Many medical electronics manufacturers choose to outsource key
components of their devices. However, they should consider a new
option for embedded computing systems. Computer-on-modules, as
shown here, provide standardized form and function. With ever-
increasing speed requirements for modern processors and system
buses, designing a cpu-based board from the ground up has become
a daunting challenge for OEMs. Often, OEMs' resources would be
better served by focusing on their core competencies and product
differentiation. Therefore, many medical electronics engineers
are realizing that the fastest and most efficient method of
bringing their products to the market is by outsourcing the
manufacture of a device's key components. One of the components
purchased most often is the cpu core. These off-the-shelf
products offer a validated core with fully tested BIOS (basic
input-output system) support, high-speed cpus, modern
interfaces, and time-to-market advantages. Based on these
considerations, many medical OEMs de