Description:TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to thermal management methods and systems for radio units, and more specifically relates to a radio remote unit (RRU) enclosure and methods for better thermal management in the RRU.

BACKGROUND
[0002] Remote radio units (RRUs), work as an outdoor unit, exposed to harsh environment (e.g., high temperature, solar, humidity etc.) and are cooled with natural convection. The RRUs comprise chassis that is made from cast aluminum alloy due to its advantage of lower weight, low cost, and decent thermal properties. The heat dissipated from chip components of the RRUs are uniformly distributed on the chassis. The uniform distribution of heat on the chassis can be addressed with technologies like heat pipe or vapor chamber; however, this leads to increased cost of the RRUs. Using conventional methods, the above challenges cannot be addressed.
[0003] Some of the prior art references are given below for uniform distribution of heat on the chassis of the RRUs:
[0004] JP2012028894A discloses a structure of a remote radio head apparatus. The apparatus includes multiple heat radiation fins to dissipate heat. The apparatus is divided into a first portion and a second portion in which the second portion is shallower than the first portion to improve the heat dissipation performance.
[0005] US11147154B2 discloses a Multiple Input, Multiple Output (MIMO) antenna apparatus, which includes multiple heat generation components. The multiple heat generation components are placed on a front portion and a rear portion of the apparatus and the heat is radiated from a front and rear module board.
[0006] US10219406B2 discloses a radio remote unit that includes a unit body and multiple heat dissipation fins disposed on a surface of the unit body. An opening groove is disposed on the multiple heat dissipation fins to form a fan ventilation groove which improves the heat dissipation capability.
[0007] CN203278812U discloses a structure of a radio frequency (RF) filtering unit/remote radio unit, which comprises an upper box body and a lower box body. The heat of power amplifier circuit board and transceiver circuit board dissipates respectively from lower and upper body to improve the heat dissipation.
[0008] A non-patent literature entitled “Use of segregated heat sink structures to achieve enhanced passive cooling for outdoor wireless devices” discloses an outdoor wireless device (RRU) which features two segregated heat sink structures. The heat sink structures are arranged vertically within a shielded chimney structure with a varied heat sink gap.
[0009] Another non-patent literature entitled “Thermal Modeling of Remote Radio Head Units” discloses Remote Radio Head (RRH) units with proper airflow management and arrangement of sections for efficient heat dissipation.
[0010] Another non-patent literature entitled “Heat Dissipation Antenna Array for Compact Massive MIMO Radio Unit” discloses a passive air cooling system with a heat dissipation antenna array to dissipate large amounts of heat from massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radio units.

[0011] But, none of the prior art references discloses construction of a heat breaker/restricting slot on an enclosure of an RRU that provides thermal isolation between a radio frequency (RF) section and a digital section of the RRU. In light of the above-stated discussion, there is a need to overcome the above stated disadvantages.

OBJECT OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0012] A principal object of the present disclosure is to solve the aforesaid drawbacks and provide a heat breaker/restricting slot on a main enclosure of a Remote Radio Unit (RRU), without disturbing a printed circuit board (PCB), to separate a hot section and a cooler section without impacting the hot section.
[0013] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide thermal isolation between a radio frequency section (RF) section and a digital section of the RRU. The thermal isolation helps in decreasing Radio Frequency System-on-Chip (RFSoC) temperature in the digital section.

SUMMARY
[0014] Accordingly, the present disclosure provides a remote radio unit (RRU) enclosure including a radio frequency (RF) section, a digital section and a heat restricting slot. The digital section is arranged adjacent to the RF section, where the RF section is arranged on a top portion of the digital section, where the digital section houses at least one Radio Frequency System-on-Chip (RFSoC). The heat restricting slot is formed between the RF section and the digital section, where the digital section is at least partially thermally separated from the RF section. The digital section produces a lower temperature compared to temperature produced by the RF section. The heat restricting slot comprises a heat-resistant gasket, a washer, and a heat breaker cover placed therein. The washer assists to distribute uniform pressure and movement on the heat resistant gasket. The heat restricting slot is provided on the RRU enclosure without disturbing a printed circuit board (PCB), where the heat restricting slot separates a hot section and a cooler section without impacting the hot section. The heat restricting slot provides a uniform distribution of heat at the RF section. The heat-resistant gasket and the heat breaker cover ensure an IP65 rating protection that makes the RRU enclosure a dust-tight enclosure and provides protection against water ingression.
[0015] These and other aspects herein will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following descriptions are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention herein without departing from the spirit thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES
[0016] The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, throughout which like reference letters indicate corresponding parts in the drawings. The invention herein will be better understood from the following description with reference to the drawings, in which:
[0017] FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded view of a remote radio unit (RRU) enclosure.
[0018] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the RRU enclosure.
[0019] FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 illustrate a front view and an exploded view of a digital board enclosure of the RRU enclosure, respectively.
[0020] FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of the arrangement of a heat breaker cover and a heat breaker gasket in the RRU enclosure.
[0021] FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 illustrate a side perspective view and a front view of the arrangement of the heat breaker cover and the heat breaker gasket in the RRU enclosure, respectively.
[0022] FIG. 8 illustrates a front view depicting a radio frequency (RF) section, a digital section and a digital PCB (printed circuit board) included in the RRU enclosure.
[0023] FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating a thermal management method in the RRU enclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] In the following detailed description of the invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced with or without these specific details. In other instances, well known methods, procedures and components have not been described in details so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the invention.
[0025] Furthermore, it will be clear that the invention is not limited to these alternatives only. Numerous modifications, changes, variations, substitutions and equivalents will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without parting from the scope of the invention.
[0026] The accompanying drawings are used to help easily understand various technical features and it should be understood that the alternatives presented herein are not limited by the accompanying drawings. As such, the present disclosure should be construed to extend to any alterations, equivalents and substitutes in addition to those which are particularly set out in the accompanying drawings. Although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are generally only used to distinguish one element from another.
[0027] The deficiencies in previous techniques (as discussed in the background section) can be solved by the proposed RRU enclosure that implements a novel method to achieve uniform distribution of heat using a heat breaker/restricting slot. The heat breaker/restricting slot is provided on the main enclosure of a chassis without disturbing a PCB in the RRUs. The heat breaker/restricting slot separates a hot section and a cooler section without impacting the hotter section. The construction of the heat breaker/restricting slot is done in such a way that it provides mechanical and thermal isolation between an RF section and a digital section that further helps in reducing an RFSoC temperature in the digital section, wherein the RFSoC is the only single-chip adaptable radio platform on the market. The RFSoC eliminates the need for discrete converters, placing everything you need on a single chip. The elimination of discrete implementation means increased power reduction and a smaller physical footprint. With simple interfacing and increased flexibility through direct RF sampling, system architects and RF designers can implement future-proof solutions within a rapidly evolving landscape.

[0028] Now referring to the figures, where FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded view of a remote radio unit (RRU) enclosure (100), FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the RRU enclosure (100), and FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 illustrate a front view and an exploded view of a digital board enclosure (108) of the RRU enclosure (100).
[0029] The RRU enclosure (100) (aka “enclosure”) can also be called a single piece molded chassis or a single mould RRU enclosure (100). In general, an RRU in a wireless network (not shown), is a remote radio transceiver that connects to an operator radio control panel via an electrical or wireless interface. The RRU is also referred to as radio equipment (RE), a radio unit (RU), an RF filtering unit (RFU) or a remote radio head (RRH). The RRU is one of two primary units of a wireless base station. The RRU is an RF processing unit, and it can receive, transmit, filter and amplify RF signals. Further, the RRU enclosure (100) is a single piece weatherproof chassis that is installed on a pole at a remote radio unit site. The RRU enclosure (100) is mounted near an antenna at a top of a base station in an outdoor environment. The RRU enclosure (100) and components thereof may be made from aluminium, stainless steel, iron, copper or a combination thereof or any other suitable material known to a person skilled in the art.
[0030] The RRU enclosure (or RRU) (100) includes a heat sink (102) (e.g., Small Form-Factor Pluggable (SFP) heat sink), a heat breaker cover (104), a heat breaker gasket (106), the digital board enclosure (108), an enclosure gasket (110), a first plate (112), a heat pipe (114), a digital board (116), a thermal pad (118), a first PA (power amplifier) (120), a first RF (radio frequency) shield (122), a cavity filter (124), a second PA (power amplifier) (126), a second RF shield (128), a second plate (130), a power supply unit (PSU) board (132), a PSU enclosure (134), one or more mounting screws (136) and a washer (138).
[0031] The digital board enclosure (108) comprises a first slot (142a) and a second slot (142b). The digital board enclosure (108) also includes a connector port (152) (as shown in FIG. 4) that is used to receive and connect various components in/to the RRU enclosure (100). The connector port (152) may allow connection to an antenna (not shown).
[0032] The first slot (142a) of the digital board enclosure (108) is configured to receive the heat sink (102). The heat sink (102) is a passive heat exchanger that transfers the heat generated by an electronic or a mechanical device to a fluid medium, often air or a liquid coolant, where it is dissipated away from the RRU enclosure (100), to allow regulation of temperature of the RRU enclosure (100). The heat sink (102) is designed to maximize its surface area in contact with a cooling medium surrounding it, such as the air. The heat sink (102) is used to naturally cool the RRU enclosure (100).
[0033] The second slot (142b) of the digital board enclosure (108) is configured to allow the placement of the heat breaker cover (104) and the heat breaker gasket (106). That is, the heat breaker cover (104) and the heat breaker gasket (106), as a single assembly, are fastened to the digital board enclosure (108) in the second slot (142b), which is further explained below in conjunction with FIG. 5, FIG. 6 and FIG. 7. The heat breaker gasket (106) is a mechanical seal which fills a space between two or more mating surfaces, generally to prevent leakage from or into the joined objects while under compression. The heat breaker gasket (106) is made of a deformable material that is used to create a static seal and maintain that seal under various operating conditions in a mechanical assembly. The heat breaker gasket (106) and the heat breaker cover (104) ensure IP65 rating protection that makes the RRU enclosure (100) a dust-tight enclosure and provide protection against water ingression in the RRU enclosure (100). The IP65 rating protection ensures protection against low pressure water jets from any direction, as well as condensation and water spray. The IP65 rating is suitable for most outdoor enclosures that won't encounter extreme weather such as flooding. The IP65 rated heat breaker gasket (106) protects the RRU enclosure (100) in the outdoor environment. In order to ensure the uniform compression of the heat breaker gasket (106), the washer (138) (e.g., thermal isolation washer (138) (as shown in FIG. 5) is used. The washer (138) helps to distribute uniform pressure and movement on the heat breaker gasket (106). The washer (138) is made of a material called PTFE (i.e., polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-based synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene, a high-molecular-weight compound consisting of carbon and fluorine). Alternatively, the washer (138) may be made from any suitable material known to a person skilled in the art.
[0034] The digital board enclosure (108) seals/encloses the first plate (112) and other elements (as shown in FIG. 1) using the enclosure gasket (110). In other words, the enclosure gasket (110) is positioned between the first plate (112) and the digital board enclosure (108), where the first plate (112) is provided with the heat pipe (114) and may be made from aluminium and other suitable material. The heat pipe (114) is a heat-transfer device that employs phase transition to transfer heat between two solid interfaces. By using the heat pipe (114) or a vapor chamber (not shown), the heat dissipated by various components (e.g., power amplifiers, converters, filters, mixers, and power supply unit or the like) of the RRU enclosure (100) are uniformly distributed on the RRU enclosure (100). The vapor chamber is a planar heat pipe, which can spread the heat in two dimensions. The vapor chamber is used when high powers and heat fluxes are applied to a relatively small evaporator area. Further, the thermal pad (118) sits between two components (e.g., power amplifiers, converters, filters, mixers, or the like) and transfers heat from one to another. The thermal pad (118) transfers heat from a heat source (such as any component generating heat) to the heat sink (102) to protect the RRU enclosure (100) from overheating. The thermal pad (118) is formed/placed on the digital board (116). The digital board (116) further includes a Radio Frequency System-on-Chip (RFSoC) (150b), at least one resistor, at least one diode, at least one transistor, and at least one integrated circuit (IC), and at least one connector. The first RF shield (122) is positioned between the first PA (120) and the cavity filter (124). In general, the RF shield is used for blocking radio frequency electromagnetic signals that cause radio frequency interference (RFI) in the RRU enclosure (100). The first PA (120) converts a low-power radio-frequency signal into a higher-power signal. The power of the input signal is increased to a level high enough to drive loads of output devices. The cavity filter (124) is a type of resonant filter used for either passing desired RF signals within a specified frequency range or rejecting RF signals in the RRU. Similarly, the second RF shield (128) is formed between the second PA (126) and the cavity filter (124). The second PA (126) also converts the low-power radio-frequency signal into a higher-power signal. After the second PA (126), the PSU board (132) is placed and the second plate (130) is positioned between the PSU board (132) and the PSU enclosure (134). The second plate (130) is made of aluminium or other suitable material that is known to a person skilled in the art. The PSU board (132) includes a primary power supply and a standby/backup power supply to provide non-interrupted power to the RRU.
[0035] Now simultaneous reference is made to FIG. 5 through FIG. 8, where FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of the arrangement of the heat breaker cover (104) and the heat breaker gasket (106) in the second slot (142b) in the RRU enclosure (100), FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 illustrates a side perspective view and a front view of the arrangement of the heat breaker cover (104) and the heat breaker gasket (106) in the RRU enclosure (100), respectively, and FIG. 8 illustrates a front view depicting a radio frequency (RF) section (144), a digital section (146) and a digital PCB (printed circuit board) (148) included in the RRU enclosure.
[0036] The arrangement and operations of the heat breaker cover (104) and the heat breaker gasket (106) are already explained in conjunction with FIG. 1 through FIG. 4. To explain further, now referring to FIG. 5. The second slot (142b) may also be termed as a heat restricting slot (142b). Henceforth, the second slot (142b) is described as the heat restricting slot (142b). The heat restricting slot (142b) is formed between the RF section (144) and the digital section (146) as shown in FIG. 8. The heat restricting slot (142b) partially runs from one end to another end of a side through a width of the RRU enclosure (100). In other words, the cut-out provided on the RRU enclosure (100) does not run on the entire width, the cut-out covers only ~85-90%, hence the single mould RRU enclosure (100).
[0037] The heat restricting slot (142b) comprises the heat breaker gasket (106) (aka “heat-resistant gasket”), the heat breaker cover (104) and the washer (138) (e.g., thermal isolation washer or the like), where the heat breaker gasket (106) and the heat breaker cover (104) are fastened in the heat restricting slot (142b) using mounting screws (136) on the digital board enclosure (108). In an example, the size of the heat breaker gasket (106) may be 196mm*5mm and the size of the heat breaker cover (104) may be 227mm*36mm. Alternatively, the size of the heat breaker gasket (106) and the heat breaker cover (104) may vary.
[0038] In order to provide easy access to fasten the heat breaker cover (104), the shape of the digital board enclosure (108) is kept like a fin-structure without compromising on the performance. The way surfaces of the digital board enclosure (108) are removed, provides easy access to the heat breaker cover (104) without compromising on the heat sink performance. Further, a notch separation (154) helps in the expansion of heated air and avoids thermal stacking between the fins (156). In general, the fins are surfaces extended form an object to increase the rate of heat transfer to or from the environment by increasing convection.
[0039] Further, the heat restricting slot (142b) has a gasket insulator (not shown) that is compliant with the IP65 rating.
[0040] The heat restricting slot (142b) is provided on the RRU enclosure (100) without disturbing the digital PCB or PCB (148). The PCB is used to mechanically support and electrically connect electronic components using conductive pathways, tracks or signal traces etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate.
[0041] As mentioned earlier, the heat restricting slot (142b) is a small cut-out provided on the RRU enclosure (100), where the small cut-out breaks a conduction mode of heat transfer from the RF section (144) to the digital section (146), wherein in the conduction mode, the heat transfer takes place at the molecular level without actual movement of molecules, from the hottest to the coldest surface. At least one resistor, at least one diode, at least one transistor, at least one IC (integrated circuit), and at least one connector present in the digital section (146) generate heat that resultantly increases the temperature of the digital section (146) (“the temperature of the digital section (146) is referred as digital temperature”). Similarly, radio frequency circuits present in the RF section (144) dissipate more heat that increases the temperature of the RF section (144) of the RRU enclosure (100) (“the temperature of the RF section (144) is referred as RF temperature”). The heat restricting slot (142b) ensures that the difference between the digital temperature and the RF temperature is greater than or equal to 3 degrees Celsius. The heat restricting slot (142b) is placed on the RRU enclosure (100) in such a way that the heat restricting slot (142b) provides mechanical and thermal isolation between the RF section (144) and the digital section (146), where the thermal isolation reduces the RFSoC temperature.
[0042] Further, the heat restricting slot (142b) separates a hot section and a cooler section without impacting the hot section. The heat restricting slot (142b) provides uniform distribution of heat at the RF section (144). The heat restricting slot (142b) occupies at least 70-80% of the width direction of the RRU enclosure ( ) (100), wherein the volume of the RRU enclosure (100) depends on the total heat dissipation from the RRU enclosure (100). The shape of the RRU enclosure (100) is decided by the dimension and stack-up of printed circuit board amplifier (PCBAs), thus may vary. The printed circuit board amplifier houses power amplifiers in the RRU enclosure (100).
[0043] The following steps are used for the selection of the heat restricting slot (142b) location in the RRU enclosure (100). It is required to know the power loss and the surface area, or the volume required to dissipate the heat, which is detailed below:
1. To dissipate the heat from the RF section (144) and to maintain the components below their allowable temperature, the volume of the RRU enclosure (100) is computed.
2. Heat transfer is directly proportional to the 'available surface area' for heat transfer and heat flow in the least resistance path.
3. To utilize the volume computed for the RF section (144) and to cut the flow of heat towards the RFSoC (150b), the heat restricting slot (142b) along with the heat breaker gasket (106) has to be designed and provided to separate (thermal isolation) the RF section (144).
[0044] The following steps are used for computing the heat dissipation in the RRU enclosure (100):
1. Determine the allowable PCBA temperature (the temperature at which the PCB operates efficiently, and heat dissipated by the components can be exhausted from the RRU enclosure in a timely manner and without affecting the components) in the RF section (144), compute the total power dissipation from the RF section (144),
2. Compute the target temperature required on the surface of the RRU enclosure (100),
3. Determine the volume of the RRU enclosure (100) required to dissipate the power,
4. Choose an appropriate location to provide the heat restricting slot (142b) to restrict the flow of heat,
5. Design the heat restricting slot (142b) along with the heat breaker gasket (106) and the heat breaker cover (104) for thermal isolation by maintaining the required IP rating, and
6. Placement of the heat breaker gasket (106) with the heat breaker cover (104) in the heat restricting slot (142b).
[0045] Referring to FIG. 8, which provides additional details on the RF section (144), the digital section (146) and the digital PCB (148) included in the RRU enclosure (100). The RF section (144) includes at least a power amplifier (not shown) and at least one printed circuit board (PCB) (148) (i.e., digital PCB (148)), at least one integrated circuit (IC) (not shown), at least one circulator (not shown), and at least one resistor (not shown). The RF section (144) is present in a top portion of the RRU enclosure (100) and adjacent to the digital section (146). The RF section (144) dissipates more heat due to the presence of power amplifiers, therefore the RF section (144) is at a higher temperature as compared to the digital section (146). The RF section (144) is thermally separated from the digital section (146). That is, the digital section (146) is at least partially thermally separated from the RF section (144), where the digital section (146) produces a lower temperature compared to the temperature generated by the RF section (144). The digital section (146) is present in the bottom portion of the RRU enclosure (100). The digital section (146) dissipates less heat as compared to the RF section (144), so the digital section (146) produces a lower temperature as compared to the RF section (144). The digital section (146) includes at least one resistor (150c), at least one diode, at least one transistor, at least one integrated circuit (IC) (150a), and at least one connector (150d). The digital section (146) further houses at least one Radio Frequency System-on-Chip (RFSoC) (150b). The RFSoC (150b) integrates multiple devices on one chip to achieve a major step forward in performance and density i.e., fewer boards and less power consumption.
[0046] FIG. 9 is a flow chart (900) illustrating a thermal management method in the RRU enclosure (100). At step 902, the method includes forming the heat restricting slot (142b) between the RF section (144) and the digital section (146), wherein the heat restricting slot (142b) comprises the heat-resistant gasket (106), the washer (138), and the heat breaker cover (104) placed therein.
[0047] The heat restricting slot (142b) formed on the RRU enclosure (100) provides a complete isolation of the digital section (146) from the RF section (144), which restricts the flow of heat towards the other areas in the RRU enclosure (100). The thermal isolation of the RF section (144) brings down the temperature of RFSoC (150b), DDR (Double Data Rate) and other components on the digital section (146) and increases the heat sink efficiency by uniform heat distribution on the RF section (144). Further, a drop in digital side component temperature potentially decreases the volume requirement. The thermal isolation helps reduce the uneven distribution of heat on the heat sink (102), hence the use of a heat pipe, high K plates (i.e., plates) can be avoided. In general, the plates are heat spreaders with embedded heat pipes to transport heat as desired in the RRU. The plates are particularly useful for the cooling of multiple high-power components. The plates collect and move the heat from discrete heat sources to the liquid-cooled edge or air-cooled heat sinks with minimal temperature gradients. Advantageously, the proposed design of the RRU enclosure (100) has achieved a reduced volume (reduced by around 1ltr), reduced weight (reduced by around 0.3kg) and reduced cost.
[0048] The various actions, acts, blocks, steps, or the like in the flow chart (900) may be performed in the order presented, in a different order or simultaneously. Further, in some implementations, some of the actions, acts, blocks, steps, or the like may be omitted, added, modified, skipped, or the like without departing from the scope of the invention.
[0049] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention. While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope of the invention. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary, with the true scope of the invention being indicated by the claims.
[0050] The methods and processes described herein may have fewer or additional steps or states and the steps or states may be performed in a different order. Not all steps or states need to be reached. The methods and processes described herein may be embodied in, and fully or partially automated via, software code modules executed by one or more general purpose computers. The code modules may be stored in any type of computer-readable medium or other computer storage device. Some or all of the methods may alternatively be embodied in whole or in part in specialized computer hardware.
[0051] Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, "can," "may," "might," "may," “e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain alternatives include, while other alternatives do not include, certain features, elements and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or steps are in any way required for one or more alternatives or that one or more alternatives necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without other input or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular alternative. The terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and the like are synonymous and are used inclusively, in an open-ended fashion, and do not exclude additional elements, features, acts, operations, and so forth. Also, the term “or” is used in its inclusive sense (and not in its exclusive sense) so that when used, for example, to connect a list of elements, the term “or” means one, some, or all of the elements in the list.
[0052] Disjunctive language such as the phrase “at least one of X, Y, Z,” unless specifically stated otherwise, is otherwise understood with the context as used in general to present that an item, term, etc., may be either X, Y, or Z, or any combination thereof (e.g., X, Y, and/or Z). Thus, such disjunctive language is not generally intended to, and should not, imply that certain alternatives require at least one of X, at least one of Y, or at least one of Z to each be present.
[0053] While the detailed description has shown, described, and pointed out novel features as applied to various alternatives, it can be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the devices or algorithms illustrated can be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. As can be recognized, certain alternatives described herein can be embodied within a form that does not provide all of the features and benefits set forth herein, as some features can be used or practiced separately from others.
, Claims:CLAIMS

We claim:
1. A radio remote unit (RRU) enclosure (100), wherein the RRU enclosure (100) comprises:
a radio-frequency (RF) section (144) comprising at least a power amplifier, at least one printed circuit board (PCB) (148), at least one integrated circuit (IC), at least one circulator, and at least one resistor;
a digital section (146) comprising at least one resistor (150c), at least one diode, at least one transistor, at least one integrated circuit (IC) (150a), and at least one connector (150d), wherein the digital section (146) is arranged adjacent to the RF section (144), wherein the RF section (144) is arranged on a top portion of the digital section (146), wherein the digital section (146) houses at least one Radio Frequency System-on-Chip (RFSoC) (150b); and
a heat restricting slot (142b) formed between the RF section (144) and the digital section (146), wherein the digital section (146) is at least partially thermally separated from the RF section (144), wherein the digital section (146) produces lower temperature compared to a temperature produced by the RF section (144).

2. The RRU enclosure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat restricting slot (142b) ensures that, the difference between a digital temperature and an RF temperature is greater than or equal to 3 degrees Celsius.

3. The RRU enclosure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat restricting slot (142b) partially runs from one end to another end of a side through a width of the RRU enclosure (100).

4. The RRU enclosure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat restricting slot (142b) is a small cut-out provided on the RRU enclosure (100), wherein the small cut-out breaks a conduction mode of heat transfer from the RF section (144) to the digital section (146).

5. The RRU enclosure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat restricting slot (142b) is provided on the RRU enclosure (100) without disturbing a printed circuit board (PCB) (148), wherein the heat restricting slot (142b) separates a hot section and a cooler section without impacting the hot section.

6. The RRU enclosure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat restricting slot (142b) provides a uniform distribution of heat at the RF section (144).

7. The RRU enclosure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat restricting slot (142b) is at least 70-80 percent of an RRU enclosure width.

8. The RRU enclosure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein a volume of the RRU enclosure (100) depends on total heat dissipation from the RRU enclosure (100).

9. The RRU enclosure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein shape of the RRU enclosure (100) is decided by dimension and stack-up of at least one printed circuit board amplifier (PCBA).

10. The RRU enclosure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat restricting slot (142b) comprises a heat-resistant gasket (106), a washer (138), and a heat breaker cover (104) placed therein.

11. The RRU enclosure (100) is claimed in claim 10, wherein the heat-resistant gasket (106) and the heat breaker cover (104) are fastened to the RRU enclosure (100).

12. The RRU enclosure (100) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the washer (138) assists to distribute uniform pressure and movement on the heat resistant gasket (106).

13. The RRU enclosure (100) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the heat-resistant gasket (106) and the heat breaker cover (104) ensure an IP65 rating protection that makes the RRU enclosure (100) a dust-tight enclosure and provides protection against water ingression.

14. A thermal management method in an RRU enclosure (100), comprising:
forming a heat restricting slot (142b) between a radio-frequency (RF) section (144) and a digital section (146), wherein the heat restricting slot (142b) comprises a heat-resistant gasket (106), a washer (138), and a heat breaker cover (104) placed therein.