STEP 1.1.5 EXPLAINED — why and how we load the board for the ripple test ========================================================================= WHAT THE STEP DOES Power-supply ripple and droop get worse as current draw rises. Measuring ripple with the board idle only proves the easy case. Step 1.1.5 forces the CM5 to draw its worst-case current so steps 1.1.6/1.1.7 measure the supply under real load. THE TOOL stress-ng is a Linux load generator. The exact command: sudo apt install -y stress-ng (one-time install) stress-ng --cpu 4 --timeout 300s --cpu 4 start 4 worker processes, one per CM5 CPU core, each running math loops that pin its core at 100 % --timeout 300s stop automatically after 300 seconds (5 minutes) While it runs, `htop` (or `top`) shows all four cores at 100 %. The command prints "successful run completed" when the timer expires. It changes nothing on the system - it only burns CPU cycles. WHY 4 CORES The CM5 has 4 cores. Loading all of them pulls the processor's maximum sustained current (~2.5 A of the 5 V budget), which is when supply ripple and voltage droop are at their worst. OPTIONAL: ADD NETWORK LOAD Ethernet transmission adds PHY current on top of CPU current. If the link partner from section 1.5 is already available, run in a second console: iperf3 -c -t 300 This is optional at 1.1.5 (Ethernet is not formally tested until 1.5) but gives the truest worst-case. If used, note it on the Overview sheet. WHAT TO WATCH FOR While the load runs, the scope (steps 1.1.6/1.1.7) shows: - ripple: the repetitive sawtooth/noise on the rail, read as mV peak-to-peak - droop: the drop in average rail voltage under load; the peak-detect capture in 1.1.7 records the single lowest instantaneous voltage The CM5 requires its 5 V rail to stay above 4.75 V at all times - that is where the 1.1.7 PASS limit comes from.