Congatec introduces Intel’s Alder Lake processors in COMs
A total of 10 COM-HPC and COM Express computer on modules (COMs), featuring the 12th Generation Intel Core mobile and desktop processors (formerly code named Alder Lake) have been introduced by congatec.
The modules are in COM-HPC Size A and C as well as COM Express Type 6 form factors and are intended for embedded and edge computing systems. One of the significant features, says congatec, is that engineers can now leverage Intel’s innovative performance hybrid architecture. Offering up to 14 cores / 20 threads on BGA and 16 cores / 24 threads on desktop variants (LGA mounted), the 12th Gen Intel Core processors provide “a quantum leap in multi-tasking and scalability levels” says the company. IoT and edge applications will benefit from up to six or eight optimised Performance-cores (P-cores), depending on whether BGA or LGA versions. There are also up to eight low power Efficient-cores (E-cores) and DDR5 memory support to accelerate multi-threaded applications and execute background tasks more efficiently.
Mobile BGA processors with up to 96 execution units of the integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU have been estimated to deliver improvements of up to 129 per cent in graphics performance, reports congatec. This delivers an immersive user experience and can also process parallelised workloads faster, for example AI algorithms, when compared to the 11th Gen Intel Core processors.
For embedded client performance, the graphics of the LGA processor-based modules deliver up to 94 per cent faster performance and its image classification inference performance has up to 181 per cent higher throughput, than the earlier models. They also offer a wide bandwidth to connect discrete GPUs for maximum graphics and general purpose GPU-based AI performance. They and all other peripherals have double the lane speed of BGA versions courtesy of PCIe 5.0 interface technology in addition to PCIe 4.0 from the processor. Desktop chipsets provide up to eight PCIe 3.0 lanes for additional connectivity. Mobile BGA variants also offer up to 16 PCIe 4.0 lanes from the CPU and up to eight PCIe 3.0 lanes from the chipset.
Target industrial markets include edge computers and IoT gateways incorporating multiple virtual machines for smart factories and process automation, AI based quality inspection and industrial vision, real-time collaborative robotics, and autonomous logistics vehicles for warehouses and shipping. Typical outdoor applications include autonomous vehicles and mobile machines, video security and gateway applications in transportation and smart cities, as well as 5G cloudlets and edge devices requiring AI supported packet inspection.
The COM-HPC Client and COM Express Type 6 modules have dedicated AI engines supporting Windows ML, Intel Distribution of OpenVINO toolkit and Chrome Cross ML. The AI workloads can be delegated to the P-cores, E-cores and the GPU execution units to process intensive edge AI workloads. The Intel Deep Learning technology leverages different cores via vector neural network instructions (VNNI) and the integrated graphics supports AI accelerated DP4a GPU instructions that can be scaled to dedicated GPUs.
Intel’s lowest power built-in AI accelerator, the Intel Gaussian and Neural Accelerator 3.0 (Intel GNA 3.0), enables dynamic noise suppression and speech recognition and can even run while the processor is in low power states for wake-up voice commands.
There is also support for Real-Time Systems’ hypervisor technology as well as OS support for Real-Time Linux and Wind River VxWorks.
All modules have comprehensive board support packages for leading RTOS, including hypervisor support from Real-Time Systems as well as Linux, Windows and Android.
