Advantech wins 2024 VDC Research Embeddy Hardware award

This is a size-L Open Standard Module (OSM) powered by the Qualcomm QSC6490 system-on-chip. This global industry award recognises the ROM-2860 as an innovative Edge AI product for embedded developers and system engineers in the IoT and Edge computing sectors.

At embedded world 2024, Advantech announced its strategic collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. to jointly transform the Edge computing landscape. Advantech plans to integrate Qualcomm Technologies’ solutions across its entire platform spectrum, including AI-on-Modules, AI Function Boards, and AI Edge Systems.

One of the first products stemming from this collaboration is the new ROM-2860, an ultra-compact 45 x 45mm OSM, which is a robust solder-on module that is standard in the embedded market. The QCS6490 system-on-chip, featured in the ROM-2860, delivers 12 TOPS of AI capability with embedded machine vision supporting dual-camera input and a native video codec. Furthermore, it achieves nearly 20% better performance than mid-tier x86 processors, coupled with an impressive 43-75% reduction in power consumption. The ROM-2860 outperforms traditional computer-on-modules and caters to diverse Edge AI applications in industrial automation, medical, robotics, and transportation applications.

Dan Mandell, Director, VDC Research, comments: “The launch of Advantech’s new ROM-2860 computing module is a significant milestone in the embedded industry. It marks Qualcomm’s full commitment to serving the embedded and Edge computing market while also advancing the rapidly emerging Open Standard Module (OSM) specification, which is helping fill the need for more standardised Arm-based computing modules alongside SMARC and others. A huge congratulations to the Advantech team on its new offering for embedded and Edge AI computing and its burgeoning collaborations with Qualcomm.”

The ROM-2860 enables users to leverage Qualcomm’s AI processing capabilities with minimal R&D effort, facilitated by the Advantech Edge AI SDK. This toolkit is designed to support leading AI platforms along with their inference SDKs. It seamlessly integrates the Qualcomm Neural Network (QNN)/Snapdragon Neural Processing Engine (SNPE) within its Benchmark Tool, allowing developers to dive straight into development for quick and insightful results. The verified Runtime SDK and integrated AI models from the Qualcomm AI Hub accelerate the initiation of AI application development projects.

The high-performance and ultra-compact ROM-2860 OSM is now available for sample purchase.