By Claus Hetting, WiFi NOW CEO & Chairman
It is not often that major chipset vendors introduce an entirely new class of AI-enabled connectivity platforms but Qualcomm did exactly that only two weeks ago with its new Dragonwing Mobile Broadband Multimedia (MBM) family of silicon solutions. Dragonwing MBM combines 5G and Wi-Fi connectivity with multimedia processing and – in the case of the MBM7 Series – AI on the device. The new solutions are designed to enable a new generation of interactive broadband devices, Qualcomm says.
Phones and APs steal most of the limelight when it comes to the latest in connectivity technology – but plenty of other device types are as much in need of upgraded connectivity and AI processing. With the launch of its Dragonwing MBM family at the end of May, Qualcomm is now targeting a broader class of connected devices by introducing a new category of edge-computing platforms. Extending the company’s Dragonwing MBB and FWA portfolio, the MBM family integrates advanced wireless connectivity, display support, camera processing, graphics, and on-device AI into a single silicon solution.
The two new solutions – the MBM7 and MBM4 Series – are designed to power devices such as 5G FWA CPEs, mobile hotspots, home connectivity hubs, and 5G connected desk phones. With on-device AI capabilities, Qualcomm says the platforms could inspire a new class of unique interactive products.
“With integrated AI and multimedia support, the MBM7 Series could – for example – power handheld language translators. On-device translation means stronger privacy and security. And this is likely only the beginning – many more use cases are expected to emerge,” says Preethika Adyanthaya, Senior Director of Product Management at Qualcomm.
The MBM715 supports 5G, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 6.0 connectivity while also featuring an integrated accelerator for generative AI. The MBM415 connects with 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3. In both cases the platforms are designed to create “immersive visual experiences centred around how users watch, create, collaborate and interact,” Preethika Adyanthaya says.
The solutions support flexible memory configurations as well as Android and Linux software, allowing device makers to tailor performance, power efficiency, and design to specific user needs and usage models, Qualcomm says. More information on the new Dragonwing MBM family can be found here.
To benefit from the MBM7 Series AI capabilities, device developers can apply Qualcomm’s library of machine learning (ML) resources known as AI Hub. The library includes pre-optimized ML models covering vision, speech, audio, and text applications, validated on Qualcomm chipsets, Qualcomm says. Developers can also customise sample application code for deployment on the device or optimise a custom trained model. More details on how to develop with the Qualcomm AI Hub can be found here.
/Claus.
