strange noise from from UP Squared

Datafreak

Hi,

I got now my UP Squared and it makes some strange noise when it is running.
Specially when it is under higher load or when the Network is used.

I have tried to record the noise with my phone:

Is this normal? Or is something wrong with my Up-Board?
Does someone else have the same issue?

Best Regards,
Thomas

rogertsai(AAEON)

that sounds like the whir of a fan from the UPS board
did you check your FAN and no debris on inside? can you send me a picture?

Datafreak

Hi Roger,

thanks for you reply.

I have a UP Squared with a passive heatsink from Kickstarter:

UP² (UP Squared) board with Apollo Lake Intel® Pentium™ N4200 Quad Core up to 2.5 GHz, on board 8GB DDR4 64GB eMMC

So the issue can not come from a a Fan, because there is none.

Because the Board is so tiny I can not really locate from which the noise is coming from.
My hearing says, that it could come from the direction of the Graphic- or Network-Port.

The sound is also changing if I scroll over Text or in the Windows 10 start menu.
And also when the Network has a higher Network activity.

Currently I have no Internet connection home.
But when it is back, I can upload a Video which maybe can show the issue.

Best Regards,
Thomas

Per Mejdal Rasmussen

My inventor board has the same noise. It is an electronic component that makes the noise. My guess it is a coil that deliverers power to the SoC.

The noise is most audible when scrolling, switching windows, moving the text cursor, watching videos or running CPU benchmarks. There is no noise when running a network benchmark.

It is distracting, it is audio feedback, like the seek noises from a mechanical hard-drive. But I think the easy fix, is the put it in a box.

Attach recording is done with the fan disconnected. The ambient noise in the room is around 34db (you can hear transformers buzzing).

Datafreak

Hi,

here a Video + Audio of the issue:
Youtube - strange noise from from UP Squared
[video width=425 height=344 type=youtube]XX8-kTC1_Kk[/video]

As CableCat describes:

The noise is most audible when scrolling, switching windows, moving the text cursor, watching videos or running CPU benchmarks.

And here a Picture to show, that I don't have a Fan:


Best Regards,
Thomas

rogertsai(AAEON)

Thank you for your Video,
And yes, i can hear that noise when i use the scroll wheel on the mouse, but the sound was very soft.
I'll check it out

//==============================================//
update news - 20170920
we still can't find the strange noise on UP2 board like your Video for big noise... we can hear small sounds only
I guess the noise could be coming from choke components, and just as CableCat said that too

Anyone encounter the same problem?

Darko

i have exactly same noise
did you resolve this

Per Mejdal Rasmussen

There is a lot of noise when running prime95. I noticed that the power supply is also noisy.

I then replaced the PSU that came with the UP^2 with an IKEA KOPPLA. It had no noise.

The IKEA KOPPLA unofficial support 4A. However I cannot recommenced it for the UP^2, because it shutsdown when running prime95 for an extended amount of time. Usually when the CPU is hitting 100C. I think it might be over-voltage protection, because the PSU increases the voltage to +5.3V when under load, and the load increases the higher the CPU temperature is.

Technical analyse of the IKEA KOPPLA

LemmingOverlord

I agree with Per on this one. I finally got my UP Squared (N4200/8GB/64GB eMMC, full passive) and it definitely has the noise under Windows when scrolling up and down a window.

It definitely sounds like electrical noise from a choke / capacitor or some other electrical component on the PCB. I hope this doesn't mean the component is dying due to stress.

Any ideas, Aaeon?