New-Tech Europe Magazine | H2 2023

High-performance boost for modular systems

Christof Wilde, Content Manager at congatec

The PICMG created the COM-HPC Computer-on-Module standard with the specific aim to address the performance and bandwidth requirements of the digital transformation. Ranking well above COM Express, COM-HPC provides a highly sustainable long-term basis for all current and future applications. The COM HPC Mini specification facilitates the migration of existing designs to this new high-performance standard. To start with, it’s important to note that COM Express will continue to be actively supported with new modules and updates. After all, there are countless applications that do not require a performance boost above PCIe Gen 4 and GbE or that need significantly more interfaces than before. So, only applications that actually require these new features will migrate. After all, it

was the introduction of PCIe Gen 5, among other things, that necessitated the creation of a new specification that would open the potential of latest processor technology, such as 13th generation Intel Core processors, to Computer-on-Modules targeting cost sensitive applications requiring long term design security. Smaller always fits The new COM-HPC Mini specification, which is expected to be fully ratified in the first half of 2023, makes migration from existing COM Express designs comparatively easy. Compared to COM Express Compact, COM-HPC Mini has a smaller footprint and a flatter design, yet with 400 high-performance pins offers almost the same number of interfaces via a single connector, whereas COM Express needs two. So, from a mechanical perspective, integrating such modules into existing system designs doesn’t present a

challenge. All that needs adapting is the carrier board. OEM customers looking to design next-generation systems therefore face the question: Should they use 13th generation Intel Core processors on COM Express Compact? In that case, all they need to do is integrate new Computer-on-Modules. Or should they use 13th generation Intel Core processors to leverage all the new features that COM Express doesn’t support in these next-generation systems? Ultimately, and apart from long-term strategy decisions, the question boils down to whether the current performance range will be adequate for the new designs, or whether it’s better to opt for a high performance upgrade path. More powerful interfaces One of the high-performance reasons to opt for COM-HPC is certainly the ability to leverage the 2x higher

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