Synaptics® Incorporated has expanded its award-winning Astra™ AI-Native platform with the SR-Series high-performance adaptive microcontroller units (MCUs). Designed for scalable context-aware Edge AI, these MCUs optimize performance, efficiency, and ultra-low-power (ULP) always-on (AON) processing. Built on an Arm® Cortex®-M55 core with Arm Ethos™-U55 neural processing unit (NPU), the SR-Series supports multimodal workloads across consumer, enterprise, and industrial IoT applications. With the Astra™ Machina Micro development kit and an open-source SDK, developers gain seamless access to AI-driven vision, audio, and voice algorithms.
Features of the SR-Series MCUs
1. Three-Tier AI Processing for Scalable Intelligence
The SR-Series MCUs offer three distinct tiers of operation:
- Performance Mode (100 GOPS): High-speed AI inference for real-time edge processing.
- Efficiency Mode: Balanced AI processing with optimized power consumption.
- Ultra-Low-Power (ULP) Always-On Mode: Energy-efficient AI sensing for battery-operated devices.
2. Multimodal Processing for Smarter IoT Devices
- Optimized for vision, audio, and voice AI workloads.
- Supports streaming vision and audio processing.
- Includes MIPI-CSI camera input and passthrough for low-power image signal processing.
- Enables context-aware AI for security cameras, smart appliances, digital signage, and scanners.
3. Secure and Scalable Compute Architecture
- Arm Cortex-M55 core with Helium™ technology (up to 400 MHz).
- SR110: Includes Cortex-M4 core and Ethos-U55 NPU, available for sampling now.
- SR105: Features Ethos-U55 NPU for advanced AI workloads.
- SR102: Single Cortex-M55 core for low-power AI processing.
- Up to 4 MB of system memory, including ULP AON memory.
- Advanced security features: Secure OTP, TRNG, AES-256, RSA-4096, SHA-512 encryption.
Astra™ AI-Native Compute Platform for the IoT
1. Unified AI Development with Machina Micro Kit
- The Machina Micro kit extends Astra’s “out-of-the-box” AI development experience.
- Provides open-source software tools and seamless AI integration.
- Simplifies deployment for both entry-level and advanced developers.
2. Veros™ Wireless Connectivity for IoT Integration
- The SR-Series MCUs integrate with Synaptics’ Veros™ wireless connectivity.
- Enables seamless Edge AI deployment across IoT ecosystems.
3. Market Applications and Impact
The SR-Series MCUs empower next-generation cognitive IoT devices, allowing them to:
- Adapt to surroundings using situational awareness and multimodal processing.
- Optimize AI in ultra-low-power, always-on scenarios for retail, smart home, and enterprise applications.
- Improve security, automation, and interactive device capabilities.
Industry Perspectives
1. Synaptics’ Vision for Edge AI
“We believe we are at an inflection point in Edge AI where developers can redefine human-machine interaction through multimodal processing and contextual awareness,” said Vikram Gupta, Senior Vice President and General Manager of IoT Processors at Synaptics.
- The SR-Series MCUs extend Astra’s roadmap, allowing cognitive IoT devices to evolve from ultra-low-power sensing to high-performance AI inference.
2. Arm’s Perspective on Low-Power AI Innovation
“Enabling ultra-low-power AI processing at the edge will revolutionize applications in retail and smart homes,” said Paul Williamson, Senior Vice President, IoT Line of Business at Arm.
- Synaptics’ SR-Series, built on Arm’s compute platform, delivers scalable real-time intelligence for Edge AI.
3. TIRIAS Research on AI-Driven Situational Awareness
“Meeting future intelligent edge device needs requires multimodal processing for situational awareness,” said Jim McGregor, Principal Analyst at TIRIAS Research.
- The SR-Series MCUs maximize IoT device intelligence while simplifying integration and power optimization.
With the SR-Series MCUs, Synaptics advances scalable, low-power Edge AI for consumer, enterprise, and industrial IoT applications. By integrating Arm Cortex-M55, Ethos-U55 NPU, multimodal AI accelerators, and robust security features, the Astra AI-Native platform paves the way for next-generation context-aware IoT devices.
As Edge AI adoption accelerates, Synaptics empowers developers with high-performance, energy-efficient AI processing solutions, shaping the future of intelligent IoT ecosystems.
