Kontron in Asia Pacific

Our products comply with necessary requirements for CE, FCC, ICES, UKCA, UR. You can download relevant certificates from our Customer Section.

The RMA process differs depending on where you purchased the product from us. Please refer the following links respectively: Kontron Asia, Kontron China and Kontron Malaysia.

Single board computers and motherboards are developed for different technical requirements and application scenarios. The following summarizes the main differences between two kinds of embedded boards:

• Integration: Typically, a single board computer integrates its key components, such as processor, memory modules and storage devices, embedded on itself, whereas a motherboard serves as a central backbone of a computer for connecting plug-in components, such as processor, memory modules, storage devices and expansion cards.

• Form Factor: Single board computers are typically smaller and more compact than motherboards.

• Performance & Efficiency: Single board computers integrate low-power solder-type processors for efficiency optimization while motherboards typically support more powerful socket-type processors for performance optimization.

• Expansion: Single board computers can only accommodate small expansion cards, such as M.2 cards, but motherboard can even seat larger expansion cards, such as PCIe and PCI cards, depending on the form factor of the motherboards.

It depends on every case; however, a single board computer may be a better option for the systems that require following criteria:

• Compact Size: a single board computer features a small form factor and can be easily embedded into a compact system or device for space-limited environments.

• Low Power Consumption: a single board computer typically consumes less power than a motherboard, making it ideal for developing a low-power system or device for remote and power-constrained applications.

• Fanless Operation: due to low power draw, a single board computer usually dissipates heat through heatsinks to the chassis of a ventless system or device that it is housed in for running fanlessly in harsh conditions to enhance reliability.

• High Integration: a single board computer is highly integrated with optimized I/O options built for specific vertical applications, making it an excellent option for building a system or device without additional functionality or performance expansion required.

A dTPM (discrete Trusted Platform Module) is a separate physical security chip with its own internal memory, storage and cryptographic logic, soldered on the board, which can offer higher security than a fTPM (firmware Trusted Platform Module, aka PTT – Platform Trust Technology – in Intel speak) due to dedicated resources. In general, it is more expensive to implement than an fTPM due to an additional hardware cost.

Conversely, an fTPM is a virtual security mechanism implemented within the CPU’s firmware, which is less secure than a dTPM because it shares resources with the CPU. It costs less to implement as it is a part of the CPU.

Kontron’s new-generation single board computers are equipped with a dTPM chip by default and many modern CPUs are integrated with fTPM as well. Developers or users can enable either dTPM or fTPM in the BIOS.

Though dTPM is a standard configuration on Kontron’s single board computers, customers can order a variant without dTPM optionally.

As for whether to enable dTPM or fTPM, Kontron suggests always enabling the former to address increasingly sophisticated security threats. In case you order a variant without dTPM for cost or other reasons and must use the CPU’s built-in fTPM, make sure that it is used for applications without strict security requirements, such as everyday business tasks and general-purpose uses. Conversely, dTPM is a better option for use cases imposing strict security measures such as enterprise, industrial, financial and government applications.