2 Introduction
Copyright © COM Express™ Extension
Specification Rev 013
7
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-
