Embedded Modules, COM Express, and COM-HPC Technologies

The primary feature that sets COM Express apart from traditional single-board computers (SBCs) is the ability to plug off-the-shelf modules into custom carrier boards designed to application-specific requirements. In other words, a custom COM Express carrier board can be designed into a system to transport all necessary signals to and from subsystems and peripherals, and off-the-shelf COM Express processor modules can plug directly into the carrier and serve as the main controller. This dual-board architecture precludes the high-speed interfacing and signal integrity expertise users would otherwise require in the design of their own processor modules, reduces time-to-market, and provides a scalable upgrade path to newer modules should the application require more performance in the future.

Server class modules feature larger memory sockets which allow for much higher memory configurations. This technology compliments COM Express by extending support all the way up to high-end applications, both in client and server classes.

Similar to COM Express, COM-HPC modules are designed to be part of a system consisting of the module itself and a carrier board designed for the end application, for example: a 5G virtual network may require a carrier with high-speed Ethernet connectivity, storage, and multiple 5G modems.

Two pin-out types are defined in the COM-HPC standard, namely Server and Client as pictured above.