Congatec is pleased to announce that the PICMG COM-HPC technical subcommittee has approved the pinout and footprint of the new high-performance COM-HPC Mini specification for COM-Module size Computer-on-Module. a credit card (95x60mm). The new COM-HPC Mini standard is now entering the final stretch towards its definitive ratification, scheduled for the first half of 2023. The new COM-HPC Mini specification, designed for small applications but very demanding in performance, will open the possibility of developing microcomputers ultra-powerful devices the size of a 4 or 8 port Ethernet switch, for example. These very small systems are needed in many segments of embedded systems and edge computing. Targeted markets include desktop PCs and control cabinet/DIN rail PCs, adaptable IoT gateways for the brownfield, cyber-secure edge computers for critical IT/OT infrastructures, rugged tablets, and even ultra-rugged robots and vehicle on-board computers that want to take advantage of the soldered-in RAM that is a standard feature of these modules. The predestined processors for this new form factor are the 12th generation Intel Core processor series - for which congatec already offers a ready-to-deploy design study for initial lab testing and customer feedback loops - and their future successors.
“The pinout approval is an essential milestone as motherboard designers and Computer-on-Module (COM) manufacturers like congatec, who actively participate in the COM-HPC working group, can now embark on the first small form factor edge computing and embedded solutions based on this pre-approved data. The goal is to bring the modules to market at the same time as Intel and other application processor manufacturers launch their new generations of high-end processors, which is expected to happen next year,” explains Christian Eder, Product Marketing Manager. of congatec and president of the COM-HPC working group.
With 400 pins, compared to 220 for COM Express Mini, the new COM-HPC Mini standard is designed to meet the growing interface needs of heterogeneous and multifunctional computers. Extensions include up to 4x full-featured USB 4.0 including Thunderbolt and DisplayPort Alternate Mode, PCIe Gen 4/5 with up to 16 lanes, 2x 10Gbit/s Ethernet ports and much more. If we add to this that the COM-HPC Mini connector is qualified for bandwidths of more than 32 Gbit/s -enough to support PCIe Gen 5 or even Gen 6-, it is clear that its capabilities go far beyond those of all all other credit card size module standards.
For more information on the new COM-HPC Mini Computer-on-Module standard and the congatec COM-HPC Mini design study based on the 12th generation Intel® Core™ processor series that supports upcoming successors, visit the web from Congatec.
