InsideDSP — In-depth analysis and opinion

The CEVA-XM6 Vision Processor Core Boosts Performance for Embedded Deep Learning Applications

Hard on the heels of the public release of CEVA's second-generation convolutional neural network toolset, CDNN2, the company is putting the final touches on its fifth-generation processor core, the CEVA-XM6, designed to run software generated by that toolset. Liran Bar, the company's Director of Product Marketing, acknowledged in a recent briefing that the new core represents an evolutionary step, versus revolutionary break, from its predecessors: the CEVA-MM3101 (introduced in 2012) and the Read more...

Jeff Bier’s Impulse Response—Putting the Reality in Augmented and Virtual Reality

Based on the pace of investment and acquisitions, and the level of buzz (some would say "hype") surrounding augmented reality and virtual reality, it is obvious that these technologies are hot. With good reason, I think. Augmented and virtual reality have long held enormous promise, but the challenge of making them work robustly – along with the cost, size and power consumption of the necessary hardware – have severely limited their use. In the past few years, though, what had been steady Read more...

Case Study: Good Decisions Require Good Information

The world of high tech abounds with cautionary tales of decisions based on inadequate information. With 20/20 hindsight, it's easy to see where wrong decisions were made, but when you're in the thick of it, you often fail to see the forest for the trees. Careful technology decision-makers have long relied on BDTI to provide them with the key insights they need to make tough decisions. In addition to benchmarks and in-depth technical analysis, BDTI has been tracking and analyzing business, Read more...

Next-generation Cadence Tensilica Fusion DSP Core Expands Capabilities, Aspirations

The general trend of recent times is toward developing DSPs that are specialized for particular "killer" applications, such as wireless or embedded vision. Many other applications also need DSPs, however, and Cadence's Tensilica Fusion DSP core family, which complements the company's more application-specific DSPs, is one example of an architecture that aspires to serve a broader range of general applications. When Cadence introduced the first Fusion family member (now referred to as the Fusion Read more...

CEVA Second-generation Deep Learning Toolset Supports Additional Frameworks and Topologies

Last year, when CEVA introduced the initial iteration of its CDNN (CEVA Deep Neural Network) toolset, company officials expressed an aspiration for CDNN to eventually support multiple popular deep learning frameworks. At the time, however, CDNN launched with support only for the well-known Caffe framework, and only for a subset of possible layers and topologies based on it. The recently released second-generation CDNN2 makes notable advancements in all of these areas, including both more fully Read more...

Jeff Bier’s Impulse Response—Going Deep: Why Depth Sensing Will Proliferate

If you’ve read recent editions of this column, you know that I believe that embedded vision – enabling devices to understand the world visually – will be a game-changer for many industries.  For humans, vision enables many diverse capabilities: reading your spouse’s facial expression, navigating your car through a parking garage, or threading a needle.  Similarly, embedded vision is now enabling all sorts of devices (from vacuum cleaning robots to cars) to be more autonomous, easier to use, Read more...

Case Study: How to Implement Deep Learning for Vision on Embedded Processors

We're hearing more and more about the effectiveness of deep learning for a growing range of applications. With the surge in the volume of data available for training, and reduction in the cost of computing, technologists have turned to deep neural networks for solutions to compute-intensive applications such as speech and image recognition, 3D object recognition, and natural language processing. Particularly where the virtually unlimited processing power and memory of cloud and enterprise Read more...

New Synopsys Processor Core Targets Traditional- and Deep Learning-based Embedded Vision

In early 2015, Synopsys' DesignWare EV5x processor core family achieved notable attention for its unique co-processor engine focused on CNNs (convolutional neural networks) for object recognition and other vision functions. The company's new EV6x processor core family includes an upgraded CNN engine that delivers substantial performance gains over its predecessor while – in a nod to customers preferring to leverage "classical" computer vision algorithms – decoupling it from the remainder of the Read more...

HSA Foundation Aims for Broader Adoption of Coherent Memory Standard for Heterogeneous Processors

Modern SoCs increasingly contain a variety of processing resources: one or more CPU cores and a GPU, often with a DSP, programmable logic, or one or multiple special-purpose co-processors for tasks such as computer vision. Properly harnessed, such heterogeneous processors often deliver impressive performance at low cost and low power consumption. But mapping applications onto heterogeneous processors is challenging. OpenCL, a specification standard language and runtime from the Khronos Group, Read more...

Jeff Bier’s Impulse Response—The Internet of Insights

The Internet of Things is an interesting phenomenon.  Most people involved in technology seem to believe that the IoT growing fast, and that it represents a big opportunity.  But most people also find it difficult to say exactly what the Internet of Things actually is, and how, ultimately, it will deliver substantial value for consumers, businesses and other organizations. I believe that the value of the Internet of Things is that it’s a way to tap into vast amounts of data from the physical Read more...