A type of motherboard that has no I/O built on it. It has the CPU and chipset built-in, as well as other basic functionality including RAM slots. It has an interface built on it which is intended to plug into a carrier board. The interface varies from form factor to form factor. Edge connectors are one of the most common interfaces. The benefits of using a computer on module come from a design perspective. If you need a custom motherboard for whatever reason, whether it be size, shape or functionality, it is much easier to design a carrier board, than it is to design a complete motherboard. This is because a carrier board does not contain the processor or chipset. Additionally, since the carrier board has a built in standard interface for the computer on module, you can use several different compatible modules on one carrier board. In this way, it is easy to create a scalable solution. You can plug in higher or lower power modules, depending on the application.