COM Express
{{Short description|Computer-on-module form factor}}
File:VIA COMe-8X92 - Angle (6984047577).jpg X2]]
File:VIA COMe-8X92 - Baseboard Top (6984048311).jpg
COM Express is a form factor for computer-on-modules (COMs), which are highly integrated and compact computers that can be used in design applications much like integrated circuit components. Each module integrates core CPU and memory functionality, the common I/O of a PC/AT, USB, audio, graphics (PEG), and Ethernet. All I/O signals are mapped to two high density, low profile connectors on the bottom side of the module. COM Express employs a mezzanine-based approach. The COM modules plug into a baseboard that is typically customized to the application. Over time, the COM Express mezzanine modules can be upgraded to newer, backwards-compatible versions. COM Express is commonly used in Industrial, military, aerospace, gaming, medical, transportation, Internet of things, and general computing embedded applications.
History
The COM Express standard was first released in 2005 by the PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group (PICMG).{{Cite web|url=https://www.picmg.org/wp-content/uploads/COM_Express_tutorial.pdf|title=COM Express Tutorial|last=Jainandunsing|first=Kishan|date=September 9, 2004|website=|access-date=}} It defined five module types, each implementing different pinout configurations and feature sets on one or two 220-pin connectors. It also defined 2 module sizes (later expanded to 4) to serve more applications while maintaining compatibility within each module type.{{cite web |title=COM Express subcommittee talks R2.1 |publisher=PICMG Systems and Technology |url=http://picmg.opensystemsmedia.com/articles/com-talks-r2-1/ |access-date=2014-03-05 |archive-date=2014-03-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305210006/http://picmg.opensystemsmedia.com/articles/com-talks-r2-1/ |url-status=dead }} COM Express is used in railway, industrial, and military applications. There are also efforts for a Rugged COM Express specification through VITA.
Types
There are 8 different pin outs defined in the specification. The most commonly used pin outs are Type 6 and Type 10. The latest pin-out added in revision 3.0 of the COM Express specification (available from www.picmg.org) is Type 7. The Type 7 provides up to four 10 GbE interfaces and up to 32 PCIe lanes, making COM Express 3.0 appropriate for data center, server, and high-bandwidth video applications. COM Express Rev 3.0 removed legacy Type 1, Type 2, Type 3, Type 4, and Type 5, recommending that new designs should use Type 6, 7 or 10.{{Cite web|url=https://www.picmg.org/wp-content/uploads/PICMG_COM_0R3_0.pdf|title=COM Express Module Base Specification Revision 3.0.|last=|first=|date=March 31, 2017|website=PCIMG|access-date=July 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702233247/https://www.picmg.org/wp-content/uploads/PICMG_COM_0R3_0.pdf|archive-date=July 2, 2018|url-status=dead}}
Maximum available interfaces for the defined types:
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||||||||||
| Type | Connectors | PCI Express lanes | PEG | PCI | IDE | SATA | LAN | Video | Serial | Other features
!Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AB (Single) | 6 | No | No | No | 4 | 1 | LVDS A & B, VGA | |Legacy | |
| 2 | AB & CD (Double) | 22 | Yes | Yes | 1 | 4 | 1 | LVDS A & B, VGA, PEG/SDVO | |Legacy | |
| 3 | AB & CD (Double) | 22 | Yes | Yes | No | 4 | 3 | LVDS A & B, VGA, PEG/SDVO | |Legacy | |
| 4 | AB & CD (Double) | 32 | Yes | No | 1 | 4 | 1 | LVDS A & B, VGA, PEG/SDVO | |Legacy | |
| 5 | AB & CD (Double) | 32 | Yes | No | No | 4 | 3 | LVDS A & B, VGA, PEG/SDVO | |Legacy | |
| 6 | AB & CD (Double) | 24 | Yes | No | No | 4 | 1 | LVDS A & B, VGA, 3 x DDI (*2) | 2 TX/RX serial pairs with option to overlay CAN interface on 1 port | 4x USB 3.0
8x USB 2.0 | |
| 7
|AB & CD (Double) |32 |Yes, for 16 lanes. |Yes |No |2 |1 + 4x 10G KR |None |2 TX/RX serial pairs with option to overlay CAN interface on 1 port |4x USB 3.0 4x USB 3.0 | ||||||||||
| 10 | AB (Single) | 4 | No | No | No | 2 | 1 | LVDS A only (AB (Single) channel), DDI (*2) | 2 Serial COM, 1 optional CAN | USB 3.0 (*1)
| |
(*1) Option on previously allocated SATA2 and SATA3 pins. Implementor specific.
(*2) DDI can be adapted to DisplayPort, HDMI, DVI or SDVO (legacy, no longer supported for types 6, 7 and 10) in the carrier board.
Legend: PEG - PCI Express Graphics. Legacy - not recommended for new designs.
Size
The specification defines 4 module sizes:
File:COM Express form factor comparison.jpg
- Mini: {{convert|55|xx|84|mm|in|1|abbr=on}}
- Compact: {{convert|95|xx|95|mm|in|1|abbr=on}}
- Basic: {{convert|95|xx|125|mm|in|1|abbr=on}}
- Extended: {{convert|110|xx|155|mm|in|1|abbr=on}}
Specification
The COM Express specification is hosted by PICMG. It is not freely available but a paper copy may be purchased for $150USD from the PICMG website. However, the COM Express Design Guide is free to download.
The original revision 1.0 was released July 10, 2005.
Revision 3.0 (PICMG COM.0 R3.0) was released in March 2017.{{Cite web|url=https://www.congatec.com/us/congatec-ag/press-releases/article/congatec-welcomes-official-release-of-the-com-express-30-specification.html|title=congatec welcomes official release of the COM Express 3.0 specification|last=|first=|date=April 13, 2017|website=congatec|access-date=June 29, 2018}}
COM Express also specifies an API to control embedded functionalities like watchdog timer or I2C. This is a separate document which is freely available (EAPI 1.0).
It also defines a carrier board eeprom to hold configuration information. This is also a separate and free available document (EeeP R1.0).
See also
- ETX
- XTX
- Qseven
- Smart Mobility Architecture (SMARC), another standard for computer-on-modules
- COM-HPC (working group within PICMG)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- [http://www.picmg.org PICMG website]
- [http://www.alphitech.com/doc/Economics%20and%20Use%20of%20COM-Express.pdf The Economics and use of COM Express in Embedded Applications]
- [http://picmg.org//wp-content/uploads/PICMG_COMDG_2.0-RELEASED-2013-12-061.pdf COM Express Carrier Design Guide - Guidelines for designing COM Express Carrier Boards]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716064013/https://www.picmg.org/v2internal/specorderformsec-nonmember.htm Purchase specification (scroll down to "PICMG COM.0 R3.0")]
- [https://www.picmg.org/wp-content/uploads/PICMG_COM_0_R3_0-SHORT_FORM_SPEC_2018.pdf Free available short for specification COM.0 R3.0]
- [https://www.picmg.org/wp-content/uploads/COM_EAPI_R1_0.pdf Free available Embedded API Specification EAPI R1.0]
- [https://www.picmg.org/wp-content/uploads/PICMG_EeeP_R1_0.pdf Free available Embedded EEPROM Specification EeeP R1.0]
- [http://www.comexpress-pnp.org COM Express Plug-and-Play Initiative]
- [http://xtca-systems.com/articles/com-scalability-flexibility-uas-sensor-processing/ COM Express: Scalability and flexibility for UAS sensor processing]
- [https://www.congatec.com/en/technologies/com-hpc.html COM-HPC preview]
{{Computer form factors}}