Congatec Korea, a leading company in embedded and edge computing technologies, has opened up the possibility of developing an ultra-high-performance microcomputer the size of a credit card (95x60m).

congatec Korea announced on the 19th that its latest high-performance COM-HPC Mini computer-on-module specification has received official approval for pinout and footprint features from the PICMG COM-HPC committee.

The newly released COM-HPC Mini standard is in the final stages of approval, with final approval expected in the first half of 2023. Designed for applications that require high performance despite their small size, the COM-HPC Mini specification is expected to open up the possibility of developing ultra-high-performance microcomputers the size of a 4-port or 8-port Ethernet switch.

Systems with such small form factors are in high demand across various embedded and edge computing applications.

Potential markets include box PCs, control cabinet/DIN-rail PCs that want to leverage the memory-down RAM standard feature of this module, adaptive IoT gateways for redevelopment areas, cybersecurity edge computers for critical IT/OT infrastructure, ruggedized tablets/robots and automotive computers.

The processors slated for the next-generation form factor are the 12th Gen Intel Core processor series, and congatec is providing ready-to-use design studies based on early lab testing and customer feedback for these processors.

“The pinout approval is a major milestone for congatec,” says Christian Eder, Director Product Marketing at congatec and Chair of the COM-HPC Working Group. “It enables congatec and other computer-on-module manufacturers active in the COM-HPC Working Group to start developing small form factor embedded and edge computing solutions compliant with this specification based on pre-approved data. We aim to launch modules in time for next year when application processor vendors, including Intel, launch their latest high-performance processor series.”

The latest COM-HPC Mini standard, which offers 400 pins compared to the 220 pins provided by COM-Express Mini, is designed to meet the growing interface demands for heterogeneous and multi-functional edge computers.

Also Thunderbolt and DIt supports up to four USB 4.0 ports with DisplayPort compatibility, up to 16 Gen4/5 PCIe lanes, and two 10Gbit/s Ethernet ports.

The COM-HPC Mini's connector is also compatible with bandwidths exceeding 32 Gbit/s supporting Gen5/6 PCIe, far exceeding the performance of other credit card-sized module standards.

The research results for the congatec COM-HPC Mini design based on the new COM-HPC Mini Computer-on-Module specification and the 12th Gen Intel Core processor series with pin compatibility with next-generation models can be found on the congatec website.