New Product Launch: Axera Unveils Fourth-Generation Ultra HD Smart SoC
As smart cities prioritize network expansion, IPC (IP Camera) SoCs (System-on-chips) have emerged as the primary vision chips, impacting various performance aspects such as device imaging and video compression encoding. Major domestic chip manufacturers have introduced cutting-edge products, advancing IPC technology from “seeing” to “seeing clearly” and “understanding.” Recently, Axera, a company specializing in AI vision chips and foundational computing platforms, unveiled its latest IPC SoC products, AX630C and AX620Q, which have garnered significant attention for their top-notch image quality, smart processing, and analytical features.
Supportive of real-time black-light imaging, thanks to the latest Axera Zhimou AI-ISP 4.0 and Axera Tongyuan NPU 4.0
Benefiting from the widespread adoption of IP cameras, IPC SoCs, as one of the key components for smart city management, are considered the mainstream for future development. As IP cameras become increasingly high-resolution and intelligent, the IPC market has raised its standards for SoCs. Therefore, IPC SoCs with superior image quality, strong algorithm compatibility, and low power consumption are increasingly favored by the market.
Leveraging its self-developed Axera Zhimou AI-ISP and Axera Tongyuan NPU, Axera performs structured processing of video streams for intelligent analysis and handling. This enhances the energy efficiency of its chip products, which are now being shipped on a large scale for smart city applications.
Notably, the Axera Zhimou AI-ISP enhances critical modules within the ISP pipeline through AI, significantly improving imaging performance in various complex application scenarios. This provides high-quality image and video materials for subsequent intelligent processing. The Axera Tongyuan NPU improves overall efficiency by reducing data movement, thereby mitigating memory and power constraints. This allows for higher effective computing power to support more intelligent algorithms, even on edge and terminal devices with limited space and power budgets. Axera’s “black-light imaging” technology utilizes the Axera Zhimou AI-ISP to faithfully reproduce images, which are then optimized by the NPU for more accurate image processing. This results in full-color visibility in extremely dark environments, surpassing what the human eye can see.
Axera’s newly released AX630C and AX620Q chips come equipped with the next-generation Axera Zhimou AI-ISP 4.0 image processing engine and the Axera Tongyuan NPU 4.0 engine. These advancements set a new standard in the industry for high image quality, intelligent processing, and analysis. The Axera Zhimou AI-ISP 4.0 has upgraded algorithms for HDR, noise reduction, demosaicing, sharpening, and dehazing. These enhancements improve noise handling, color reproduction, motion blur, and clarity in low-light conditions, resulting in superior image quality.
Specifically, the AX630C is an ultra-HD smart SoC from Axera, designed for the front-end IPC market in the smart city sector, supporting 4K@30fps real-time black-light imaging. The AX620Q is a high-definition smart SoC targeting the module and channel front-end IPC market, supporting 5MP real-time and 4K non-real-time black-light imaging.
Rapid mass production enabled by lower power consumption and higher degree of integration
Besides supporting real-time black-light imaging, the AX630C and AX620Q integrate a 100M network PHY, audio codec, and RTC. This gives them marked advantages in image quality, computing power, performance, power consumption, and integration.
Specifically, the AX630C features high computing power with its dual-core A53@1.2GHz CPU, a 3.2 TOPS@INT8 NPU, and a hardened CV operator module. This allows for real-time intelligent processing of 4K images, enhancing the accuracy and performance of customers’ intelligent algorithms. Additionally, the AX630C’s latest NPU engine supports popular Transformer networks like ViT, DeiT, Swin, SwinV2, and DETR. This addresses the problem of reduced algorithm accuracy due to insufficient training data and enhances algorithm generalization in long-tail scenarios.
In terms of integration, the AX630C includes a 100M network PHY module, an audio codec, an RTC module, one USB 2.0 port, and two SDIO 2.0 interfaces, effectively reducing the Bill of Materials (BOM) cost for customers. Regarding power consumption, the AX630C leverages advanced technologies to keep typical power consumption below 1.5W, making it ideal for products with strict requirements on size and heat dissipation.
Compared to the AX630C, the AX620Q features a reduced NPU performance of 2.0 TOPS@INT8. However, with its integrated 256MB LPDDR4 memory, it offers better integration and lower power consumption. In terms of integration, the AX620Q also supports 16MB NOR Flash, allowing customers to further reduce board space and overall BOM cost. Regarding power consumption, the AX620Q optimizes overall system power usage, reducing the combined power consumption of the SoC and DRAM to below 500mW in certain typical scenarios. This enables customers to develop products for various low-power applications.
Additionally, the AX630C and AX620Q chips come with stable and user-friendly SDKs, supporting rapid mass production of customer products.
As technology continues to mature and application scenarios expand, the IPC SoC market is expected to maintain rapid growth, driving the upgrade of the smart city sector. Upholding the corporate mission of “AI for All, AI for a Better World,” Axera will promote the mass production and application of the AX630C and AX620Q chips. Through continuous efforts in technological innovation and product development, Axera aims to empower the ongoing intelligent transformation of urban environments.
