Kontron welcomes ratification by PICMG® of COM Express® mini

Kontron nanoETXexpress® form factor is now COM Express® mini

Eching, Germany, June 5, 2012 – Kontron welcomes the recent PCI Industrial Manufacturers Group (PICMG®) news of the official adoption of the COM Express® mini form factor under the overall COM Express® specification. Until this adoption, Computer-on-Modules matching the now official "mini" standard were commonly referred to as nanoETXexpress. Bringing the well-known credit card-sized form factor (84 x 55 mm), initiated by Kontron, under the official umbrella of the COM Express® rounds off the standard’s portfolio which can now better address the needs of SFF designs for ultra mobile, handheld devices.

By ratifying COM Express® mini form factor, PICMG® has not only specified a new form factor, but has also extended COM Express® by a complete ecosystem: In anticipation of this formal adoption, Kontron underwent a renaming of their ETXexpress, microETXexpress® and nanoETXexpress® products to COMe "basic", "compact", and "mini" in February 2012. As Kontron’s nanoETXexpress® COMs have been on the market since 2008, a broad range of ready-to-use modules, evaluation boards and starter kits as well as reliable design guidelines already exists. OEMs new to COM Express® mini will also enjoy the benefits of broadly based support by VARs, system integrators and independent development service providers. This enables OEMs and developers to successfully enter the world of new ultra-small appliances based on credit card-sized COM Express® modules.

"For us, the adoption of the mini form factor into the COM Express® specification represents a major milestone that supports our consistent, standards-based product strategy", explains Dirk Finstel, CTO of Kontron. "We initiated the nanoETXexpress® product launches with the intention of building an official PICMG® standard. This world’s first ‘official’ standardization process for a Computer-on-Module is now finalized and as a result, customers now have access to the world's one and only global x86 module standard that offers all relevant sizes from SFF up to the highest performance class. This is beneficial for customers because they can use the world's largest Computer-on-Module ecosystem for their requirements based on x86 processors. Furthermore, thanks to Kontron’s groundwork on nanoETXexpress, they will also find a broad product portfolio with which they can instantly start developing COM Express® mini applications."

The success story began with Kontron’s pioneering work in the field of small form factor modules. In 2004, Kontron was the first to launch a module that complied with today’s "basic" form factor. This was followed in 2006 by Kontron's modules that meet today's "compact" standard. The latest in Kontron’s COM Express® trio, nanoETXexpress, was launched in 2008. It is the module with the smallest form factor to date – the one that is now officially classified as COM Express® "mini." Throughout the revision process by PICMG® (COM Express® basic and extended form factors in 2005, COM Express® compact in 2010, COM Express® mini in 2012), Kontron’s modules have served as the foundation of and the first examples for the official PICMG® specifications .

COM Express® mini at a glance
With a footprint of 84 mm x 55 mm COM Express® mini modules feature the same physical dimensions and pin-out definition as credit card-sized modules previously called nanoETXexpress. In general, the installation height for mini modules is the same as for the other form factors. However, Kontron also offers a slim cooling solution that reduces the overall height to 8.5 mm, enabling very slim designs that are convenient for hand held devices and panel PCs.

On the electrical side, COM Express® mini uses the pin-out type 10 that uses a single connector with 220 pins to the carrierboard. Video signals can be transmitted via a Digital Display Interface (DDI) configurable to DisplayPort, DVI/HDMS or SDVO and a single channel LVDS or optional embedded DisplayPort (eDP). This enables, for the first time, dual screen applications with independent content. Further important features of the COM Express® pin-out type 10 include four PCI Express lanes of which usually one is reserved for 1x Gigabit Ethernet, 2x SATA, and up to 8x USB 2.0 with the optional support of 4x USB 3.0. By this, the pin-out type 10 provides ample possibilities to integrate a broad spectrum of peripherals and connectivity. Furthermore, AC97/HD audio in-/outputs enable the development of feature-rich multimedia solutions. Up to two serial ports provide a common communication channel that is still in high demand for many embedded applications. As an option, the pins for one of the serial ports can be used for a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus, a key feature important to many transportation and automation applications. Another feature that helps to simplify system designs is the newly-defined wide range power input for supply voltages ranging from 4.75 VDC up to 20 VDC. This gives OEMs and developers higher flexibility to simply use what the integrated PSU or battery provides.

The latest addition of COM Express® mini modules is the Kontron COMe-mCT10, the world’s first COM Express® mini module with Dual-Core processing power. It is based on next-generation Intel® Atom™ processors N2600, N2800 and D2550. Optimized for low-power small form factor designs, the PICMG® COM Express® Type 10 pin-out Computer-on-Module provides up to twice the graphics power, up to 28% higher processor performance and processor thermal design power (TDP) which is cut in half as compared to second generation Intel® Atom™ processors. A dedicated media engine enables full 1080p high definition playback of videos and BluRay. The COM Express® Type 10 pin-out complete with two serial interfaces results in the Kontron COMe-mCT10 supporting two independent digital displays with either 18/24 LVDS and either DisplayPort, HDMI or DVI. The module also offers two different options for data storage: either 2x SATA II 300MB/s interfaces or versions with soldered on SATA Flash Memory (up to 8GB SLC- or 32GB MLC-Flash) and 1x SATA II 300 MB/s. Further interfaces include 8x USB 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, plus 3x PCI-Express x1 lanes for custom extensions.

For further information on COM Express®, please visit: http://www.kontron.com/com-express-r-from-kontron/

To watch the video about the history of COM Express, please visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk6Q20YXa-Y


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About Kontron
Kontron is a global leader in embedded computing technology. With more than 40% of its employees in research and development, Kontron creates many of the standards that drive the world’s embedded computing platforms. Kontron’s product longevity, local engineering and support, and value-added services, helps create a sustainable and viable embedded solution for OEMs and system integrators. Kontron works closely with its customers on their embedded application-ready platforms and custom solutions, enabling them to focus on their core competencies. The result is an accelerated time-to-market, reduced total-cost-of-ownership and an improved overall application with leading-edge, highly-reliable embedded technology.

Kontron is listed on the German TecDAX stock exchange under the symbol "KBC". For more information, please visit: http://www.kontron.com/


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SAMS Network
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APAC
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Kontron
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richard.pugnier@us.kontron.com

Michael Hennen
SAMS Network
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michael.hennen@samsnetwork.com

All rights reserved. Kontron is a trademark or registered trademark of Kontron AG. DIMM-PC®, PISA®, ETX®, ETXexpress®, microETXexpress®, X-board®, DIMM-IO® and DIMM-BUS® are trademarks or registered trademarks of Kontron Embedded Modules GmbH. Intel® and Intel® Atom™ are trademarks of Intel® Corporation in the US and other countries. PICMG® and COM Express® are trademarks of the PCI Industrial Computers Manufacturers Group.
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