According to Advantech, system-on-module computing solutions are set to grow rapidly in 2006 as the concept becomes more widely adopted. The company sees SOM solutions as being ideally suited to applications that have product volumes in the range of 1000 to 10,000 units. At less than that level, a conventional single-board computing solution is likely to be the preferred option; at very high volumes, a custom solution becomes a more economic option. In the 1k to 10k range, Advantech's ideal solution to a computing problem is to design a target board for the specific application, containing the functions that the task requires in addition to the base computing capability. It then provides the computing power in the form of the system-on-module, that plugs on to the system board. This provides advanced computing power in an easy-to-use format, the company says, as the critical parts of the design—close to the CPU itself—already exist in a fully-developed, stable condition. Users also have the option of changing or upgrading processors by replacing the module.

Form factors that Advantech's SOM range supports include COM Express (the PICMG-derived format), ETX, PCI-bus SOM-144, and its A200 series of modules. The latter is a range of RISC platforms based on PXA and other ARM9 chips for mobile and low-power applications. Advantech makes the point that although recent coverage has tended to associate the SOM concept with newer high-power processors, it can host any level of CPU (in Intel terms) from 486 to Pentium-M or Xeon chips. The company aims to provide a complete design package, interpreting the "platform" as hardware, software and any required design services. Distributed design centres can access Advantech's own corporate IP resources, and the company's in-house prototyping production line can produce sample lots of up to 30 pieces of a board design, with a target time of two months from design start to delivery.

Advantech expects ETX and COM Express to be the "stars" of 2006 and it is working on a modular I/O concept to match the processor boards with pre-configured solutions for applications that require connectivity exceeding that which the standard modules provide. See also "Serial streams shrink embedded-system designs" beginning on page 32 of this issue of EDN Europe.

Advantech, www.advantech.com.