Every module has a CPU, as well as memory and a range of serial communication interfaces such as PCI Express, Gigabit Ethernet, USB, SATA, SDVO, LVDS and HD audio.
The idea behind this is to implement very specialized functions in an FPGA on the COM's carrier board to ease upgrades of the system CPU through exchange of the ESMexpress module.
The most important specialty of this computer-on-module is its surrounding mechanical concept, which was designed for especially severe environmental conditions, for example in railway or avionics, or in the automation industry.
For companies that need robust electronic products, both the reduction of development times and a long-term availability of more than 10 or 15 years are significant factors for a new computer-on-module standard like ESMexpress.
It is based on the same mechanical concept: the computer board is also embedded into an aluminum frame and cover for conduction cooling and EMC protection, and its board-to-board connector types are identical with ESMexpress.