Solder-Down System-on-Module for Simplified Design & Production

A SoM, one step above an SoC, incorporates connectivity, multimedia and display, GPIO, Operating System, and drivers in a single module. Although the industry has been traditionally using SODIMM modules, soldered SoM modules are rapidly gaining ground. Solder modules are less expensive than their SODIMM counterparts because they are easier to manage, test in production, and follow for better economies of scale.

SoM-based designs are actually scalable to achieve a fully customized electronics assembly in terms of interfaces and form factors. SoMs can be replaced or upgraded within the carrier board. Some advantages of the SoM approach over an SoC development include cost cost savings, reduced market risk, reduced customer design requirements, and footprint. The only limitation with a SoM, when compared to the ground-up SoC design, is that there are fewer pins in a SoM.