1. Overview
As artificial intelligence (AI) technology continues to evolve across fields such as industrial automation, smart transportation, healthcare, and consumer electronics, traditional reliance on central processing units (CPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs) is increasingly falling short in terms of energy efficiency and real-time performance demands. To meet the growing needs for AI inference, Neural Processing Units (NPUs), specifically designed for neural network computations, have emerged as indispensable core components of the next generation of edge AI chips.
The core engine driving the application of edge AI chips, the NPU, is capable of operating with exceptional efficiency through an instruction set and hardware architecture specifically designed for deep learning computations, such as convolutional neural networks (CNN) and recurrent neural networks (RNN).Low power consumption enables high-performance inferenceAllow various terminal devices to independently perform AI tasks such as object detection, facial recognition, speech recognition, and natural language processing without relying on the cloud, which is known asEdge Computing。
Compared to GPUs, although GPUs possess powerful parallel processing capabilities and are well-suited for model training and development, especially in data centers or high-performance computing fields, they still have certain limitations in terms of energy efficiency and real-time performance. NPUs, on the other hand, are hardware-optimized for core processes required in AI inference, such as matrix operations, convolution operations, and nonlinear activation, not only...Significantly reduce power consumption while also shortening inference latency.It is particularly suitable for deployment in scenarios that require high responsiveness and energy efficiency, such as smartphones, edge servers, smart vehicles, smart healthcare, smart surveillance, industrial robots, and IoT devices.As edge AI applications continue to expand, NPUs will become a key driving force in advancing intelligent devices and systems.。
Source of text and images: Generative AI software
DeepX: The Trailblazer Leading the Wave of Intelligent Innovation
In the wave of edge computing,DeepXFor a newly established AI chip company in South Korea, it holds approximately over 240 intelligent patents.Patent[link] And won three awards in Embedded and Robotics at CES 2024.Innovation Award[link], computer integration, and other major awards. It was even recognized by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) as a 'must-visit company,' becoming a focal point in the global market. [link] 。
The DeepX DX-M1 NPU chip is making a strong debut, leveraging itsPowerful edge computing capabilities(25TOPS) and IQ8™ (Intelligent Quantization Integer 8) exclusive quantization technology, sufficientComparable to GPU-level accuracyIt breaks through the limitations of traditional integer operation solutions, enabling more precise AI inference scenarios. It also stands out with excellent performance in power consumption and temperature management.DeepX high-performance AI solutions in Low power consumption (5 TFLOPS/W) with an extremely low operating temperature of 39°CProvides 25 TOPS below With its outstanding performance, it has become the sole top choice for edge AI applications in smart surveillance, smart healthcare, and smart manufacturing.
Continuous software optimization and updates: Delivering the best user experience
DeepX not only boasts powerful hardware performance but also establishes a comprehensive and user-friendly software ecosystem that provides developers with all-around support. This ecosystem includes a detailed Quick Start Guide, a robust Software Development Kit (SDK), a rich Model Zoo, and a variety of sample applications. These resources effectively assist developers in quickly integrating and optimizing AI model operations, reducing development time, and enhancing application performance, making AI innovation easier to achieve.
Outstanding AI performance
Utilize DeepX DX-M1 chipRunning the currently most popular YOLOv5s (640x640) object detection algorithm can easily achieve approximately 330 frames per second.
2. DeepX DX-M1: The Trailblazer Leading the New Wave of AI Intelligence
Depth XFounded in 2018 by Lokwon Kim, who also serves as the CEO, the company is driven by the vision of creating industry-leading on-device AI chips, aiming to make AI accessible to everyone, regardless of their location. Through the development and design by DeepX, the company achieves low-power, high-performance, and cost-effective AI semiconductors, enabling all devices to become intelligent.LinkIts achievements have been recognized by major social media platforms and international organizations, and it has collaborated with numerous partners to create a new intelligent future, such as DFI.[Link], LG Electronics[Link]BIOSTAR[Link]Inventec[Link]and other well-known companies.
DX-M1It is the latest generation chip from DeepX.Featuring high computational power (1W / 5 TFLOPS), high precision, low power consumption, and low temperature.High cross-platform integration and other advantages, among whichIQ8™ (Intelligent Quantized Integer 8) quantization technology,While enjoying the ultimate efficiency of INT8 at the same time.FP32 precisionAchieve unparalleled AI accuracy[link]]. AndProvide a wide range of module resources, enabling a more comprehensive user experience through AI resource integration, thus launching DX-M1 M.2 AI Accelerator CardAs shown in the figure below, the accelerator card is equipped with 4G LPDDR5 memory, allowing users to seamlessly run modules on the DX-M1 chip. Additionally, it features a built-in Cortex M55@1GHz to assist in processing certain operators, while ensuring the privacy (Security) of the modules.
Specifications
Advantages Introduction
(1) Utilizing IQ8™ (Intelligent Quantization Integer 8) quantization technology, it achieves precision comparable to that of a GPU.
(2) Does not occupy system memory
(3) Features include high performance, high accuracy, low power consumption, and low temperature.Achieving 25 TOPS of AI performance requires only 4.5 W.
(4) Optimal data flow optimization, capable of minimizing data movement to the greatest extent.
(5) A wealth of software application resources capable of providing solutions required by the market.
Source of text and images: DeepX document
Software Framework
The DXNN system is composed of three core components: the Quantizer, the DX-COM Compiler, and the DX-RT Runtime. Together, they drive the DeepX AI SoC product series. These components work collaboratively to form an efficient artificial intelligence computing platform, providing robust support for various application scenarios. The following diagram illustrates its architecture:
Source of images and text: DeepX official website
The table below presents the accuracy analysis of the GPU and DX-M1, in whichGreen textIndicates that Full Precision represents the GPU.Blue textIndicates that IQ8 represents the DeepX NPU. (Actual data may vary with SDK versions)
DEMO Example
DeepX is dedicated to promoting the adoption of artificial intelligence technology by providing a variety of AI examples and educational resources. It guides developers step by step in mastering the implementation process of AI applications. Through these examples, developers can not only gain a deep understanding of the core technologies of artificial intelligence but also learn how to flexibly apply them to real-world scenarios, thereby accelerating innovation and the practical application of technology.
3. Conclusion![]()
How does DeepX use AI chips to transform the customer experience of edge artificial intelligence applications, thereby creating AI chips accessible to everyone:
1. Ultimate energy efficiency performance
The DeepX DX-M1 utilizes IQ8™ technology to deliver up to 25 TOPS of inference performance with only 4.5W of power consumption, significantly outperforming traditional GPUs. It is particularly well-suited for edge computing scenarios that require high performance and low power consumption.
2. Integer operations with near floating-point precision (high-precision INT8)
With IQ8™ intelligent quantization technology, the DX-M1 can achieve near FP32 floating-point precision in INT8 integer format, ensuring high accuracy in model inference without requiring additional model modifications or retraining.
3. A complete and developer-friendly ecosystem (Developer-Friendly Ecosystem)
Provide a comprehensive SDK, model resource library (Model Zoo), and various example applications to accelerate developer integration and deployment, reduce the learning curve, and quickly achieve product implementation.
4. Highly integrated module design (compact and integrated modules)
The DX-M1 M.2 AI accelerator card is equipped with 4GB of LPDDR5 memory and a Cortex-M55 coprocessor, offering large-capacity memory to support multiple AI model applications, making it easy to integrate into various terminal devices.
5. Optimize data flow architecture
Design hardware architecture for data streams to reduce data transfer costs, significantly improve inference speed, and enhance system response time.
Therefore, DeepX, with its innovative DX-M1 solution, is redefining the technological standards for edge artificial intelligence. From high performance, low power consumption, and high accuracy to comprehensive software support and modular integration design, DeepX is providing a solid foundation for the rapid adoption and implementation of edge AI. Its core technology not only addresses the bottlenecks of traditional GPUs and CPUs in terms of energy efficiency and real-time performance but also offers developers and enterprise users flexible, fast, and highly reliable AI solutions.
With the rapid development of artificial intelligence in fields such as retail, smart cities, healthcare, and Industry 4.0, DeepX is riding the wave of edge computing technology, continuously driving the realization of an intelligent world. Leveraging various development resources and example guides provided by the manufacturer, AI is no longer out of reach—innovative applications can be quickly implemented by following simple steps. If you are a new partner looking to try or purchase the DeepX DX-M1 product, please contact us immediately! Thank you!
4. Reference Documents
Video Introduction:
[1] Beyond imagination! DeepX's DX-M1 all-around high-performance demo presentation
News Introduction:
[2] DEEPX CEO Lokwon Kim: Creating AI chips accessible to everyone
[4]DEEPX wins three CES 2024 Innovation Awards with its leading AI chip technology.
Reference website:
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