SOC and SOM both serve the basic purpose of making embedded design procedures easier and smoother for developers. They are intended to enable developers to work on high-end applications such as AI and IoTs and design and produce embedded systems to meet the stringent design requirements of this day and age. These requirements include lesser time-to-develop, reduced cost, lower power consumption, lower latency, and high performance. An SoC is essentially a chip with all the embedded components needed for a specific function, such as processing elements, memory, I/Os, and other peripherals, integrated into that chip.

1. 2/24/23, 1:09 PM SoC vs SoM (System on Chip vs System on Module)
https://oxeltech.de/en/system-on-chip-soc-vs-system-on-module-som/ 1/19
Home(https://oxeltech.de/en/)

Electronics(https://oxeltech.de/en/category/electronics/)Digital Electronics
(https://oxeltech.de/en/category/electronics/digital-electronics/)EmbeddedSystems
(https://oxeltech.de/en/category/electronics/embedded-systems/)

SoC vsSoM : System onChipvsSystem
onModule
(https://oxeltech.de/en/system-on-chip-soc-vs-system-on-
module-som/)
SoC Vs SoM : System On Chip Vs System On
Module
Share
   
What Is System On Chip, SoC?
ASystem on Chipor SoCisakeycomponentin EmbeddedSystemstoday.An SoCreferstoa
singlechipor ICwith acompletelyelectronicor computer system fabricated.
ItusuallyintegratesaCPU,GPU,DSP,memory,I/Os,andexternal interfacessuch asUSBand
analoginputandoutputblocks.Thisway,an SoChaseverythingneededtofunction likean
independentsystem exceptfor apower supply.Itcan besolderedon amotherboardwith
power circuitryandrelevantexternal interfaces.
Tableof Content
• WhatisSystem onChip,SoC?
•Motivation
•Building Blocks ofan SoC
•Advantages ofSoC
•What is System on Module, SoM?
•Motivation
•SoM:An Answerto Developers’ Woes
• AdvantagesofSoM
• SoCvsSoM
Oxeltech

2. 2/24/23, 1:09 PM SoC vs SoM (System on Chip vs System on Module)
https://oxeltech.de/en/system-on-chip-soc-vs-system-on-module-som/ 2/19
Likeanyother computer system,an SoCcan perform variousfunctions,includingbutnot
limitedtoArtificial Intelligence,MachineLearning,IoT,wirelesscommunication,andimage
processing.
Exampleslikethepopular RaspberryPi’sBCM2835,ESP8266chip,NVIDIA’sTegraK1,
Qualcomm’sSnapdragon 820,andNXP’sI.MX series.
Oxeltech

3. 2/24/23, 1:09 PM SoC vs SoM (System on Chip vs System on Module)
https://oxeltech.de/en/system-on-chip-soc-vs-system-on-module-som/ 3/19
Motivation
Themain motivation behindthedevelopmentof SoCtechnologyistomakepower efficient,
cost-effective,andminiaturizedsystems.An SoCisan answer toall thesequestionsbecause
itessentiallyreducesadesign containingmultipleprocessingelementsandmicrochipsinto
onesinglechip.
Thisway,notonlydoesitreducethedevicesizebutalsoeffectivelyreducesthepower
consumption.SoCisthemain drivingforcebehindthearrival of smartdigital devicessuch as
smartphones,tablets,laptops,andmanymore.
Building Blocks Of An SoC
Attimes,an SoCisreferredtoastheprocessor or controller in an embeddedapplication,butit
ismuch morethan that.An SoCtypicallyhasthefollowingbuildingblocks:
1.Dependingon theapplication,singleor multipleprocessingelementssuch asa
microprocessor,microcontroller,or DSP.
2.On-chipmemoryelementssuch asFlash,EEPROM,or RAM.Or memoryaccesscontrol
for external or off-chipmemory.
3.GPUfor graphical processing.
4.External communication interfacessuch asUSB,Ethernet,andI2C,etc.
Oxeltech

4. 2/24/23, 1:09 PM SoC vs SoM (System on Chip vs System on Module)
https://oxeltech.de/en/system-on-chip-soc-vs-system-on-module-som/ 4/19
5.Wi-Fi,Bluetooth,or anyother application-specificprotocol for wirelesscommunication.
6.Application-relatedhardwaresuch asvideoencoder/decoder.
7.Voltageregulator,ADC/DAC,Clock,PLL,etc
8.Internal interfacebus.
Advantages Of SoC
1.Softwareandhardwareco-design andIP corereusability.
2.Power efficiency,small size,andreducedcost.
3.Reducedlatencyasasinglechipisresponsiblefor all tasksandhenceefficient
performance.
Oxeltech

5. 2/24/23, 1:09 PM SoC vs SoM (System on Chip vs System on Module)
https://oxeltech.de/en/system-on-chip-soc-vs-system-on-module-som/ 5/19
4.Reducedeffortfor softwaredevelopersastheydon’thavetoworryaboutdesigning
underlyingfunctional hardware.
What Is System On Module, SoM?
Much likean SoC,aSystem on aModuleor SoMintegratesthecorecomponentsof an
embeddedprocessingsystem,such asprocessor,memory,andperipherals,in oneplace.
However,unlikean SoC,an SoMprovidesthisfunctionalityon aPCBor amodulerather than a
singlechip.In thisregard,an SoMisaboard-level system.Typically,itisasmall boardthathas
manyICsor chipsincorporatedintoit.
TheseICsusuallyincludean SoCanditssupportingcomponentssuch asmemory,clock,
power management,andother application-relatedpartssuch asADC/DAC,GPS,Wi-Fi,
Bluetooth,audiocodecmodem,etc.
However,an SoMisnotthecompleteproductbutapartof theproduct.Itisconnectedtoan
external boardor thebaseboardthrough pins,edgeconnectors,or solder tabs.Itservesas
thethinkingboardor themain processingelementfor thespecifiedapplication.
SomeexamplesincludeXilinx’sKria,Google’sCoral SoM,ESP32-WROOM-32,Microchip’s
SAMA5D27,etc.
Oxeltech

6. 2/24/23, 1:09 PM SoC vs SoM (System on Chip vs System on Module)
https://oxeltech.de/en/system-on-chip-soc-vs-system-on-module-som/ 6/19
Motivation
Thekeymotivation behindthedesign of SoMsistoeaseembeddedhardware’shighlycomplex
design procedureandfulfill theprocessingrequirementsof high-endapplicationslikeAI.
Theuseof SoCdoesmakethingssimpler asthedesigner doesn’thavetoputeffortintoeach
aspectof thecircuit,andalotof functionalitycomesintothechip.
However,thedesigner still needstohaveadetailedunderstandingof theSoCchip,including
each pin’sfunction,thethermal propertiesof theSoC,andthepaddesign.
Oxeltech

7. 2/24/23, 1:09 PM SoC vs SoM (System on Chip vs System on Module)
https://oxeltech.de/en/system-on-chip-soc-vs-system-on-module-som/ 7/19
Totakecareof this,an SoMoffersamodulewith areallysmall form factor thatcan be
connectedtoabaseboard,simplifyingthewholeprocedurewhilekeepingpower budgetslow
andmakingthem suitablefor awiderangeof applications.
SoM: An Answer To Developers’ Woes
Thedesign anddevelopmentof an embeddedsystem can betedious,especiallywhen you
havetodesign acustomizedboard.
Manufacturingandtestingdelaysmaketimeconstraintsmuch tighter.An SoMmakesthe
wholedesign proceduresmoother.All you needtodoistochoosean SoMthatsuitsyour
requirements,integrateitwith your main deviceandyou aregoodtogo.
Developerscan useall thissavedtimetoconcentrateon their application software,
significantlycuttingdown thetime-to-marketandtheoverall costs.
Oxeltech

8. 2/24/23, 1:09 PM SoC vs SoM (System on Chip vs System on Module)
https://oxeltech.de/en/system-on-chip-soc-vs-system-on-module-som/ 8/19
Although itappearsthatan SoMissimilar toan evaluation boardlikeArduino,whatmakesit
much morethan thatistheideathatan SoMcan alsobeusedin thefinal productwithout
losingreliabilityor performance.
On topof that,SoMsoffer greater performanceefficiency,reliability,andscalabilitytothe
design.
Advantages Of SoM
1.Noneedfor adeepunderstandingandexperiencein hardware,makingitideal for
softwaredevelopers.SomeSOMsalsocomewith driverssothedeveloper can
completelyfocuson theapplication layer.
2.Makesthedesign processfor hardwaredevelopersfaster,moreefficient,andmore
resourceefficient.FPGAperformanceandflexibilitycan beachievedwithoutgoing
through theslowandtediousprocessof PCBdesign andmanufacturing.
3.Interchangeabilityandeasytoupgrade.An upgradedversion of SoMwith thesameform
factor can easilyreplacetheolder unitwithoutchangingtheunderlyinghardware
completely.
4.Thesimplifiedlifecycleof theproduct.
5.High performance,reliability,andscalability.
6.Reducedtime-to-market
Oxeltech

9. 2/24/23, 1:09 PM SoC vs SoM (System on Chip vs System on Module)
https://oxeltech.de/en/system-on-chip-soc-vs-system-on-module-som/ 9/19
SoC Vs SoM
Asdiscussed,SOCandSOMboth servethebasicpurposeof makingembeddeddesign
procedureseasier andsmoother for developers.
Theyareintendedtoenabledeveloperstoworkon high-endapplicationssuch asAI andIoTs
anddesign andproduceembeddedsystemstomeetthestringentdesign requirementsof this
dayandage.
Theserequirementsincludelesser time-to-develop,reducedcost,lower power consumption,
lower latency,andhigh performance.
An SoCisessentiallyachipwith all theembeddedcomponentsneededfor aspecific
function,such asprocessingelements,memory,I/Os,andother peripherals,integratedinto
thatchip.
An SoMintegratesthesesamecomponentson asingleboardwith asmall form factor that
can easilybeconnectedtoamain boardor baseboard.
Oxeltech

10. 2/24/23, 1:09 PM SoC vs SoM (System on Chip vs System on Module)
https://oxeltech.de/en/system-on-chip-soc-vs-system-on-module-som/ 10/19
Still, there are some ways in which SoMs outperform SoCs, as follows:
1.DesigningandmanufacturingaproprietySoCisaveryexpensiveprocessandcan cost
millionsof dollars.Therefore,itisonlyaffordablebymajor companieslikeAppleand
Samsung.However,SMEscan useSoCsdevelopedbythesecompaniesthatarebest
suitedtotheir needs.
2.Although SoCmakesthetaskof thedeveloper easier bytakingcareof all the
applicationsinsidethechip,thereisstill aneedtobeawareof thedetailedfunctionality
of thechip,itspin configuration,thermal propertiesfor soldering,andpadstructure.An
SoM,on theother hand,makesyou completelyindependentof thesetasksasit’sjusta
plug-and-playsortof device.
3.SoMsalsooffer greater flexibilityasadeveloper can usemultipleSoMswith different
SoCson thesamebaseboard.Thiswayanyapplication can betestedon different
architecturesjustbyswappingtheSoMs.
4.SoMsoffer interchangeabilityin design asthecomponentsfrom theSoMcan beeasily
interchangedwhenever anewer improvedversion of thecomponentisavailablewith
thesameform factor.Therewill benoneedtomakeanychangestotherestof the
circuitor tochangeitcompletely.However,in thecaseof SoC,thereisonlyonewayto
upgrade,andthatistoreplacethechip.
5.SoMscan berecycledbyusingtheolder SoMboardsin cheaper designs.
6.ThesameSoMcan beusedin thefinal productusedduringthedevelopmentand
testingphasewithoutanylossof reliability.
7.SoMperformswell in termsof performanceefficiency,power consumption,speed,
reliability,andscalability.
In anutshell,duetoasignificantrisein demandfor embeddedelectronicdevicesin AI,
industrial IoT,andsmartcities,thereisastrongneedfor attributessuch asefficientusageof
power with high performanceandplugn’ playfeatures.System on Module,SoMappearstobe
agoodchoiceof devicetomeetsuch needs.
MuhammadUmair wrotetheArticlefrom OxelTech (https://oxeltech.de/).If you arefacing
anyproblemsin dealingwith problemsregardingtheSystem on Chip
(https://oxeltech.de/en/hardware-design-and-simulation/)in your design,you aremost
welcometogetin touch.
Team Oxeltech
Oxeltech

11. 2/24/23, 1:09 PM SoC vs SoM (System on Chip vs System on Module)
https://oxeltech.de/en/system-on-chip-soc-vs-system-on-module-som/ 11/19
 December 23, 2022(https://oxeltech.de/en/2022/12/23/)
Did You Enjoy This Article?
Join Oxeltech community and getupdated every weekWe have alotmore justforyou!
Letsjoin usnow
Email
Subscribe Now
 No charge  Unsubscribe anytime
Leave A Reply
Your email addresswill notbepublished.Requiredfieldsaremarked*
Comment*
Name*
Email *
Recent Post
How To Write A Driver For Accelerometer LIS3DSH In
Zephyr? (Https://Oxeltech.De/En/How-To-Write-A-
Driver-For-Accelerometer-Lis3dsh-In-Zephyr/)
January 16, 2023
SoC Vs SoM : System On Chip Vs System On Module
(Https://Oxeltech.De/En/System-On-Chip-Soc-Vs-
System-On-Module-Som/)
December 23, 2022
ESD Best Practices (Https://Oxeltech.De/En/Esd-
Best-Practices/)
December 6, 2022
(https://oxeltech.de/en/how-
to-write-a-driver-for-
accelerometer-lis3dsh-
in-zephyr/)
(https://oxeltech.de/en/system-
on-chip-soc-vs-
system-on-module-
som/)
Oxeltech

12. 2/24/23, 1:09 PM SoC vs SoM (System on Chip vs System on Module)
https://oxeltech.de/en/system-on-chip-soc-vs-system-on-module-som/ 12/19
Website
Savemyname,email,andwebsitein thisbrowser for thenexttimeI comment.
PostComment
How To Choose Between Microcontroller And FPGA
For Your Embedded Application?
(Https://Oxeltech.De/En/Fpga-Vs-Microcontroller/)
December 6, 2022
Hold-Up Capacitor: Calculations And Uses
(Https://Oxeltech.De/En/Hold-Up-Capacitor-
Calculations-And-Use/)
November 6, 2022
MTBF: Concept And Application
(Https://Oxeltech.De/En/Mtbf-Concept-And-
Application/)
October 6, 2022
All About LiDAR Technology – Complete Guide
(Https://Oxeltech.De/En/Lidar-Technology/)
September 6, 2022
(https://oxeltech.de/en/esd-
best-practices/)
(https://oxeltech.de/en/fpga-
vs-microcontroller/)
(https://oxeltech.de/en/hold-
up-capacitor-
calculations-and-use/)
(https://oxeltech.de/en/mtbf-
concept-and-
application/)
Oxeltech

13. 2/24/23, 1:09 PM SoC vs SoM (System on Chip vs System on Module)
https://oxeltech.de/en/system-on-chip-soc-vs-system-on-module-som/ 13/19
How To Choose The Right Flash Memory For Your
Embedded Application. (Https://Oxeltech.De/En/Flash-
Memory-In-Embedded-System/)
August 6, 2022
Altium’s PCB Designer Tools Guide
(Https://Oxeltech.De/En/Altium-Pcb-Designer-Tools-
Guide/)
July 6, 2022
Altiums Amazing Features – Project Management
Tools (Https://Oxeltech.De/En/Altium-Project-
Management/)
June6, 2022
Ceramic Capacitors – Which Aspects To Consider
When Using Them In Your Design?
(Https://Oxeltech.De/En/Ceramic-Capacitor-Uses/)
May 8, 2022
(https://oxeltech.de/en/flash-
memory-in-embedded-
system/)
(https://oxeltech.de/en/altium-
pcb-designer-tools-
guide/)
(https://oxeltech.de/en/altium-
project-management/)
(https://oxeltech.de/en/ceramic-
capacitor-uses/)
Oxeltech

14. 2/24/23, 1:09 PM SoC vs SoM (System on Chip vs System on Module)
https://oxeltech.de/en/system-on-chip-soc-vs-system-on-module-som/ 14/19
How To Control DC Servo Motors?
(Https://Oxeltech.De/En/Dc-Servo-Motor-Controller/)
April 21, 2022
Your Ultimate Guide To Designing Analog Filters
(Https://Oxeltech.De/En/Analog-Filters-Design-
Guide/)
April 9, 2022
Consumer Electronics, Industrial Electronics And
Industrial Standards
(Https://Oxeltech.De/En/Consumer-And-Industrial-
Electronics-Standards/)
April 1, 2022
Design Guide On USB-C PD Charge-Through Feature
With Data Role Swap (Https://Oxeltech.De/En/Usb-C-
Design-Guide/)
March23, 2022
(https://oxeltech.de/en/dc-
servo-motor-
controller/)
(https://oxeltech.de/en/analog-
filters-design-guide/)
(https://oxeltech.de/en/consumer-
and-industrial-
electronics-standards/)
(https://oxeltech.de/en/usb-
c-design-guide/)
Oxeltech

15. 2/24/23, 1:09 PM SoC vs SoM (System on Chip vs System on Module)
https://oxeltech.de/en/system-on-chip-soc-vs-system-on-module-som/ 15/19
Altium’s Team Collaboration Features In PCB Design
(Https://Oxeltech.De/En/Altium-365-Team-
Collaboration/)
March6, 2022
Using Zephyr OS For Interfacing An IMU Sensor With
NRF52 Over SPI (Https://Oxeltech.De/En/Using-
Zephyr-Os-For-Interfacing-An-Imu-Sensor-With-
Nrf52-Over-Spi/)
July 25, 2021
Use Of Grounding Techniques In PCB Design To
Prevent Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)
(Https://Oxeltech.De/En/Pcb-Grounding-Techniques/)
June29, 2021
PCB Design Guidelines For Reduced Electromagnetic
Interference (EMI) (Https://Oxeltech.De/En/Reduce-
Emi-In-Pcb-Layout/)
May 5, 2021
(https://oxeltech.de/en/altium-
365-team-
collaboration/)
(https://oxeltech.de/en/using-
zephyr-os-for-
interfacing-an-imu-
sensor-with-nrf52-
over-spi/)
(https://oxeltech.de/en/pcb-
grounding-
techniques/)
Oxeltech

16. 2/24/23, 1:09 PM SoC vs SoM (System on Chip vs System on Module)
https://oxeltech.de/en/system-on-chip-soc-vs-system-on-module-som/ 16/19
EMC Vs EMI – Compatibility, Principles & Mechanism
Comparisons (Https://Oxeltech.De/En/Emc-And-Emi/)
April 18, 2021
(https://oxeltech.de/en/reduce-
(https://oxeltech.de/en/emc-
and-emi/)
Continue Reading
How To Write A Driver For Accelerometer LIS3DSH In Zephyr?
(Https://Oxeltech.De/En/How-To-Write-A-Driver-For-
Accelerometer-Lis3dsh-In-Zephyr/)
(https://oxeltech.de/en/how-to-write-a-driver-for-accelerometer-lis3dsh-in-zephyr/)
Oxeltech

17. 2/24/23, 1:09 PM SoC vs SoM (System on Chip vs System on Module)
https://oxeltech.de/en/system-on-chip-soc-vs-system-on-module-som/ 17/19
Team Oxeltech• January 16, 2023
In our previousZephyr blog,welookedathowtointerfaceasimpleIMU–Accelerometer
sensor with Zephyr RTOS runningon NRF52832.Knowinghow
Read More (Https://Oxeltech.De/En/How-To-Write-A-Driver-For-Accelerometer-Lis3dsh-In-
Zephyr/)
SoC Vs SoM : System On Chip Vs System On Module
(Https://Oxeltech.De/En/System-On-Chip-Soc-Vs-System-On-
Module-Som/)
Team Oxeltech• December 23, 2022
WhatisSystem on Chip,SoC?ASystem on Chipor SoCisakeycomponentin Embedded
Systemstoday.An SoCreferstoa
Read More (Https://Oxeltech.De/En/System-On-Chip-Soc-Vs-System-On-Module-Som/)
(https://oxeltech.de/en/system-on-chip-soc-vs-system-on-module-som/)
Would You Like Some Info?
Name
Oxeltech

18. 2/24/23, 1:09 PM SoC vs SoM (System on Chip vs System on Module)
https://oxeltech.de/en/system-on-chip-soc-vs-system-on-module-som/ 18/19
Let's Discuss
Contact Us for any Queries
(mailto:info@oxeltech.de)
info@oxeltech.de
(mailto:info@oxeltech.de)

(tel:+4917664738476)
+49176 64738476 (Tel:+4917664738476)

(http
s://w
ww.li
nkedi
n.co
m/co
mpan
y/oxe
ltech
/)

HardwareDesign&Simulation(https://oxeltech.de/en/hardware-design-simulation/)
PCB Layout &Assembly(https://oxeltech.de/en/pcb-layout-assembly/)
FirmwareDevelopment(https://oxeltech.de/en/firmware-development/)
Imprint(https://oxeltech.de/en/imprint/)
Contact Us(https://oxeltech.de/en/contact-us/)
Blog(https://oxeltech.de/en/blog/)
Member Of IHK (Https://Www.Ihk.De/)
Name
Email
Email
Message
Message
Send
Oxeltech

19. 2/24/23, 1:09 PM SoC vs SoM (System on Chip vs System on Module)
https://oxeltech.de/en/system-on-chip-soc-vs-system-on-module-som/ 19/19
Oxeltech