COM-HPC Server – brings data center grade performance to the industrial edge
The new standard for powerful, sustainable, and upgradeable edge servers – even for harsh environmental conditions
COM-HPC Server is the first standard that has been designed from the ground up for powerful edge servers. It is thus best positioned to address the needs of all the new and future high-end embedded edge server applications. Besides enabling unprecedented levels of performance and I/O bandwidth, COM-HPC Server also allows edge server installations to break free from the tight thermal constraints of air-conditioned server rooms. For the first time, embedded servers and fog computing architectures for the digitization age can now be installed anywhere at the edges where massive data throughput with lowest possible latencies is required. The basic idea is to place the processing power where the data are generated.
COM-HPC Server is the first standard that has been designed from the ground up for powerful edge servers. It is thus best positioned to address the needs of all the new and future high-end embedded edge server applications. Besides enabling unprecedented levels of performance and I/O bandwidth, COM-HPC Server also allows edge server installations to break free from the tight thermal constraints of air-conditioned server rooms. For the first time, embedded servers and fog computing architectures for the digitization age can now be installed anywhere at the edges where massive data throughput with lowest possible latencies is required. The basic idea is to place the processing power where the data are generated.
| Facts | Features | Benefits |
| 2 different sizes | COM-HPC Server modules come in Size D (160x160 mm) and Size E (200x160 mm). | Different sizes allow designers to optimally balance the requirements of processor build, performance, memory capacity, and heat dissipation with the space provided by the application. |
| Module standard with the highest I/O bandwidth | Up to 65x PCIe lanes up to Gen 5 and beyond, 8x 25 GbE KR, 2x USB4 / Thunderbolt. | Future-oriented interface technology for highest transfer rates in bandwidth-hungry edge and fog server applications. |
| Highest memory capacity of all Computer-on-Module standards | Up to 4 SDRAM sockets on size D, and up to 8 on Size E for up to 1 TB of server memory. | Extensive memory capacities can significantly accelerate server workloads to make designs more capable and responsive. |
| Increased power budget | Extreme performance thanks to power budgets of up to 358 Watt. | High power budgets provide more headroom for designers to leverage highly powerful server CPUs, high-speed I/Os and memory, which all require more power for more performance. At the same time, heat dissipation becomes more critical, which is why OEMs should look for vendors that also offer powerful cooling solutions. |
| Facts | Features | Benefits |
| 2 different sizes | COM-HPC Server modules come in Size D (160x160 mm) and Size E (200x160 mm). | Different sizes allow designers to optimally balance the requirements of processor build, performance, memory capacity, and heat dissipation with the space provided by the application. |
| Module standard with the highest I/O bandwidth | Up to 65x PCIe lanes up to Gen 5 and beyond, 8x 25 GbE KR, 2x USB4 / Thunderbolt. | Future-oriented interface technology for highest transfer rates in bandwidth-hungry edge and fog server applications. |
| Highest memory capacity of all Computer-on-Module standards | Up to 4 SDRAM sockets on size D, and up to 8 on Size E for up to 1 TB of server memory. | Extensive memory capacities can significantly accelerate server workloads to make designs more capable and responsive. |
| Increased power budget | Extreme performance thanks to power budgets of up to 358 Watt. | High power budgets provide more headroom for designers to leverage highly powerful server CPUs, high-speed I/Os and memory, which all require more power for more performance. At the same time, heat dissipation becomes more critical, which is why OEMs should look for vendors that also offer powerful cooling solutions. |
Extensive bandwidth to handle highest server workloads
COM-HPC Server modules offer the highest PCIe lane capacity and networking bandwidth currently available on Computer-on-Modules. These Server-on-Modules omit the graphic interfaces in favor of more and higher performing networking interfaces, which are required to accelerate intersystem communication, as well as even more PCIe lanes to handle immense amounts of raw data, connect additional compute accelerators like GPGPUs, ASICs or FPGAs, and save information on fast NVMe SSD clusters.
COM-HPC Server modules offer the highest PCIe lane capacity and networking bandwidth currently available on Computer-on-Modules. These Server-on-Modules omit the graphic interfaces in favor of more and higher performing networking interfaces, which are required to accelerate intersystem communication, as well as even more PCIe lanes to handle immense amounts of raw data, connect additional compute accelerators like GPGPUs, ASICs or FPGAs, and save information on fast NVMe SSD clusters.
Highest performance potential
The COM-HPC Server standard specifies two different footprints – Size D (160x160 mm) and Size E (200x160 mm) – which provide enough headroom for current and upcoming server processors with massive core count. The modules can host up to 4 SDRAM sockets on Size D, and up to 8 on Size E for huge memory capacities with fastest data transfer rates.
The COM-HPC Server standard specifies two different footprints – Size D (160x160 mm) and Size E (200x160 mm) – which provide enough headroom for current and upcoming server processors with massive core count. The modules can host up to 4 SDRAM sockets on Size D, and up to 8 on Size E for huge memory capacities with fastest data transfer rates.
COM-HPC Server – optimized for edge server designs
COM-HPC Server Computer-on-Modules target real-time demands of applications like machine control, autonomous vehicles, collaborative robots, smart grids, and 5G infrastructure installations where server technology has to move closer to the source of the generated data. With COM-HPC, data center grade performance can now leave the air-conditioned server rooms and move to the industrial edge with its harsh environmental conditions on shop floors or in outdoor installations. The COMHPC standard, which congatec has developed together with other leading embedded computing vendors, offers a reliable design-in and upgrade path for latest and future edge server applications.
COM-HPC Server modules offer a performance and interface range that is unmatched by other existing standards, including the widely used COM Express Type 7 standard. Nevertheless, COM Express - the most successful Computer-on-Module standard ever - will remain an important design platform which will be maintained for the next decade. The outstanding congatec support for COM Express won’t change. So, OEMs can be assured, that both standards provide the same level of design security.
Prepared for mixed designs
COM-HPC features the master/slave function for PCIe enabling mixed designs with a combination of x86 multicore processor technology and additional computing accelerators simplifying modular server designs. Moreover, COM-HPC Server is also prepared for functional safety, which enables mixed-critical multicore edge servers for applications including 5G connected industrial controls, or wayside installations for autonomous vehicles.
COM-HPC Server Computer-on-Modules target real-time demands of applications like machine control, autonomous vehicles, collaborative robots, smart grids, and 5G infrastructure installations where server technology has to move closer to the source of the generated data. With COM-HPC, data center grade performance can now leave the air-conditioned server rooms and move to the industrial edge with its harsh environmental conditions on shop floors or in outdoor installations. The COMHPC standard, which congatec has developed together with other leading embedded computing vendors, offers a reliable design-in and upgrade path for latest and future edge server applications.
COM-HPC Server modules offer a performance and interface range that is unmatched by other existing standards, including the widely used COM Express Type 7 standard. Nevertheless, COM Express - the most successful Computer-on-Module standard ever - will remain an important design platform which will be maintained for the next decade. The outstanding congatec support for COM Express won’t change. So, OEMs can be assured, that both standards provide the same level of design security.
Prepared for mixed designs
COM-HPC features the master/slave function for PCIe enabling mixed designs with a combination of x86 multicore processor technology and additional computing accelerators simplifying modular server designs. Moreover, COM-HPC Server is also prepared for functional safety, which enables mixed-critical multicore edge servers for applications including 5G connected industrial controls, or wayside installations for autonomous vehicles.
COM-HPC Server in comparison to COM Express Type 7
| COM-HPC Server | COM Express Type 7 (Spec 3.1) | |
| Footprint |
160x160 mm (Size D) 200x160 mm (Size E) |
125x95 mm (basic) |
| Max. power dissipation | 358 Watt | 137 Watt |
| Signal pins | 800 | 440 |
| PCIe lanes¹ | 65x PCIe Gen 5 | 32x PCIe Gen 4 |
| Graphics¹ | Headless | Headless |
| Ethernet¹ | 8x 25 GbE KR + 1x 1 GbE with NC-SI | 4x 10 GbE KR with NCSI + 1x GbE |
| USB¹ | 2x USB 4.0 + 2x USB 3.1 + 4x USB 2.0 | 4x USB 3.0 + 4x USB 2.0 |
| SATA¹ | 2x SATA Gen 3 | 2x SATA Gen 3 |
| UART¹ | 2 | 2 |
| CAN bus¹ | - | 2 (multiplexed with UART) |
| GPIO¹ | 12 | 8 |
| Other¹ | eSPI, 2x SPI, SMB, 2x I2C, IPMB | LPC/eSPI, I2C, SPI |
| IPMB¹ | Supported | - |
| FuSa¹ | Supported | Not supported |
¹ Max. interface capacity as specified
| COM-HPC Server | COM Express Type 7 (Spec 3.1) | |
| Footprint |
160x160 mm (Size D) 200x160 mm (Size E) |
125x95 mm (basic) |
| Max. power dissipation | 358 Watt | 137 Watt |
| Signal pins | 800 | 440 |
| PCIe lanes¹ | 65x PCIe Gen 5 | 32x PCIe Gen 4 |
| Graphics¹ | Headless | Headless |
| Ethernet¹ | 8x 25 GbE KR + 1x 1 GbE with NC-SI | 4x 10 GbE KR with NCSI + 1x GbE |
| USB¹ | 2x USB 4.0 + 2x USB 3.1 + 4x USB 2.0 | 4x USB 3.0 + 4x USB 2.0 |
| SATA¹ | 2x SATA Gen 3 | 2x SATA Gen 3 |
| UART¹ | 2 | 2 |
| CAN bus¹ | - | 2 (multiplexed with UART) |
| GPIO¹ | 12 | 8 |
| Other¹ | eSPI, 2x SPI, SMB, 2x I2C, IPMB | LPC/eSPI, I2C, SPI |
| IPMB¹ | Supported | - |
| FuSa¹ | Supported | Not supported |
¹ Max. interface capacity as specified
