Compaq COM Express Extension User Manual

Page 7

2 Introduction

Specification Rev 013

Differential Signalling) interfaces. These include the PCI bus and parallel ATA on the one hand and

PCI Express and Serial ATA on the other hand.

Key features include:

Rich complement of contemporary high bandwidth serial interfaces, including PCI

Express, Serial ATA, USB 2.0, and Gigabit Ethernet

32-bit PCI, LPC and Parallel ATA options preserved for easy interface to a range of

peripherals

Extended power-management capabilities

Robust thermal and mechanical concept

Cost-effective design

Legacy-free design (no Super I/O, PS2 keyboard or mouse)

COM Express™ module size with two currently defined footprint options (“Basic”

and “Extended”) to satisfy a range of performance requirements. The option for

future more compact footprints like microETXexpress and nanoETXexpress are

present.

High-performance mezzanine connector with several defined pin-out types to

satisfy a range of application requirements

The COM Express

™

Extension specification has been created to support to a range of vertical

embedded markets. It has been formulated to be applicable to a broad range of system types, from

floor-installed and bench-top to mobile handheld.

Markets and applications include but are not limited to:

Healthcare - clinical diagnostic imaging systems, patient bedside monitors, etc.

Retail & advertising - electronic shopping carts, billboards, kiosks, POS/POI

systems, etc.

Gaming & entertainment - simulators, slot machines, etc.

Test & measurement - scientific and industrial test and measurement instruments

Industrial automation - industrial robots, vision systems, etc.

Security - digital CCTV, luggage scanners, intrusion detectors, etc.

Defence & government - unmanned vehicles, rugged laptops, wearable computers,

etc.

Systems developed according to the COM Express

™

Extension Specification require the

implementation of an application-specific carrier board that accepts the module. The carrier board is

typically a 4- to 8-layer PCB. User-specific features such as external connector choices and locations

and peripheral circuits can be tailored to suit the application. The OEM can focus on application-