COMe & COM-HPC—Allied for AI & Graphics Breakthroughs with 14th Gen Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors

Taipei, December 2023 – Advantech, a leading provider of Embedded IoT computing solutions, is proud to announce the release of SOM-5885 (COM Express Type 6 Basic) and SOM-A350 (COM-HPC Client Size A). Powered by 14th Gen Intel® Core™ Ultra processors—the first platform with an integrated NPU—the SoC combines a CPU, GFX, and NPU, achieving 32 TOPS of AI performance. SOM-5885 and SOM-A350 support all PCIe slots with at least Gen4 speed, USB4, and 2.5 LAN. SOM-A350 even offers PCIe Gen5 and double LAN ports. These two modules also support the advanced QFCS (Quadra Flow Cooling System), which has proven successful in delivering silent, thin, and lightweight features while still enabling the system to perform at 100% under 45W at 60°C conditions. Beyond performance, Advantech has designed user-friendly features for easy adoption of SOM-5885 and SOM-A350. These include Dual BIOS failsafe, a feature that reduces system downtime in case of BIOS issues. The Guiding Post enhances safety during installation, preventing damage to the board-to-board connector when assembling SOM-A350 to the carrier board. With complete expandability and a powerful CPU with integrated NPU, SOM-5885 and SOM-A350 stand out as highly efficient choices for upgrading AI performance in applications such as medical imaging, test equipment, and edge AI devices.

Innovative CPU, GFX, and NPU Combined in an SoC—Reaching New Levels of Computing Performance

These two modules are designed with 14th Gen Intel® Core™ Ultra processors, featuring up to 14 cores (6P+8E), a 24% improvement over the previous generation. Additionally, the latest Xe LPG graphics support up to 128 EU (graphic units), resulting in a 1.9x performance improvement. Most importantly, 14th Gen Intel® Core™ Ultra processors integrate the NPU into the SoC, reaching AI performance of 11 TOPS. With the combined computing power of the CPU and GPU, the entire SoC of the 14th Gen Intel® Core™ Ultra processors can reach up to 32 TOPS.   The new modules bring significant benefits for upgrading system performance across various applications. The robust AI and graphics capabilities not only greatly enhance image quality and processing speed in fields like medical imaging and machine vision but also reduce the reliance on external graphics cards. The SoC can adeptly manage complex visual data and AI inference requirements. Due to the structure of the Computer on Module, customers can upgrade to this powerful platform with minimal effort.

Advanced Expansion and I/O Enhance Operation Efficiency at the Edge

SOM-5885 (COM Express) supports PCIe Gen4 speed, adhering to the COM Express standards. The COM Express board-to-board connector supports up to 16 GT/s. If PCIe Gen5 is necessary, the preferred choice is SOM-A350. Additionally, SOM-A350 offers four extra PCIe ports, all supporting speeds up to Gen4. This PCIe upgrade is crucial for medical imaging applications, where extended devices such as high-performance graphic cards, NVMe SSDs, and FPGAs need to be integrated into high-speed PCIe slots. Moreover, test equipment demands fast PCIe and numerous ports to reduce testing time. This allows the simultaneous connection of multiple Devices Under Test (DUT) to decrease MVA. They also offer other high-speed I/Os, including 2.5G LAN, USB4, USB 3.2, and SATA 3.0. Furthermore, compared to SOM-5885, SOM-A350 has double LAN ports, offering greater flexibility for various applications in the field.

Dual BIOS Flash On Board for Fail Recovery & Flexible Module Configuration

SOM-5885 and SOM-A350 both feature dual BIOS flash support. This feature can be examined in depth by considering two factors. First, in the event of a failed BIOS OTA (Over the Air) update or if the main BIOS flash is damaged unexpectedly, the backup BIOS is automatically activated to become the main BIOS. This ensures the continuous operation of the system and prevents downtime.   The second factor is BIOS flexibility. With the dual BIOS configuration, a system can accommodate two BIOS versions, offering customers the ability to manually switch between them using software. This feature streamlines the process and minimizes the time and effort required, especially in cases where BIOS settings may change frequently. With a simple click on an item in the BIOS menu, the main BIOS can be updated to a new version without the need to disassemble the system. Furthermore, this software switch capability can be extended to the customer's own software applications through the Advantech SUSI API.

Advantech’s COM Express Basic Module SOM-5885 & COM-HPC Client Type Size A Module SOM-A350 are now available for sample ordering. For more information regarding SOM-5885/A350 or other Advantech products and services, please contact Advantech’s sales support team or visit our website at https://www2.advantech.com/embedded-boards-design-in-services/com/