Qualcomm has launched a new IoT and WiFi technology for industrial applications that, according to the company, represents a “major breakthrough” in the IoT world, or what is commonly known as the Internet of Things.
Announced at this year’s Embedded World Exhibition & Conference in Nuremberg, the new additions promise to accelerate innovation in areas such as robotics, manufacturing, automotive solutions, and cutting-edge artificial intelligence.
A new WiFi solution and platform updates enable on-device AI and offer improvements in IoT connectivity. In the company’s words, the new products are “designed to empower… customers in the embedded ecosystem”.
One of the products presented is Qualcomm QCC730 WiFi, which the company describes as “a disruptive micro-power Wi-Fi system for IoT connectivity”. It claims to use up to 88% less energy than its predecessors, and is designed for battery-powered applications in industrial, commercial, and consumer environments.
The QCC730 features an open-source IDE and SDK, and supports cloud connectivity download to assist developers. Qualcomm also claims that it can be used as an alternative to Bluetooth IoT applications.
Rahul Patel, General Manager of CBN Group at Qualcomm, has explained that “QCC730 allows devices to support TCP/IP network functions without sacrificing form factor or full wireless constraints, while remaining connected to cloud platforms.”
He added that, along with the rest of its portfolio, “this new offering positions Qualcomm Technologies at the center of the next generation of smart consumer electronic devices for home, healthcare, and gaming.”
Another novelty announced at Embedded World is Qualcomm’s RB3 Gen 2 platform. It is described as a hardware and software solution for embedded and Internet of Things applications.
It comes equipped with the QCS6490 processor from the company, which provides the device with a tenfold increase in on-device AI processing. It also supports four 8MP+ camera sensors, computer vision, and has integrated WiFi 6E.
Qualcomm expects the RB3 Gen 2 to be used in various products, such as robots, drones, handheld industrial devices, cameras, AI edge boxes, and smart displays. It is also compatible with Qualcomm AI Hub, which allows access to a library of AI models to use on the device.
