

[Trev]

Yes, but that's the way it has been set up by the S/W author. Perhaps the default should have been 55 deg or higher as I think gat was suggesting.
Doesn't affect me though as I have the fan package running and my HDD never gets up to anything like that so would probably only alarm if the fan failed.

 

[Black Hole]

As af123 gave it a "like", I think we can conclude that the author agrees!

 

[Ezra Pound]

BH :That's very unclear

The OP, seemed to understand it, with the minimum fan speed set to 0%, the fan turns on (70%) at 55 Deg. C, just as it would if 'Fan' wasn't installed. Fan is effectively not running