System on Modules give you the processor, memory, storage, and wireless interfaces on a single board-down module, with your application-specific circuitry on a carrier board underneath. The split means you can iterate your carrier board without redesigning the compute core, and when a module goes end-of-life, you swap it for a pin-compatible successor.

The connector standard determines what you can swap to later. Raspberry Pi Compute Modules (CM4 and CM5) use a 100-pin dual-row connector (two 50-pin high-density board-to-board connectors). Nvidia Jetson modules use a 260-pin SODIMM-style edge connector — physically identical to a DDR SODIMM but electrically incompatible, so never seat a DDR memory module in a Jetson carrier. COM Express defines Type 6 for standard x86 modules and Type 10 for compact embedded applications.

Long-term support commitment matters more for SOMs than for most components. A module that goes EOL six months after your product ships means a costly redesign. Look for vendors who publish explicit LTS windows — typically five to ten years — and confirm the module has been validated for your operating temperature range, not just the commercial 0°C to 70°C default.

TRX sources System on Modules from Raspberry Pi, Nvidia, Toradex, and the NXP partner ecosystem through authorised distribution, serving engineers across Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, and Pretoria. No minimum order.

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