<s>
A	O
computer-on-module	B-Application
(	O
COM	O
)	O
is	O
a	O
type	O
of	O
single-board	B-Device
computer	I-Device
(	O
SBC	O
)	O
,	O
a	O
subtype	O
of	O
an	O
embedded	B-Architecture
computer	I-Architecture
system	I-Architecture
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
extension	O
of	O
the	O
concept	O
of	O
system	B-Architecture
on	I-Architecture
chip	I-Architecture
(	O
SoC	O
)	O
and	O
system	B-Algorithm
in	I-Algorithm
package	I-Algorithm
(	O
SiP	O
)	O
,	O
COM	O
lies	O
between	O
a	O
full-up	O
computer	O
and	O
a	O
microcontroller	B-Architecture
in	O
nature	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
very	O
similar	O
to	O
a	O
system	B-Architecture
on	I-Architecture
module	I-Architecture
(	O
SOM	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
COMs	O
are	O
complete	O
embedded	B-Architecture
computers	I-Architecture
built	O
on	O
a	O
single	O
circuit	O
board	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
design	O
is	O
centered	O
on	O
a	O
microprocessor	B-Architecture
with	O
RAM	B-Architecture
,	O
input/output	B-General_Concept
controllers	O
and	O
all	O
other	O
features	O
needed	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
functional	O
computer	O
on	O
the	O
one	O
board	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
unlike	O
a	O
single-board	B-Device
computer	I-Device
,	O
the	O
COM	O
usually	O
lacks	O
the	O
standard	O
connectors	O
for	O
any	O
input/output	B-General_Concept
peripherals	O
to	O
be	O
attached	O
directly	O
to	O
the	O
board	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
COM	O
solution	O
offers	O
a	O
dense	O
package	O
computer	O
system	O
for	O
use	O
in	O
small	O
or	O
specialized	O
applications	O
requiring	O
low	O
power	O
consumption	O
or	O
small	O
physical	O
size	O
as	O
is	O
needed	O
in	O
embedded	B-Architecture
systems	I-Architecture
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
devices	O
also	O
incorporate	O
field-programmable	B-Architecture
gate	I-Architecture
array	I-Architecture
(	O
FPGA	B-Architecture
)	O
components	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
FPGA-based	O
functions	O
can	O
be	O
added	O
as	O
IP	B-Architecture
cores	I-Architecture
to	O
the	O
COM	O
itself	O
or	O
to	O
the	O
carrier	O
card	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Using	O
FPGA	B-Architecture
IP	B-Architecture
cores	I-Architecture
adds	O
to	O
the	O
modularity	O
of	O
a	O
COM	O
concept	O
,	O
because	O
I/O	B-General_Concept
functions	O
can	O
be	O
adapted	O
to	O
special	O
needs	O
without	O
extensive	O
rewiring	O
on	O
the	O
printed	O
circuit	O
board	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
"	O
computer-on-module	B-Application
"	O
is	O
also	O
called	O
a	O
"	O
system-on-module	B-Application
"	O
(	O
SOM	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
terms	O
"	O
Computer-on-Module	B-Application
"	O
and	O
"	O
COM	O
"	O
were	O
coined	O
by	O
VDC	O
Research	O
Group	O
,	O
Inc	O
.	O
(	O
formerly	O
Venture	O
Development	O
Corporation	O
)	O
to	O
describe	O
this	O
class	O
of	O
embedded	B-Architecture
computer	I-Architecture
boards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dr.	O
Gordon	O
Kruberg	O
,	O
founder	O
and	O
CEO	O
of	O
Gumstix	B-Application
,	O
is	O
credited	O
for	O
creating	O
the	O
first	O
COM	O
,	O
predating	O
the	O
next	O
recognizable	O
COM	O
entries	O
by	O
almost	O
18	O
months	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gumstix	B-Application
ARM	O
Linux	O
Machine	O
number	O
is	O
373	O
,	O
established	O
9	O
September	O
2003	O
,	O
while	O
Kontron	O
's	O
is	O
735	O
,	O
established	O
18	O
April	O
2005	O
,	O
and	O
Keith	O
&	O
Koep	O
's	O
(	O
now	O
part	O
of	O
SECO	O
)	O
is	O
776	O
,	O
established	O
20	O
June	O
2005	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Boards	O
numbered	O
below	O
373	O
were	O
larger	O
and	O
single	B-Device
board	I-Device
computers	I-Device
as	O
opposed	O
to	O
modules	O
,	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
the	O
Itsy	O
,	O
a	O
tiny	O
hand-held	O
device	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
StrongARM	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
in	O
2005	O
Apple	O
used	O
a	O
Gumstix	B-Application
COM	O
to	O
test	O
the	O
original	O
iPhone	O
concept	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Using	O
a	O
carrier	O
board	O
is	O
a	O
benefit	O
in	O
many	O
cases	O
,	O
as	O
it	O
can	O
implement	O
special	O
I/O	B-General_Concept
interfaces	I-General_Concept
,	O
memory	O
devices	O
,	O
connectors	O
or	O
form	O
factors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
the	O
actual	O
processor	O
and	O
main	O
I/O	B-General_Concept
controllers	O
are	O
located	O
on	O
a	O
COM	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
much	O
easier	O
,	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
to	O
upgrade	O
a	O
CPU	O
component	O
to	O
the	O
next	O
generation	O
,	O
without	O
having	O
to	O
redesign	O
a	O
very	O
specialized	O
carrier	O
as	O
well	O
.	O
</s>
