Ambarella, Inc. introduced the CV7 edge AI SoC

Ambarella, Inc. introduced the CV7 edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) vision system-on-chip at CES, combining simultaneous multi-stream video handling with on-device AI processing while maintaining low power consumption.

The company cited application examples that included advanced AI-based 8K consumer cameras such as action and 360-degree models, multi-imager enterprise security cameras, robotics including aerial drones, industrial automation and high-performance video conferencing devices, and also named multi-stream automotive uses such as AI vision gateways and hubs in fleet video telematics, 360-degree surround-view and passive driver assistance systems (ADAS).

The CV7 supported simultaneous processing of multiple video streams up to 8Kp60 and used a third-generation CVflow AI accelerator that delivered more than 2.5x AI performance over the CV5; Ambarella said the chip consumed 20% less power than its predecessor in part because it used Samsung’s 4nm process, the company’s first on that node.

Ambarella described the CV7 as a highly integrated SoC that combined its proprietary AI accelerator, image signal processor and video encoders with Arm cores, I/Os and other functions; hardware-accelerated encoding for H.264, H.265 and MJPEG provided 2x the encode throughput of the CV5, enabling a single 4Kp240 stream or dual 8Kp30 and supporting multiple concurrent 4Kp30 streams while running CNNs, transformer networks and vision-language models.

“Joining our wide portfolio of edge AI SoCs, with more than 39 million shipped to date, the CV7 enables consumer and enterprise security camera developers to deliver the most advanced imaging features and the highest edge AI performance, for improved video analytics and higher image quality in their next-generation products,” said Fermi Wang, President and CEO of Ambarella.

Ambarella said CV7 SoC samples were available and the company demonstrated the device at its invitation-only exhibition during CES.