AI IP-byggeblok til brug i bl.a. ekstremt energieffektive sensor-applikationer

BrainChip har gennemført den første fysiske chipimplementering (tape-out) af firmaets AKD1500 chip ved brug af GlobalFoundries 22nm FD SOI procesteknologi.

BrainChip, the world's first commercial producer of ultra-low power, fully digital, event-based, neuromorphic AI IP, today announced that it has achieved tape out of its AKD1500 reference design on GlobalFoundries' 22nm fully depleted silicon-on-insulator (FD-SOI) technology. This milestone is part of validating BrainChip's IP across different processes and foundries, empowering partners with varied global manufacturing options.

The AKD1500 uses the latest features of BrainChip's extremely energy-efficient, event-based, AkidaT AI IP in combination with the GlobalFoundries' ultra-low leakage, proprietary FDXT process technology platform, to deliver an ideal solution for always-on, at-sensor applications or other low-power embedded applications in AIoT, industrial, consumer and
automotive markets.

In always-on, at-sensor use cases, Akida can completely offload feed-forward networks without the use of a CPU, which enables extremely energy efficient intelligent sensors. For other low-power embedded applications, the CPU solely performs sensor fusion processes or runs the application with Akida anaging all the AI acceleration to significantly minimize CPU workload and system load, freeing up the MCU for other general-purpose computation.

The AKD1500 is designed as an accelerator reference chip, using quad/octal SPI interfaces for MCU modules and PCIe for extensible cards, which assists partners in developing and demonstrating their solutions as a stepping stone to integrating the Akida IP into their production SoCs.

- This is an important validation milestone in the continuing innovation of our event-based, neuromorphic Akida IP, even if it is fully digital and portable across foundries. The AKD1500 reference chip using GlobalFoundries' very low-leakage FD SOI platform, showcases the possibilities for intelligent sensors in edge AI, says Anil Mankar, Co-Founder & Chief Development Officer at BrainChip.