COM Express【cExpress-WL】

PICMG (PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group) is in the final stages of developing the latest COM-HPC computer-on-module specification to meet the needs of the highly advanced industrial edge computing market. The COM-HPC specification is intended not to replace COM Express but to expand upon its success, with a release planned by the second quarter of 2020. Edge computing is a rapidly growing field that demands unprecedented levels of performance. The system memory requirements for current and future high-end embedded multicore processors are increasing very sharply. As memory requirements approach 128 GB or 256 GB, current common form factors like COM Express can no longer provide a cost-effective solution. This is why COM HPC is needed. Five sizes have been defined that can be used as server modules capable of accommodating up to eight DIMM sockets onboard.

The new compact-sized COM Express Type 6 module, cExpress-WL, featuring the latest 8th generation Intel Core processors (codenamed "Whiskey Lake-U"), has been announced. With the ultra-low power Intel Core i7 and i5 processors now supporting four cores for the first time, it has achieved performance that surpasses products using the previous generation's dual-core processors by nearly 40%, without significantly increasing the module price.