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Mobile-ITX is an open form factor specification for the creation of ultra-compact and portable embedded devices. Mobile-ITX defines a uniquely compact 6-by-6-cm computer-on-module (COM) specification designed to enable an easier and less resource-intensive development cycle for embedded systems, says VIA Technologies.

Since medical, transportation, and military markets now require greater miniaturization and portability in x86 platforms, Mobile-ITX addresses the need for a simple, modular approach to portable IPC design. This will allow designers to bring ultra-compact and lightweight devices that offer comprehensive connectivity options and flexible feature sets to market.

VIA says Mobile-ITX is currently the most compact COM form factor on the market. It is 50% smaller than Pico-ITX, another successful form factor VIA developed. Its modularized design includes a CPU module card and an I/O carrier board, which offers greater flexibility for developers to simply drop the CPU module into a custom-designed, application-specific carrier board.

CPU modules based on the Mobile-ITX form factor integrate core CPU, chipset and memory functionality, and I/O that includes the CRT, DVP, and TTL display support, HD Audio, IDE, and USB 2.0, as well as PCI Express, SMBus, GPIO, LPC, SDIO, and PS2 signals through customizable baseboards. Modules based on Mobile-ITX consume as little as 5 W, ideal for mission-critical systems that must always be on.

This comprehensive range of advanced technologies can be implemented on a variety of Mobile-ITX compatible carrier board designs that can be adapted to suit almost any environment or application-specific criteria. The CPU module I/O signals are mapped to two unique high-density, low-profile connectors on the underside of the module, with only 3 mm between the CPU module and the baseboard. The connectors can also withstand vibrations of up to 5 G, making Mobile-ITX systems suitable for in-vehicle and industrial machining applications.