September 20, 2007
Avalue technology announced to support the COM Industrial Group's (COM-IG) COM Express Extension initiated by Kontron and Advantech. The COM Express Extension was published on June 5, 2007 as a joint effort between Kontron and Advantech. This document -- based on the PICMG COM.0 COM Express specification -- describes optimized pin-outs for graphics and other core features for COM Express designs. By being committed to support and to join the COM-IG, Avalue Technology expects itself to satisfy customers with more innovative technologies and the newest solution in the market.

Key features of the COM Express Extension as proposed by the COM-IG :

• Multiplexed graphics pin-out to support PEG, SDVO, TMDS and Display Port in order to fit the needs of all the chipsets that will appear in the next few years
• Extended power supply range from 8.5V DC to 18V DC instead of 12V DC only
• Onboard thermal control and BIOS implementations with smart battery support
• Two dedicated GPIO pins for energy management functions
• New obligatory support of legacy-interfaces via super I/O chips

The COM-IG COM Express Extension is a companion document to the COM Express Specification and COM Express design guide. The COM Express Extension provides a round-up of all trusted design roles for COM Express baseboards and streamlines potential baseboard designs to the most reliable and future proven circuits; all of which have been validated by the world’s leading vendors of COM technology. Use of the COM Express design guide is essential for the development of baseboard designs that are 100-percent optimized to take advantage of the scalability of COM Express-based Computer-on-Modules.

Noticing the essential to utilize the latest graphics capabilities from chipset vendors including Intel®, AMD® / ATI® and VIA® consistently, Avalue is glad to become a member of the new COM-IG and we will provide customers complete COM serial products including ETX, ETXexpress and matching baseboards. This proactive move by the new COM-IG is an effort to ensure that all COM Express solutions continue to be interchangeable, no matter which vendor provides them. This joint effort is outside of the official PICMG committee, but the COM-IG members intend to bring the proposed extension pin-outs before the PICMG for future adoption into a revised COM Express specification.

Please visit www.avalue.com.tw for more information about ETX & ETXexpress modules.
Please visit: www.com-ig.org for more information about COM-IG.

About Avalue
Avalue Technology is a dedicated designer and manufacturer for a wide range of Embedded computing, single board computer, SOM-ETX, long-life motherboard, multi-functional touch panel PC, and Embedded system. The Avalue team builds each project with its extended services, including product life cycle management, PCB/Assembly/BIOS vision control, high quality design and manufacture, and legacy form factor/device support. As an ISO 9001 certified company, Avalue practices Total Quality Management principles in all phases of the company global operations. Currently, Avalue has built its headquarters in Taipei, Europe branch located in Denmark, China branches in Shanghai, USA branches located in New Jersey and California, as well as an international distribution network all over the world to serve its customers worldwide.

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