congatec conga-TC300 - Edge AI Now Available for Cost-Sensitive Embedded Designs
A Practical Upgrade Path for Low-Power Embedded Systems
A large installed base of embedded systems runs on Intel Atom or Celeron platforms. These designs are reliable and cost-efficient - but they were built before dedicated AI acceleration became a practical requirement for edge applications.
Engineers now face a clear challenge: how to introduce genuine AI processing capability into existing, space- and power-constrained designs without a complete platform overhaul.
The congatec conga-TC300 addresses this directly. Based on Intel® Core™ Series 3 processors (codename: Wildcat Lake) in the COM Express Compact form factor, it brings a dedicated NPU and integrated GPU acceleration into the low-power embedded segment for the first time – while remaining pin-compatible with existing COM Express Type 6 carrier board designs.
Up to 41 TOPS Within a 15 W Base TDP
The Intel® Core™ Series 3 architecture draws AI performance from three acceleration sources simultaneously. The CPU cores, built on the Intel 18A process, contribute up to 5 TOPS across two Performance cores and four Low Power Efficient cores. A dedicated NPU adds up to 18 TOPS for sustained, energy-efficient AI inference workloads. Up to two integrated Xe³ GPU cores contribute a further 18 TOPS for GPGPU-accelerated tasks such as image processing and computer vision.
The combined total reaches up to 41 TOPS - all within a scalable TDP range of 12 to 28 W, with a 15 W base TDP. This makes the conga-TC300 well suited for fanless or thermally constrained enclosures where power budgets are fixed.
Comprehensive Connectivity for Demanding Edge Applications
The module is equipped with broad I/O to support a wide variety of system architectures and peripherals:
- Memory: up to 64 GB DDR at 6400 MT/s, with optional in-band ECC (IBECC) for error-sensitive applications
- Onboard storage: up to 512 GB UFS 3.1 as an optional configuration
- Networking: 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet with optional Time-Coordinated Computing (TCC) and Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) for deterministic communication
- PCIe: up to 8 freely configurable lanes for direct connection of Ethernet controllers, fieldbus adapters, or wireless modules - without requiring an additional PCIe switch on the carrier board
- Display: up to 2× DDI ports, 1× LVDS, or 1× eDP for flexible display integration
- USB: up to 2× USB4, 4× USB 3.2, and 4× USB 2.0
- Additional interfaces: 2× SATA, 2× UART, GPIO, GP SPI, eSPI, SM Bus, HDA, and I2C
- Security: TPM 2.0, Board Management Controller, and multi-stage watchdog timer
Designed for Cost-Sensitive AI Applications Across Multiple Industries
The conga-TC300 is aimed at applications where AI capability is now required but high-end processing power would be over-specified and cost-prohibitive. Typical use cases include autonomous guided vehicles and mobile robots, intelligent machine controls and HMI systems, patient data monitoring in medical technology, surveillance and access control, as well as retail checkout and point-of-sale terminals.
At the edge, the module enables local voice and gesture control, AI-assisted object recognition, and LLM-based dialogue functions - all without cloud dependency, keeping latency low and data local.
Software Ecosystem and Long-Term OS Support
The conga-TC300 supports Windows 11, Windows 11 IoT Enterprise, and Linux. As an aReady.COM, it can be delivered pre-configured with licensed ctrlX OS, Ubuntu Pro, or KontronOS, reducing software integration effort from the start.
The aReady.VT virtualization option consolidates multiple workloads - real-time control, HMI, AI inference, and IoT gateway functions - onto a single module using the integrated conga-zones hypervisor. For IIoT connectivity, the aReady.IOT software stack with conga-connect handles data exchange, remote maintenance, and cloud connectivity where needed.
congatec’s supporting ecosystem includes evaluation and application carrier boards, cooling solutions, signal integrity documentation, and design-in services. The aReady.YOURS customization service allows OEMs to obtain near-turnkey embedded computing platforms with application-specific hardware and software integration.
Ten-Year Availability for Long-Lifecycle Programs
The conga-TC300 is planned with up to ten years of product availability - an essential requirement for industrial, medical, and infrastructure projects with extended deployment lifecycles. For teams migrating from Atom or Celeron-based platforms, the COM Express Compact form factor offers a direct upgrade path that minimizes carrier board redesign effort and accelerates time to market.
FORTEC Switzerland supports your project throughout the full development cycle - from initial module evaluation to series production. Our team provides guidance on module selection, thermal design, carrier board integration, and operating system configuration, helping to reduce development risk and shorten time to market.