Stutensee, Germany – MSC Vertriebs GmbH has disclosed the EXM32 system-on-module (SOM) specification, which was developed in-house by MSC. The EXM32 SOM specification offers interested companies the possibility to design and market EXM32-based products.

The goal is to make the already widely spread standard available to an even larger circle of users and manufacturers. For this purpose, an EXM32 consortium was recently formed.

In addition to MSC Vertriebs GmbH, DISPLAIGN Elektronik & Design GmbH, Linutronix GmbH, MicroDoc Computersysteme GmbH, Synergetik Gesellschaft für Industriesensorik mbH and TRS-STAR GmbH are among the early members of the EXM32 user and manufacturer consortium. The membership is free of charge and interested parties can register at www.EXM32.org.

To simplify getting started with the EXM32 standard, all important information required for the design of new products is consolidated at the above-mentioned website. In addition to the “EXM32 CPU Module Design Specification”, an “EXM32 Baseboard Design Guide” is also available there for download. Schematics of a baseboard are available for registered members.

The EXM32 modules with a compact form factor of 65 mm x 90 mm are specifically designed for demanding environmental conditions. In order to satisfy the needs in industrial or automotive applications, the EXM32 platform is specified for an extended temperature range from -40°C to +85°C. Furthermore, the devices feature a high resistance to shock and vibration and meet the automotive specification DIN EN 60068 (Environmental Conditions for Electrical and Electronic Equipment for Road Vehicles).

Thanks to a particularly robust and shock resistant connector technology, the EXM32 modules are easily mounted on the baseboard. Elastomeric contact strips serve as connector elements. These strips are compressed between the gold-plated contact zones of the boards to be connected and secured by screws. The connection elements have chambers, which contain an elastic material with a very large number of fine gold wires. These wires are pressed into the gold-plated contact zones and thereby provide a reliable electrical contact. The contact can not be impaired by surface contamination or the subsequent application of a coating, it is hermetically sealed off from environmental influences.

A series of CPU and interface modules, compliant with the EXM32 specification, are already available from MSC. These include the EXM32-AU1250 CPU module with excellent multimedia features, the high-performance EXM-SH7760 devices as well as the EXM-NAVCOM navigation and communication module with GPRS and GPS functionality.