Scalable AI SMARC SoM Solution for HMI & Embedded Vision Systems

Reference Design with SMARC 2.0 Form Factor Offers Choice of Three RZ/G2 MPUs for Scalable Performance in AI IoT Face/Object Detection & Image Processing Applications

Renesas Electronics Corporation introduces a scalable System-on-Module (SoM) Smart Mobility ARChitecture (SMARC) Winning Combination board solution for accelerating Time to Market of HMI and Embedded Vision Systems. It is comprised of 10 Renesas ICs, including microprocessor (MPU), power and analog ICs. The board solution speeds the development of artificial intelligence (AI) IoT face/object detection, image processing, and 4K video playback applications, including surveillance cameras, inspection equipment, and a range of industrial and building automation HMI and embedded vision systems.

The Renesas scalable SoM winning combo board is based on the SMARC 2.0 industry standard, which specifies an 82mm x 80mm form factor. The SMARC SoM board offers designers a choice of three different scalable versions of the Renesas 64-bit RZ/G2 MPU: a RZ/G2N dual core Arm Cortex-A57 MPU operating at 1.5 GHz for mid-range performance; the RZ/G2M MPU with dual-core Arm Cortex-A57 and quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 (1.2 GHz) for high performance; and the RZ/G2H MPU with quad-core Arm Cortex-A57 and quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 for ultra-high performance. All three MPUs (two cores up to eight cores) feature integrated 600 MHz PowerVR 3D graphics and a 4K UHD H.265 and H.264 codecs to satisfy the needs of different computer processing requirements.

“AI and video processing blend well together in embedded vision systems. The SMARC 2.0 winning combo reference design offers multiple processors from the Renesas RZ/G2 Family, making it an excellent AI development platform for accelerating time to market with reduced customer risk,” said DK Singh, Director, Systems and Solutions Team at Renesas. “Our scalable solution’s extensive on-board interfaces, large memory and programmable clocks for different needs makes it an excellent turnkey solution for a wide range of applications. And its industry leading RZ/G2 MPUs with 3D graphics engine and 4K UHD and full HD video codec provides higher performance per dollar than competing 64-bit MPUs and GPUs.”

The SMARC SoM winning combo board offers designers their choice of RZ/G2 MPU with up to 35.6K DMIPS performance, plus 2GB to 4GB LPDDR4 RAM memory, and 32GB eMMC. Each RZ/G2 MPU is capable of running edge video analytics and AI frameworks. The MPUs feature an integrated AI software library, comprehensive set of interfaces, error checking and correction (ECC) protection on both internal and external memories, Linux OS, and a Verified Linux Package (VLP) tested and maintained by Renesas. The solutions also feature Civil Infrastructure Platform (CIP) Super Long-Term Support (SLTS) kernel, and a Linux kernel bundled with a software development environment. Best of all, the SMARC SoM board provides an optimized power and programmable timing tree to assist the RZ/G2 MPU with a wide variety of applications.

Key Features of the SMARC 2.0 SoM Board
  • Supports dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) for wireless communication
  • Fast communication interfaces such as USB, SATA, LVDS, HDMI, CSI, I2S, PCIe, and Gigabit Ethernet are easily accessible through the SMARC 2.0 connector
  • Fast start up boot from QSPI or eMMC memory
  • Features ISL1208 low-power real time clock for calendar-based applications powered by a small 400nA battery, or supercapacitor during a power failure
  • Features P8330 power management IC (PMIC) for delivering power to multiple supply rails
  • Two clock sources supplied by Renesas small form factor VersaClock 3S programmable clocks with integrated 32.768kHz DCO powered by a single coin cell battery during a power failure
  • PCIe clock is generated with the Renesas 9FGV0641 supporting six 100 MHz differential clock outputs, with PCIe Gen 1-4 support
  • Easy connection to two external cameras and LCD panel with capacitive touch

The Scalable AI SMARC SoM Winning Combo Solution board was designed by Renesas and developed through a collaboration with RelySys Technologies.

Availability

The Scalable AI SMARC SoM Winning Combo Solution Board and design files are available from Renesas’ worldwide sales and global distribution partners.

The Scalable AI SMARC SoM board is also available for purchase from RelySys Technologies.