System on module

<h2 id="history">History</h2>
<p>The acronym <i>SoM</i> has its roots in the blade-based modules. In the mid 1980s, when <a href="/facts/VMEbus/wbApkELJ">VMEbus</a> blades used <a href="/facts/M-Module/Y3sbMdhN">M-Modules</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a> these were commonly referred to as system On a module (SoM). These SoMs performed specific functions such as compute functions and data acquisition functions. SoMs were used extensively by <a href="/facts/Sun_Microsystems/VJ9EzEFd">Sun Microsystems</a>, <a href="/facts/Motorola/ztqczx68">Motorola</a>, <a href="/facts/Xerox/qyxVVqaa">Xerox</a>, <a href="/facts/Digital_Equipment_Corporation/ztxs6keA">DEC</a>, and <a href="/facts/IBM/QszA7nwd">IBM</a> in their blade computers.
</p>
<h2 id="design">Design</h2>
<p>A typical SoM consists of:
</p>
<ul><li>at least one <a href="/facts/Microcontroller/MKrnAhnm">microcontroller</a>, <a href="/facts/Microprocessor/Fx9CaQht">microprocessor</a> or <a href="/facts/Digital_signal_processor/YuBXweos">digital signal processor</a> (DSP) core
<ul><li><a href="/facts/Multi-processor_system-on-chip/s5jssTDl">multiprocessor systems-on-chip</a> (MPSoCs) have more than one processor core</li></ul></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Memory/a1QSEJhj">memory</a> blocks including a selection of <a href="/facts/Read-only_memory/P9QMuDLH">ROM</a>, <a href="/facts/Random_access_memory/DuD4bxh6">RAM</a>, <a href="/facts/EEPROM/0yAMFY0I">EEPROM</a> and/or <a href="/facts/Flash_memory/Cn8JsStx">flash memory</a></li>
<li>timing sources</li>
<li>industry standard <a href="/facts/Communication_protocol/5uady7cB">communication</a> interfaces such as <a href="/facts/Universal_Serial_Bus/XcIKWLyg">USB</a>, <a href="/facts/FireWire/XYdQlxfy">FireWire</a>, <a href="/facts/Ethernet/nMfhU8tU">Ethernet</a>, <a href="/facts/USART/6nNL6zox">USART</a>, <a href="/facts/Serial_Peripheral_Interface_Bus/uSCU56eG">SPI</a>, <a href="/facts/I%25C2%25B2C/dKBBhs4U">I²C</a></li>
<li>peripherals including <a href="/facts/Counter_(digital)/SD2V8R8w">counter</a>-timers, real-time <a href="/facts/Timer/ayv4L3D7">timers</a> and <a href="/facts/Power-on_reset/B0Lh220y">power-on reset</a> generators</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Analog_signal/xDbb4uB5">analog</a> interfaces including <a href="/facts/Analog-to-digital_converter/8YYNsMFg">analog-to-digital converters</a> and <a href="/facts/Digital-to-analog_converter/5loEvAeb">digital-to-analog converters</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Voltage_regulator/RWQATaje">voltage regulators</a> and <a href="/facts/Power_management/fWv2k2sP">power management</a> circuits</li></ul>
<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/CompactPCI/RuyUgoNB">CompactPCI</a> – Computer bus interconnect for industrial computers</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Futurebus/6PBN1EVx">Futurebus</a> – Universal computer bus standard</li>
<li><a href="/facts/PCI_Mezzanine_Card/9xkU0xjK">PCI Mezzanine Card</a> – Printed circuit board assembly manufactured to the IEEE P1386.1 standard</li>
<li><a href="/facts/VPX/oLMfczJt">VPX</a> – Standards for connecting components of a computer</li>
<li><a href="/facts/VXS/0qf8XTV8">VXS</a> – VMEbus performance improvement standard</li></ul>

<ul><li><a href="/facts/American_National_Standards_Institute/p3d1TQCb">ANSI</a>/IEEE Std 1014-1987 and ANSI/VITA 1-1994</li>
<li><a href="https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/1386/2076/">1386-2001 - IEEE Standard for a Common Mezzanine Card Family: CMC</a></li>
<li>Standard ANSI/VITA 46.0-2007</li>
<li><a href="http://opensystemsmedia.com/hall-of-fame/vita-technologies/pci-mezzanine-cards">VITA Technologies Hall of Fame - PCI Mezzanine Cards</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>"IEEE 1386-2001 - IEEE Standard for a Common Mezzanine Card Family: CMC". IEEE. <a href="https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/1386/2076/" target="_blank">https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/1386/2076/</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
</ol>

System on module open-in-new

System on module