Single Board Computers (SBC) are standalone, commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) computer boards with the processor, chipset(s), I/O ports or pin-headers and power input built into the board, allowing the SBC to work independently with the addition of selected memory modules and hard drive. SBCs come in different industries conforming to form factors and are smaller than desktop motherboards.

Palm-sized SBCs have greater flexibility, both for fixed or mobile embedded applications, but may be limited by performance and features due to its smaller board real-estate and product design thermal guidelines. Production complexity is also greater with specially selected components and increased layers of PCB. On the other hand, larger SBCs offer higher performance and richer features and is often used in larger plugged-in devices.