A chip adds AI to devices, helping them learn words, sounds, and patterns without sending data to the cloud.
BrainChip Holdings has introduced the AKD1500 SPI, an artificial intelligence (AI) co-processor that lets manufacturers add on-device AI to microcontroller-based products such as wearables, smart home devices, and factory sensors. It connects to a microcontroller through the serial peripheral interface (SPI), allowing manufacturers to add AI without redesigning a product around a larger processor.
The chip supports on-device learning, allowing devices to learn new words, sounds, users, and patterns after deployment. This does not require sending data to the cloud or retraining the AI model. Like other processors in the Akida family, the AKD1500 SPI can also run multiple AI tasks on a single chip.
The chip works alongside a microcontroller (MCU), which controls the device and sends sensor data to the AI co-processor. The AKD1500 SPI processes this data using a neural network and returns results, such as a recognised word or a detected fault. The MCU continues to handle the device’s main operations, while the dedicated AI chip performs the AI processing.
Processing data locally removes the need to send it to the cloud and wait for a response. This can reduce delays, allow AI functions to work without an internet connection, and keep voice recordings, sensor readings, and device-health data on the device.
The AKD1500 family also includes the AKD1500 PCIe, designed for M.2 and multi-chip systems. The two versions allow manufacturers to use the same Akida AI technology across products ranging from smartwatches to larger edge computing systems, with the SPI version supporting microcontroller-based designs.
Microcontrollers are among the most widely shipped chips worldwide, but many cannot learn directly on the chip after a product has been shipped. Adding AI to such devices has traditionally required a more capable processor or changes to the existing design.
“We built the AKD1500 family around how products are actually designed,” said Steve Brightfield, chief product officer at BrainChip. “The AKD1500 SPI connects to the MCU a team already uses, and the AKD1500 PCIe serves systems that need more performance. Both run the same models with the same tools, so customers can grow without starting over.”
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