DISSIPATING HEAT FROM AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE IN A PROTECTIVE HOUSING

An enclosed digital power amplifier has features for accommodating thermal cycling. The digital power amplifier includes an amplifier board and a controller board, both of which are in a protective housing. The amplifier board includes electronic components mounted on a copper circuit layer that is disposed on a dielectric layer that is disposed on an aluminum substrate layer. The housing includes slotted mounting projections that extend from sidewalls to isolate fasteners from the aluminum substrate layer, and thereby accommodate expansion of the aluminum substrate layer while the digital power amplifier is secured to a surface by the fasteners. Bottom edges of the sidewalls contact a top outer edge of the amplifier board. The mounting projections contact side outer edges of the first circuit board. At least a portion of the aluminum substrate layer extends beyond the bottom edges of the sidewalls of the housing, forming an end wall, such that the housing does not inhibit thermally coupling the aluminum substrate layer to another surface such as a heat exchanger.