Dynamic Temperature Range (DTR) testing.
Thermal test programs for AMD and Intel CPUs and GPUs — so you understand how processors behave across their full operating temperature range before they are deployed.
What DTR testing is
Dynamic Temperature Range (DTR) testing characterises how a processor performs as its operating temperature changes — not just at a single benchmark point, but across the range it will actually see in service. Processors in aviation and marine systems can run in cold starts, sustained high-load heat, and rapidly changing conditions; DTR testing measures how a given CPU or GPU holds up across that envelope.
What a DTR program covers
Scope
- Characterisation across the rated operating temperature range
- Performance and throttling behaviour under sustained thermal load
- Test program development, automation, and reporting
- CPU and GPU coverage for AMD and Intel parts
Why it matters for aviation and marine
In airborne and marine platforms, thermal margins are often tight and cooling is constrained by weight, sealing, or power. A processor that performs well on a bench can throttle or become unreliable once it is inside a sealed enclosure in the real environment. Understanding that behaviour early means it can be designed for — through cooling, part selection, or operating limits — rather than discovered after integration.
Where it fits with our other work
DTR testing sits alongside our broader engineering services — systems integration, embedded electronics, and test and qualification — so thermal findings can feed directly into design and integration decisions.
Common questions about DTR screening
What is Dynamic Temperature Range (DTR)?
DTR describes the span of processor junction temperature — measured relative to the temperature at boot — across which a CPU or GPU is expected to run at full rated performance within a single power cycle, without needing a cold reset. Because it is referenced to the boot temperature, the temperature at which a device powers on affects how much of its total operating range is actually covered.
Why does DTR matter for aviation and marine systems?
These platforms often power on cold and then heat up under load inside sealed, thermally constrained enclosures. If the temperature swing during a mission carries a processor outside its dynamic temperature range, behaviour can become unpredictable. Understanding the range up front lets thermal and power design keep the device inside its reliable window.
What can happen if a processor runs outside its DTR?
A device does not necessarily protect itself based on this range alone, so operating outside it can produce unpredictable behaviour — anything from a system hang to instability on high-speed interfaces — and the symptoms can differ from one unit or power cycle to the next.
How is the range re-established?
Because the range is referenced to the boot temperature, a platform-initiated power cycle or cold reset re-establishes it: the new boot temperature sets a fresh window.
Is DTR the same as a maximum temperature rating?
No. It is about the temperature range that can be traversed within one power cycle from boot, not a single absolute limit, and it is not by itself a cooling-design mandate. It is, however, an important input to reliable system design.
What does DTR screening involve?
We develop and run test programs that exercise a CPU or GPU across boot temperatures and thermal transitions representative of the target platform, recording where behaviour stays within specification and where it does not. The result is a clear picture of a processor's usable temperature window in the real system — feeding thermal design, part selection, and operating limits.
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