COM Express Extension gains momentum

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23 January 2008 News

The COM Express Extension was published on 5 June, 2007 as a joint effort between Kontron and Advantech. This document - based on the PICMG COM.0 COM Express specification - describes optimised pin-outs for graphics and other core features for COM Express designs. This announcement sees AAEON Technology, Aewin Technologies, Arbor Technology, Avalue Technology, Axiomtek and IBASE Technology joining the COM-IG.

Key features of the COM Express Extension as proposed by the COM-IG are:

* Multiplexed graphics pin-out to support PEG, SDVO, TMDS and Display Port in order to fit the needs of all the chipsets that will appear in the next few years.

* Extended power supply range from 8,5 V d.c. to 18 V d.c. instead of 12 V d.c. only.

* Onboard thermal control and BIOS implementations with smart battery support.

* Two dedicated GPIO pins for energy management functions.

* New obligatory support of legacy-interfaces via super I/O chips.

The COM Express Extension is a companion document to the COM Express Specification and COM Express design guide. The COM Express Extension provides a round-up of all trusted design roles for COM Express baseboards and streamlines potential baseboard designs to the most reliable and future proven circuits; all of which have been validated by the world's leading vendors of COM technology. Use of the COM Express design guide is essential for the development of baseboard designs that are optimised to take advantage of the scalability of COM Express-based Computer-on-Modules.

All of the new COM-IG members feel that the extension is essential in order to utilise the latest graphics capabilities from chipset vendors including Intel, AMD and VIA consistently. This proactive move by the new COM-IG is an effort to ensure that all COM Express solutions continue to be interchangeable, no matter which vendor provides them. This joint effort is outside of the official PICMG committee, but the COM-IG members intend to bring the proposed extension pin-outs before the PICMG for future adoption into a revised COM Express specification.

For more information visit www.com-ig.org

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