Industry Expert Blogs

Artificial intelligence is rapidly expanding its reach into embedded systems and edge devices, driving the need for specialized processors that can efficiently handle complex AI workloads. While Neural Processing Units (NPUs) excel at accelerating neural network computations, the increasing demands of agentic and physical AI networks require a more comprehensive approach. This is where the Cadence Tensilica NeuroEdge 130 AI Co-Processor (AICP) comes in, designed to complement any NPU and enable end-to-end execution of these advanced AI applications.

The NeuroEdge 130 AICP is a new class of processor built on the proven architecture of the Tensilica Vision DSP family with 30% lower area and 20% lower power and energy compared to the Vision DSPs. It is specifically engineered to handle the crucial pre-processing tasks for AI workloads, freeing up the NPU to focus on its core strengths in neural network inference. This heterogeneous processing approach leverages the strengths of both processor types, leading to optimized performance and efficiency in embedded AI systems.