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COM modules How robust is robust?

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Most standard COM modules use SO-DIMM connectors to integrate main memory. Since main memory is often customized for the specific application, this modular approach works well for module manufacturers and their OEM customers. However, the resistance of these connectors to shock and vibration is limited. Although the lever size and mass are not that great, even comparatively small vibrations can impair the functional reliability of RAM when standard memory modules are used. Therefore, applications exposed to heavy shock and vibration require more robust designs.

In the rail freight industry, for example, vibrations of around 0,002 g²/Hz at frequencies from 0 to 350 Hz are common. Vibration levels experienced in jet aircraft are significantly higher at 0,01 g² /Hz and frequencies up to 2000 Hz. In truck-installed systems, levels go as low as 0,02 g²/Hz. And turbine engines, such as those used in wind turbines, place even higher demands, as they put stress on components as low as 0,03 g²/Hz.

Developers of these and many other mobile and fixed systems exposed to shock and vibration - from 5G base stations to trains and drones - are therefore looking for better solutions to connect main memory. This has produced some adventurous inventions in the past, involving the use of glue, tape, or strapping to provide additional retention so that the SO-DIMM connector remains functionally secure and, in the extreme case, does not slip out of its socket. However, none of these solutions address issues affecting the socket itself, as the embedded community has pointed out. The concern here is that movement of the memory module within the socket - typically one of the comparatively cheap sockets used in laptops - can cause intermittent pinning, which in turn can cause a system to crash. block. 

Improvisation is a bad adviser 

There are mechanical solutions to fix memory modules in sockets. For example, memory manufacturers have added screw holes to the end of their SO-DIMMs to securely attach the RAM modules so that shock and vibration are no longer a problem. And these constructions are, in fact, quite robust, as the manufacturers of these SO-DIMMs have shown in tests: Mounted on an anti-vibration plate, these constructions survive 30 minutes of exposure to random vibrations from 50 Hz to 5000 Hz. and 6 grams increasing in 2 grams increments up to 20 grams without any sign of a problem.

The same is true for shocks of 20 grms - 20 times the gravitational force of the Earth - for 1 ms along each of the three axes, plus vibrations of 0,04 grms/Hz between 20 Hz and 2000 Hz. demonstrates that this type of solution can meet very demanding requirements; and that's a good thing, because otherwise it might be questioned whether the COM modules themselves will survive such tests. Therefore, it is important to have the right accessories. 

Are standards a solution?

This is all very well, and since 2010 there is even a mezzanine memory card standard – RS-DIMM – that meets all the endurance requirements of the ANSI/VITA 47 specifications. But as great as the ideas are: This technology It does not have many followers, so you hardly see mezzanine modules in use. Robust SO-DIMMs with mounting holes are also not mass-produced, making them more expensive than standard. In addition, they are also more complex from a mechanical point of view and therefore more expensive to assemble, since the screws often have to be set by hand.

Lastly, they also require additional mounting holes in the plates, further increasing production costs. So the best solution is to avoid all these plugins and solder the memory directly onto the module. This reduces the BOM of the components, makes production more cost-effective and, above all, ensures robustness. Nor is it necessary to perform shock and vibration tests of main memory for system qualification.

In addition, soldered memory has another advantage: Cooling is easier than with conventional memory connectors. Firstly, because the printed circuit board on which it is soldered has better heat dissipation and secondly, because the heat sinks of the robust COM modules are specially designed for the respective robustness requirements and can be equipped with a heat conducting connection to cool hot spots such as main memory.

5g base stations
Figure 1. 5G base stations, like wind turbines, must withstand wind and weather.

Soldering is just better!

The technology behind these solutions is not exactly amazing. After all, you can solder everything on a circuit board. However, things get more exciting when you look at all the effort from OEMs to create a truly robust solution.

In this case, it is especially important to have a modular concept for the individual series, even when the quantities are not very high. COM modules, in which the processor and memory are perfectly matched and which are available in various performance classes, are the ideal solution in these cases. They come as application-ready components, with specially tailored cooling solutions and everything custom system designers need. In addition, they are available in the same configuration for many years, making lifecycle management easier for OEMs. 

Commercial Vehicles
Figure 2. Trains, commercial vehicles, and construction and agricultural machinery need strong designs.

Robust COM Express Type 6 Modules

congatec has recently introduced new COM module solutions based on the latest 11th generation Intel Core processors. These COM Express Type 6 modules comply with ETSI EN 300 019-1-7 and IEC 60721-3-7 specifications for portable and non-stationary telecommunication equipment and have been tested for commercial 7K3, 7M2 and industrial 7K4, 7M2 environments. This class also applies to unweathered locations in moderate outdoor climates and to transitions between these conditions.

com modules
Figure 3. Aircraft and drones are among the most demanding in terms of shock and vibration

 

For example, where equipment may be exposed to direct sunlight, radiant heat, ambient air movement, condensation, precipitation, and water from sources other than rain and ice, or when equipment they are prone to attack by mold or animals other than termites. Its use is also possible in urban areas with common levels of pollutants and with industrial activities scattered throughout the area and/or with heavy traffic. Its use is also allowed near sand or dust emitters.  

 

modules with congatec
Figure 4. congatec COM Express modules with 11th generation Intel Core processors are predestined to support
adverse environmental conditions.

 

Meets all relevant standards

In terms of shock and vibration, these modules are suitable for use in demanding transportation and mobility applications right up to off-road and rail vehicles. In addition, they can withstand continuous operation at extreme temperatures (from -40°C to +85°C), high humidity and high mechanical stress due to shock and vibration, and meet all fire protection requirements. For more price sensitive applications congatec also offers a cheaper version with Intel Celeron processor that is designed for the extended temperature range from 0°C to 60°C.

Typical customers for the new range of COM modules based on the Tiger Lake microarchitecture are manufacturers of trains, commercial vehicles, construction equipment, agricultural vehicles, autonomous robots and many other mobile applications in demanding outdoor and off-road environments. . Shock and vibration resistant stationary devices are another important application area, as digitization requires Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) against earthquakes and other mission-critical events. All these applications can now benefit from super-fast LPDDR4X RAM with up to 4266 MT/sg, which congatec offers in scaled versions with 32, 16, 8 and 4 GB as standard variants.

Depending on the requirements, the higher-performance modules can also be equipped with smaller memory or lower-performance variants based on the Intel Core i3-1115G4E with more than 8 GB of RAM. Starting in batches of 100, variants with lower cost RAM modules and somewhat slower transfer rates may also be available. In-Band Error Correction Code (IBECC) for single fault tolerance and high data transmission quality in critical EMI environments confirm the robustness of the modules. 

Extensive development support for ultra-robust systems

The value pack also includes rugged mounting options for the COM and carrier assembly, active and passive cooling options, optional conformal coating for protection against corrosion from moisture or condensation, as well as sulfur protection, a list of recommended provisions for the carrier plate and, for maximum reliability, shock and vibration resistant components for the extended temperature range. This impressive set of technical features is complemented by a comprehensive service offering including shock and vibration testing for custom system designs, high-speed signal compliance and temperature testing, as well as design services and all the training required to simplify the use of congatec embedded system technologies.

congatec sets
Figure 5. The congatec starter sets can also be used for testing in harsh environments.

The advantages in detail

Based on the new 11th generation low-power, high-density Intel Core SoCs, the new modules offer significantly higher CPU performance, nearly 3x higher GPU performance, and next-generation PCIe Gen4 support compared to the earlier models. The most demanding graphics and data processing workloads benefit from up to 4 cores, 8 threads, and up to 96 graphics execution units for massively parallel processing performance in ultra-rugged designs.

Integrated graphics doesn't just support 8k or 4x4k displays; they can also be used as a parallel processing unit for convolutional neural networks (CNNs) or as an accelerator for AI and deep learning. The Intel AVX-512 instruction unit, built into the CPU and supporting Vector Neural Network Instructions (VNNI), is another functional element of the platforms to accelerate AI applications.

The Intel OpenVINO software toolkit, which includes optimized calls to OpenCV, the OpenCL kernel, and other industry tools and libraries, allows you to extend the workload on the CPU, GPU, and FPGA compute units to accelerate operations. AI workloads, including computer vision, audio, and speech recognition systems. 

The TDP is scalable from 12 to 28 watts and allows the design of completely closed systems with purely passive cooling. The impressive performance of the ultra-rugged conga-TC570r COM Express Type 6 module is available in a real-time capable design and supports Time Sensitive Networking (TSN), Time Coordinated Computing (TCC) and Real-Time Systems' RTS hypervisor for the Deployment of virtual machines and consolidation of workloads in edge computing scenarios. 

Ultra-rugged COM Express Compact Type 6 modules powered by 11th Gen Intel Core processors (codenamed Tiger Lake) with soldered-in LPDDR4X 4266MT/s dual-channel SDRAM are available in the following standard configurations. Customizations are available upon request.

You can find more information about the new compact COM Express module conga-TC570r at: https://www.congatec.com/en/products/com-express-type-6/conga-tc570r/ 

Information about other Intel Tiger Lake solutions from congatec can be found at: https://www.congatec.com/en/technologies/intel-tiger-lake-modules/ 

  Processor    Nuclei/ Threads    Frequency at 28/15/12W TDP,
(Max Turbo) [GHz] 
  Cache [MB]  Graphics [execution units]   
  Intel Core i7-1185GRE    4/8    2.8/1.8/1.2 (4.4)    12  96 EU   
  Intel Core i5-1145GRE    4/8    2.6/1.5/1.1 (4.1)    8  80 EU   
  Intel Core i3-1115GRE    2/4    3.0/2.2/1.7 (3.9)    6  48 EU   
  Intel Celeron 6305E    2/2    1.8    4  48 EU 

 

Author: Zeljko Loncaric, Marketing Engineer, congatec