Extension expands COM Express definition

COM Express Extension offers optimised pinouts for graphics and other core features for COM Express designs based on the PICMG COM.0 COM Express specification

Advantech and Kontron, the founders of the ETX Industrial Group, have unveiled the 'COM Express Extension', a document that offers optimised pinouts for graphics and other core features for COM Express designs based on the PICMG COM.0 COM Express specification. In parallel with the launch of the COM Express Extension, the ETX Industrial Group (ETX-IG) has been renamed to become the COM Industrial Group (COM-IG), in order to extend the groups focus on the needs of all computer-on-module solutions including ETX and COM Express.

This proactive move by the founders of new COM-IG is an effort to ensure that all COM Express solutions continue to be interchangeable no matter which vendor provides them.

The joint efforts of Kontron and Advantech are outside of the official PICMG committee, but the proposed 'extension' pinouts are intended to be brought before PICMG for future adoption into a revised COM Express specification.

Kontron and Advantech feel the 'extension' is essential in order to consistently use the latest graphics capabilities from chipset vendors including those from Intel, AMD/ATI and VIA.

'We have never seen such intense discussions between competing vendors of computer-on-module technology, all aimed at solving the genuine problem posed by predicted graphics incompatibility of COM Express computer-on-module designs'.

'This is why we engaged in the new graphic pin definition with Kontron to develop a detailed new graphics pinout for COM Express based COMs', says Jeff Chen, Chief Technology Officer of Advantech, who supported this launch from the start.

We believe that the upgrade of the graphics pin-out definition is a vital step towards our ultimate goal: a revision of the current PICMG COM Express specification to be revision COM.1'.

'The Extension ensures the graphics compatibility of COMs based on all the upcoming embedded CPU chipsets from all the different vendors', says Dirk Finstel, CTO Embedded Modules Division, Kontron.

He adds that this launch is not intended to be and should not be considered to be an affront to PICMG and its member working committees: 'It is just the step we feel is needed in the face of dramatically increasing demand'.

The COM Express Extension delivers an optimised graphics pinout for COM Express based COMs that fits the needs of all the chipsets that will appear in the next few years.

It is our intension that it will become part of the PICMG COM.x specification.

COM Express Extensions are a tested and reliable way to provide high-performance support for all the different graphics signals while also assuring 100% pin compatibility and scalability for all COM Express based computers-on-modules.

In addition to the graphics pinouts the COM Express Extension also specifies pin-outs for important extended features like onboard thermal control and also BIOS implementations with smart battery support and new graphic interface standards.

The COM Express Extension is accompanied by a design guide that gives a round-up of all trusted design roles for COM Express baseboards, and streamlines potential baseboard designs to just the most reliable and future proven circuits, validated by the world's leading vendors of COM technology: Advantech and Kontron.

Use of the design guide is essential when developing 100% optimised baseboard designs for free scalability of COM Express based computers-on-modules.

The goal of the COM Industrial Group is to promote COM specifications that assure compatibility and to support designers with value-adding IP and design standards to ensure the most appropriate and reliable baseboard designs based on COMs like ETX and COM Express.

The COM Industrial Group also ensures the long-term availability of all the published standards, as all the leading vendors are members.

ETX is one of these standards: it is currently available in version ETX 3.0 and has been available since 2000.

Therefore, all the members of the ETX Industrial Group will also become members of the COM Industrial Group.

COM Express Extension is the second initiative from the COM Industrial Group members to keep next generation computers-on-modules closer to the market needs.