Small form factor COM-HPC to complete high-performance ecosystem

congatec will be presenting its comprehensive COM-HPC ecosystem at Embedded World. The portfolio now includes high-performance COM-HPC Server-on-Modules to ultra-compact and brand-new COM-HPC Client-on-Modules that are much bigger than a credit card. The accompanying tailored cooling solutions, carrier boards and design-in services now offer everything designers require for the next generation of high-end embedded and edge computing platforms. And with the new COM-HPC Mini standard, even the most space-constrained solutions can now profit from a high-performance boost and a notably larger number of new high-speed interfaces. Therefore, complete product families can now migrate to the new PICMG standard – without needing notable modification of the internal system design and housing.

With the company's recently introduced high-performance Computer-on-Modules with 13th Gen Intel Core processors on COM-HPC Client Size A and Size C, developers now have the complete bandwidth of this new processor generation at their disposal on COM HPC. Thanks to state-of-the-art connectivity, the COM-HPC standard opens new horizons for developers of innovative designs in data throughput, I/O bandwidth and performance density that may not be achieved with COM Express. congatec's COM Express 3.1 compliant modules with 13th Gen Intel Core processors, on the other hand, mainly help to secure investments in existing OEM designs, for instance, by offering upgrade options for more data throughput thanks to PCIe Gen 4 support.

The COM-HPC Mini form factor mainly addresses ultra-compact high-performance designs such as DIN rail PCs or rugged handhelds and tablets. However, it also solves the Gordian knot that developers of ultra-compact COM Express systems have been facing when wanting to switch to COM-HPC to be able to use the latest interface technologies. The previously smallest COM-HPC footprint – COM-HPC Size A – did not allow this: Measuring 95mm x 120 mm (11,400 mm²) is almost 32% larger than the COM Express Compact form factor, which measures 95mm x 95mm (9,025 mm²). From a footprint standpoint, that's 25mm too wide to migrate existing COM Express designs to COM-HPC. Since COM Express Compact is the most widespread COM Express form factor and only the high-end currently still use the even larger COM Express Basic form factor, many developers faced considerable challenges – if only in terms of system design dimensions. But smaller is always possible. That is why the system, with its 95mm x 60mm, is a real liberator, opening up new high-performance perspectives – particularly for the many ultra-compact system designs.

Embedded World 2023, hall 3, booth 241.