FAQ: Are Noctua fans compatible with Aquacomputer aquaero fan controllers?
FAQ: Are Noctua fans compatible with Aquacomputer aquaero fan controllers?
Yes, in general, Noctua fans are compatible with Aquacomputer aquaero fan controllers. However, there can be compatibility issues with these controllers and some production batches of our 12V industrialPPC fans from 2019. Note that these issues only concern some production batches of 12V industrialPPC fan models from 2019, 24V or non-industrialPPC models are not affected. Also note that these issues only occur when controlling multiple fans via the aquaero and that the issues do not occur when controlling these fans via motherboard fan headers, even if multiple fans are controlled using y-cables or splitter boards.
The issues have occurred because we have increased the protection of the PWM control line in order to further improve electronic robustness in industrial environments. This extra protection has increased the capacitance of the PWM line slightly. In a situation where multiple fans are connected in parallel, the capacitance of the PWM line will end up in parallel, increasing the capacitance. This means that the PWM control line driver will have an increased capacitance load to drive, which can cause the signal to deteriorate. If a large number of fans is used, it is therefore important that the controller or splitter board have independent outputs for each fan. If they don’t and if the output driver is sensitive to increased capacitance (such as the case with the aquaro), this can cause a signal degradation, which, in return, can lead to reduced fan speeds when controlling multiple fans.
We have already reverted our production back to the original version in 2019 in order to make sure that there are no more compatibility issues with the aquaero controllers and we are working on a new, updated version that will feature the extra protection while still being fully compatible with the aquaero.
The issues have occurred because we have increased the protection of the PWM control line in order to further improve electronic robustness in industrial environments. This extra protection has increased the capacitance of the PWM line slightly. In a situation where multiple fans are connected in parallel, the capacitance of the PWM line will end up in parallel, increasing the capacitance. This means that the PWM control line driver will have an increased capacitance load to drive, which can cause the signal to deteriorate. If a large number of fans is used, it is therefore important that the controller or splitter board have independent outputs for each fan. If they don’t and if the output driver is sensitive to increased capacitance (such as the case with the aquaro), this can cause a signal degradation, which, in return, can lead to reduced fan speeds when controlling multiple fans.
We have already reverted our production back to the original version in 2019 in order to make sure that there are no more compatibility issues with the aquaero controllers and we are working on a new, updated version that will feature the extra protection while still being fully compatible with the aquaero.
Your opinion matters!
We are excited to invite you to participate in our short website survey. It will only take 5 minutes of your time!