What PC/104 Consortium does

PC/104 Consortium is an industry trade association founded in February 1992 by 12 companies to develop and maintain open hardware specifications for rugged, modular, stackable embedded computer form factors. The organization's flagship family is built around a compact 90 x 96 mm (3.6 x 3.8 inch) footprint with self-stacking bus architecture, pin-and-socket connectors replacing traditional edge-card connectors, and four-corner mounting holes for shock and vibration resistance. Over three decades the consortium has expanded its portfolio to nine specifications: PC/104 (ISA bus), PC/104-Plus (PCI + ISA), PCI-104 (PCI only), PCI/104-Express and PCIe/104 (PCI Express variants), EPIC and EPIC Express (mid-size SBC), and EBX and EBX Express (larger SBC), with the latest interconnect versions supporting PCIe Gen 3 x16 signals.

The consortium serves OEMs building embedded systems for defense, industrial automation, and utility applications — use cases characterized by high mechanical stress, harsh environments, and long product lifecycles. It operates a multi-vendor ecosystem model: the PC/104 specifications are made available at no charge to developers building embedded systems, while member companies manufacture and sell the actual processor boards, expansion cards, and I/O modules. Value proposition centers on time-to-market (off-the-shelf PC/104 modules reportedly cut 12 or more months from project development versus custom processor-board design) and on backward-compatible flexibility that allows OEMs to standardize on a common CPU platform while varying I/O across a product portfolio.

As of October 16, 2025, the organization rebranded to RMS Consortium, expanding its mandate from PC/104-only standards to a broader portfolio of Rugged, Modular, Stackable product specifications. Specific revenue mechanics, membership fee structures, headcount, and financial scale are not publicly disclosed in the available sources — consistent with a membership-driven standards body operating outside conventional commercial reporting.

Name

PC/104 Consortium

Legal name

PC/104 Consortium

Website

https://pc104.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Short description

PC/104 Consortium (now RMS Consortium as of October 2025) is an industry trade association that defines and maintains open hardware specifications for rugged, modular, stackable embedded computer form factors, serving OEMs in defense, industrial automation, and utility applications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Embedded Computing Standards

NAICS

Electronic Computer Manufacturing (334111), Printed Circuit Assembly (Electronic Assembly) Manufacturing (334418)

SIC

Electronic Computers (3571)

akta.pro primary industry

Embedded & Industrial Network Interfaces (PCIe/M.2/SOM/SoC NICs) (HDAFAEAI)

Keywords

• Embedded computing standards
• Rugged SBC form factor
• Stackable computer modules
• Industrial embedded systems
• PC/104 specifications

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

The PC/104 Consortium develops and maintains open hardware specifications for rugged, compact, stackable embedded computer form factors used by OEMs. Its portfolio includes nine specification standards (PC/104, PC/104-Plus, PCI-104, PCI/104-Express, PCIe/104, EPIC, EPIC Express, EBX, and EBX Express) covering ISA, PCI, and PCI Express interconnects in 90x96mm and larger footprints. Specifications are distributed at no charge to developers, with consortium operations funded through member companies, and the organization rebranded to RMS Consortium in October 2025 to broaden scope to additional rugged modular stackable standards.

Product overview

The PC/104 Consortium (now RMS Consortium as of October 2025) is an industry trade group that develops and maintains open hardware specifications for rugged, modular, stackable embedded computer form factors. The portfolio includes nine specification standards: PC/104 (original ISA bus), PC/104-*Plus* (adds PCI), PCI-104 (PCI-only), PCI/104-Express and PCIe/104 (PCI Express variants), EPIC and EPIC Express (mid-size SBC), and EBX and EBX Express (larger SBC). All specifications share compatible 90x96mm stacking architecture and are designed for high-reliability embedded applications in defense, industrial automation, and utility systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PC/104 Specification Original PC/104 specification defining compact 3.550 x 3.775 inch (90.17 x 95.89 mm) embedded computer modules with stacking ISA bus capability, featuring self-stacking architecture, pin-and-socket connectors, and four-corner mounting holes for shock and vibration resistance. Targeted at OEMs building rugged, compact embedded systems.
• PC/104-*Plus* Specification Enhanced PC/104 specification adding a high-speed 32-bit PCI bus to the original ISA bus format, achieving up to 132 Mbytes/sec data throughput (26x PC/104) while maintaining backward compatibility with legacy PC/104 modules. Targeted at OEMs needing higher bandwidth I/O expansion.
• PCI-104 Specification PCI-only architecture on the 104 form factor that removes the legacy AT/XT ISA bus connectors, allowing reduced component height and increased board space flexibility for modern PCI devices in rugged embedded applications. Targeted at OEMs requiring PCI-only expansion.
• PCI/104-Express Specification Specification supporting both PCI Express and legacy PCI buses in stackable modular embedded applications, with Type 1 featuring x16 PCIe link and Type 2 featuring SATA, USB 3.0, LPC, and RTC battery for expanded connectivity options. Targeted at OEMs needing mixed PCIe and PCI support.
• PCIe/104 Specification PCI Express-only form factor specification supporting PCI Express without the legacy PCI bus, featuring automatic link shifting for universal add-in card design and automatic link assignment across stack configurations. Targeted at OEMs requiring PCIe-only expansion up to Gen 3 x16.
• EPIC Specification Embedded Platform for Industrial Computing specification defining a mid-sized SBC platform (4.528 x 6.496 inches / 115.00 x 165.00 mm) larger than PC/104 but smaller than EBX, supporting larger processors with heat sinks and combining multiple features on a single board. Targeted at OEMs needing more board area than PC/104.
• EPIC Express Specification Enhanced EPIC specification incorporating PCI Express support and multiple I/O expansion options via PC/104, PC/104-Plus, PCI-104, PCIe/104, PCI/104-Express, USB, and Ethernet interfaces. Targeted at OEMs needing a mid-size SBC with modern PCIe I/O.
• EBX Specification Embedded Board eXpandable specification defining a 5.750 x 8.000 inch (146.05 x 203.20 mm) SBC form factor large enough for full embedded computer systems including CPU, memory, mass storage, display controller, and serial/parallel ports, with PC/104, PC/104-Plus, PCI-104, and PCMCIA expansion options. Targeted at OEMs needing a larger SBC footprint.
• EBX Express Specification Enhanced EBX specification with expanded I/O capabilities, building on the original EBX standard to unify the embedded computing industry on a small footprint embedded SBC standard combining standard footprint with open interfaces. Targeted at OEMs requiring a larger SBC with modern I/O.

Quantifiable outcome

• Time to market reduced by 12 months or more compared to custom processor board design

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• WinSystems: Long-standing manufacturer of PC/104 single board computers and embedded modules for rugged applications. Directly comparable as a founding-ecosystem vendor whose product line depends on the PC/104 standard.
• Advantech: Major industrial computing manufacturer that produces PC/104-compatible boards among its broad embedded portfolio. Comparable as a leading ecosystem participant whose product strategy validates the PC/104 standard.

Direct peers

• PICMG (PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group): Industry consortium that defines open embedded computing specifications including COM Express, which PC/104 Consortium explicitly cites as a competing/adjacent standard. Both organizations steward modular embedded form factors with multi-vendor ecosystems.
• VITA (VMEbus International Trade Association): Trade association that maintains open standards for VME, VPX, and other rugged embedded bus architectures. Comparable to PC/104 Consortium as a long-standing industry body governing rugged, modular embedded computing standards.
• SGET (Standardization Group for Embedded Technologies): Standards body governing SMARC, Qseven, and other embedded module specifications — directly comparable as a consortium defining open, modular embedded form factors adopted across rugged and industrial applications.
• SFF-SIG (Small Form Factor Special Interest Group): Special interest group that maintains small form factor specifications for embedded and industrial computing, paralleling PC/104 Consortium's role as a multi-vendor standards steward in the embedded ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Diamond Systems: Specialized embedded computing company producing PC/104 and EPIC form factor SBCs and I/O modules. Comparable as a niche vendor whose product roadmap is closely tied to consortium-driven specifications.
• VersaLogic: Embedded SBC manufacturer focused on rugged, industrial applications using PC/104 and related form factors. Comparable as a standards-aligned vendor serving the same defense/industrial OEM customer base.
• RTD Embedded Technologies: Manufacturer of PC/104 and PC/104-Plus CPU and I/O modules for harsh-environment applications. Comparable as a niche vendor whose business model is anchored to PC/104 Consortium specifications.

Others

• Raspberry Pi Foundation: Curated by PC/104 Consortium's own FAQ as a comparison point. Not a direct competitor in rugged embedded, but adjacent in the SBC market and a relevant benchmark for cost-driven embedded design trends.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pc-104-consortium

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about PC/104 Consortium