Definition: A System on Module (SOM) is a compact printed circuit board (PCB) integrating key components of an embedded system, including microprocessor, memory, I/O controllers, and often wireless connectivity.

Key Components:

• Processor (MPU/MCU/FPGA)
• RAM and Flash Memory
• Power Management ICs (PMIC)
• Connectivity (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet)
• Interface Controllers (USB, HDMI, PCIe, etc.)

Benefits:

• Faster time-to-market
• Reduced design complexity
• Easier upgrades and scalability
• Pre-certified modules (e.g., FCC, CE)

Use Cases: Industrial automation, medical devices, robotics, IoT gateways, edge computing.

Popular SOM Providers: Toradex, NXP i.MX-based modules, Raspberry Pi Compute Module, NVIDIA Jetson, Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC.