Advantech has launched the SOM-6820, a COM Express Type 6 Compact module that swaps the usual Intel or AMD x86 processor for Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite. The 9.5 cm x 9.5 cm (3.7 x 3.7 inches) module packs up to twelve 64-bit Arm Oryon cores running at up to 4.3 GHz, 64GB of LPDDR5X memory, and a Hexagon NPU delivering 45 TOPS of AI performance. Advantech is targeting medical imaging, machine vision, and humanoid robotics applications with this design.
The module exposes its I/O through two standard 220-pin board-to-board connectors, supporting up to four simultaneous 4K displays via DisplayPort 2.1 and LVDS or eDP interfaces. Storage connectivity includes up to four SATA III ports, while the USB complement spans four USB 3.2 Gen2 ports and eight USB 2.0 connections. PCIe expansion offers eight Gen4 lanes plus additional Gen3 lanes for peripheral connectivity. Two MIPI CSI camera connectors and a TPM 2.0 security chip round out the feature set.
The SOM-6820 supports Windows 11 on Arm out of the box, but Linux support for Snapdragon X Elite is progressing through mainline kernel development. Qualcomm engineers have submitted patches for Linux 6.18 enabling an internal reference platform called Hamoa IoT SoM, which runs on the same X1E80100 silicon. The patches enable regulators, PCIe, USB, graphics, video, NVMe, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and audio, suggesting commercial Linux support for X Elite based industrial modules may be achievable in the future.
Advantech first announced the SOM-6820 in June 2024 with sample availability. The module operates from 0 to 60°C (32 to 140°F) in standard configuration or negative 40 to 85°C (negative 40 to 185°F) in extended temperature variants. Additional details are available on the product page.
