Improving SWaP is a constant requirement for our customers and a design challenge that we regularly face. So, when an existing autonomous semi-truck OEM customer approached us needing more power in a much smaller chassis, we designed the AVC0403. 
The most challenging requirements for this super server was incorporating three A100 GPUs—more powerful processors—and making the chassis 1U (1.75 inches) smaller than the current offering.
First, we focused on satisfying the large power requirements of the AVC0403 by designing a new, custom 2500W power supply to support the system allowing for unprecedented compute power. However, this amount of power created more heat in a smaller chassis, so heat dissipation became the next design challenge to be addressed.
Our versatile solutions can also be connected directly off the vehicle’s alternator with no conditioning. With multiple power supply designs already complete, we can easily adapt to an application’s specific needs.
The traditional liquid cooling design that is utilized in our systems would not be enough to cool this server. Though we’ve used a radiator in other AVC systems, we incorporated to a new automotive grade radiator/fan assembly into the AVC0403. This assembly can be mounted on the outside the vehicle and handles any additional extreme ambient temperatures the vehicle may be exposed to. This radiator assembly knocked out two key requirements for this customer.
Lastly, to improve data handling and storage, we implemented a high-capacity removable drive pack to easily offload data from the autonomous vehicle to a data center. This capability not only allows for seamless edge computing, but also easy data transfers.
This server was designed specifically for autonomous semi-truck OEMs but can be incorporated into various AI and automation projects due to its unprecedented compute power, data-handling capabilities, and storage capacity.
To learn more about the AVC0403 and download its spec sheet, visit the product page.