After a reboot, entering sudo i8kctl fan - 2, the fan runs continually until entering i8kmon -nd when the speed dips, speeds up then shuts off after a few seconds. Running the code in sequence again (without re-booting first) the fan will run for just a few seconds, as it did earlier. Re-booting, then running the code, the fan runs continually.
Is there a way to switch the fan on/off manually without having to re-boot in between?
Rich
OK, that’s confusing :-\
Reboot, so we’re doing this from a clean boot
Once rebooted post the output from:
ps aux | grep i8k
then run:
sudo service i8kmon stop
then post the output from:
ps aux | grep i8k
again.
Then reboot, and post the output from
ps aux | grep i8k
again
Will do
richard@richard-Latitude-D520:~$ ps aux | grep i8k
root 1151 0.0 0.3 14364 3132 ? Sl 15:43 0:00 tclsh /usr/bin/i8kmon --daemon --nouserconfig --auto
richard 2910 0.0 0.0 4692 800 pts/0 S+ 15:45 0:00 grep --color=auto i8k
richard@richard-Latitude-D520:~$
OK,
sudo service i8kmon stop
definitely stops the daemon.
So run:
sudo service i8kmon stop
then
sudo i8kctl fan - 2
did that turn the fan on full speed (without it going off after a few seconds) ?
if so, does
sudo i8kctl fan - 1
slow it down to half speed ?
Remember, whilst i8kmon isn’t running as a daemon, the fans won’t be controlled automagically.
Rebooting should start thee daemon again
In addition: I found a pdf of a service sheet that shows the hardware layout of the lappy.
It appears that the fan services the heat-sink for the processor only and there is no path for the air to get to the hot area I previously described. In this area is a removable cover, under which is the memory module with a wlan module incorporated. Now I’m wondering if the heat is being generated by the memory stick and the wlan unit combined?
As a test, I’ve disabled wifi and am online using an ethernet cable and will monitor any changes. Would adding a 2nd memory stick also help with temperatures, (as in 2 sticks sharing the load, so to speak) or wouldn’t it make any difference?
Rich
Most likely the wireless card … but using ethernet probably won’t make a difference as the card is still powered (even with the wireless hardware switch set to off) on most laptops.
Memory shouldn’t be getting hot … is it ?
and as I said the CPU seems WELL within temp parameters.
So, are you saying that I would have to run the above commands - in sequence - after every boot, in order to manually control the fan?
Yes and no … so far I’ve just bee trying t figure out how to enable manual fan settings … beyond that I’m not even sure what you want to do ?
(or indeed if doing anything is necessary)
Reading various posts on the net, it seems that certain laptops are prone to heating issues and this one may be one of those. As I use it just as a test rig really, trying out odd distros that take my fancy, then it’s no biggie either way. I just didn’t fancy it going up in smoke!
Thanks again for the heads-up - great advice as ever!
Rich
Just as a matter of interest, what wireless card is it ?
What’s the output from:
sudo lshw -C network
As requested
richard@richard-Latitude-D520:~$ sudo lshw -C network
[sudo] password for richard:
*-network
description: Wireless interface
product: PRO/Wireless 3945ABG [Golan] Network Connection
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 0
bus info: pci@0000:0c:00.0
logical name: wlan0
version: 02
serial: 00:18:de:aa:9b:10
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list ethernet physical wireless
configuration: broadcast=yes driver=iwl3945 driverversion=3.13.0-39-generic firmware=15.32.2.9 ip=192.168.0.5 latency=0 link=yes multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11abg
resources: irq:42 memory:efdff000-efdfffff
*-network
description: Ethernet interface
product: BCM4401-B0 100Base-TX
vendor: Broadcom Corporation
physical id: 0
bus info: pci@0000:02:00.0
logical name: eth0
version: 02
serial: 00:15:c5:b3:de:44
size: 10Mbit/s
capacity: 100Mbit/s
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list ethernet physical mii 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd autonegotiation
configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=b44 driverversion=2.0 duplex=half latency=64 link=no multicast=yes port=twisted pair speed=10Mbit/s
resources: irq:17 memory:efcfe000-efcfffff
richard@richard-Latitude-D520:~$
OK, there’s no specific power management parameters for that card, but we can try turning down the Tx-Power and see if that helps.
With wireless enabled, what’s the output from:
iwconfig
richard@richard-Latitude-D520:~$ iwconfig
wlan0 IEEE 802.11abg ESSID:
Mode:Managed Frequency:2.437 GHz Access Point: A0:21:B7:F6:B6:74
Bit Rate=54 Mb/s Tx-Power=15 dBm
Retry long limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off
Power Management:on
Link Quality=70/70 Signal level=-40 dBm
Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
Tx excessive retries:0 Invalid misc:82 Missed beacon:0
lo no wireless extensions.
eth0 no wireless extensions.
richard@richard-Latitude-D520:~$
Would reducing the power affect the range?
it might yes, but it also might not … the only way to tell is make an adjustment and test.
OK, here’s how to change the transmission power rate (txpower)
richard@richard-Latitude-D520:~$ iwconfig wlan0 IEEE 802.11abg ESSID: Mode:Managed Frequency:2.437 GHz Access Point: A0:21:B7:F6:B6:74 Bit Rate=54 Mb/s [b]Tx-Power=15[/b] dBm Retry long limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off Power Management:on Link Quality=70/70 Signal level=-40 dBm Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0 Tx excessive retries:0 Invalid misc:82 Missed beacon:0
At the moment the rate is set to 15
Run:
sudo iwconfig wlan0 txpower 5
now check if Tx-Power=5
iwconfig
if so, see if wireless still works wheree you’d expect it to, and if the PC cools any (may take a while).
Personally I was able to get as low as Tx-Power=3 with no apparent degradation in link quality … lower than 3 and this number started to climb more than it had been before.
Tx excessive retries:0 [b]Invalid misc:82[/b] Missed beacon:0
Be aware either a REBOOT, or running:
sudo iwconfig wlan0 txpower auto
will put you back to where you are now.
This will not survive a reboot … I just wanna know if it cools the PC any and is workable.
Thanks Mark - I’ve done as you advised and here are the updated settings -
richard@richard-Latitude-D520:~$ sudo iwconfig wlan0 txpower 5
[sudo] password for richard:
richard@richard-Latitude-D520:~$ iwconfig
wlan0 IEEE 802.11abg ESSID:
Mode:Managed Frequency:2.437 GHz Access Point: A0:21:B7:F6:B6:74
Bit Rate=11 Mb/s Tx-Power=5 dBm
Retry long limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off
Power Management:off
Link Quality=34/70 Signal level=-76 dBm
Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
Tx excessive retries:3 Invalid misc:53 Missed beacon:0
lo no wireless extensions.
eth0 no wireless extensions.
richard@richard-Latitude-D520:~$
Note that the Invalid misc: number has lowered - is this to the good?
I’ll test these settings over the next few days and get back to you - I note that I’ll need to reset the Tx power figure each time I run the lappy.
Rich
Okey dokey 
Update
@ Mark I’ve run the lappy in various configurations (wifi/ethernet, various Tx settings etc.) with no discernible change to the temperature. Monitoring iwconfig did bring this up once -
richard@richard-Latitude-D520:~$ iwconfig
wlan0 IEEE 802.11abg ESSID:
Mode:Managed Frequency:2.437 GHz Access Point: A0:21:B7:F6:B6:74
Bit Rate=1 Mb/s Tx-Power=5 dBm
Retry long limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off
Power Management:off
Link Quality=31/70 Signal level=-79 dBm
Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
Tx excessive retries:119 Invalid misc:3296 Missed beacon:0
lo no wireless extensions.
eth0 no wireless extensions.
richard@richard-Latitude-D520:~$
I don’t know if that figure is significant or a potential problem? TBH, the numbers have been anywhere from almost zero to that high but without seemingly affecting the temperature.
In the service manual there’s a diagram showing the fan/heat-sink arrangement plus an ‘s’ shaped copper strip connecting the heat-sink to the memory/wlan module mounting plate. It looks like this is the method by which heat is removed from the memory module - the copper strip conducts the heat away to the heat-sink which is then cooled by the fan. Not very efficient, I’d say, but probably a cheaper option than fitting a 2nd fan. The downside is, there’s only 1 sensor (on the cpu) so if the cpu is running ‘normal’, then the fan would not kick in anyway. So, it must be concluded that altering the sensor temperature ‘threshold’ is pointless as it would have no material affect on the hot-spot. That said, running the fan in manual mode does cool the lappy - albeit slowly - so I’ll just have to settle for that, I think.
Thanks for all the sound advice - no doubt there’ll be other stuff to deal with soon!
Regards
Rich
I wouldn’t worry about it too much … but if disabling the wirelesss cools it down, you could always look into a different wireless card or a “nano” USB wireless adapter such as one of these:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Edimax-EW-7811UN-150Mbps-Wireless-Adapter/dp/B003MTTJOY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417120404&sr=8-1&keywords=edimax+nano