Xilinx has launched the Versal AI Edge family of products, which have 4 times the AI power performance and 10 times the computing density compared to the previous generation of adaptive SoCs, enabling AI innovation from the edge to the terminal. Considered the world's most scalable and adaptable next-generation distributed intelligent system portfolio.
This family of ACAPs provides intelligence for a wide range of applications including autonomous driving with the highest level of functional safety, collaborative robotics, predictive factories and healthcare systems, as well as multi-mission payloads for the aerospace and defense markets. Compared to the previous AI Engine architecture, this portfolio offers AI Engine-ml to achieve 4X machine learning computations. It combines new accelerator RAM and enhanced memory hierarchy to evolve AI algorithms. These architectural innovations deliver 4x the AI performance per watt and lower latency compared to GPUs, delivering a more powerful device at the edge.
Compared to Zynq UltraScale+ MPsoc, these devices are capable of delivering 10 times the computing density for a more intelligent autonomous system. Ai automation systems require high computational density to accelerate the entire application from sensors to AI to real-time control. In addition, these devices support a variety of safety standards across the industrial (IEC 61508), avionics (DO-254/178) and automotive (ISO 26262) markets, where suppliers can meet ASIL C random hardware integrity and ASIL D system integrity levels.
Sumit Shah, Senior director of Product management and marketing at Xilinx:"Edge computing applications require an architecture that can combine flexible computing processing under strict thermal and latency constraints to address new needs and scenarios." "The Versal AI Edge family provides these for a wide range of applications requiring greater intelligence. key attributes that make it a key addition to Versal’s product portfolio, from intelligent edge sensors to CPU accelerators.”
Dan Mandell, senior analyst for Internet of Things and embedded technology at VDC Research said:"Opportunities in the fringe market are growing exponentially, and THE NUMBER of AI chipsets serving these unique applications is expected to more than double from 2021 to 2025." Xilinx's Versal AI Edge series is a compelling solution to these critical market issues."
The family is the latest addition to the Versal ACAP family, which is a fully software-programmable adaptive SOC with performance and flexibility that far exceeds traditional cpus, Gpus and FPGas. Acap can be changed at both the hardware and software levels to dynamically adapt to the needs of a wide range of applications and workloads, from edge to cloud.
