Synaptics showcased its Astra Machina Foundation Series developer kit at Embedded World 2025, part of the Dev Kit Zone organized by Embedded Computing Design. Dave Garrett, VP of Technology and Innovation at Synaptics, presented the Astra Machina, highlighting its substantial potential for developers working with edge computing, IoT, and neural networks. The Astra Machina kits include high-performance SL-Series processors featuring ARM Cortex A-class CPUs, GPUs, and integrated Neural Processing Units (NPUs), delivering up to eight TOPS of neural acceleration for advanced machine learning tasks.
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Synaptics is my Embedded World 2025 video coverage sponsor, check out my Synaptics videos here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7xXqJFxvYvhAbQoe9YN4c84SqXxIY3fQ
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The Astra Machina development kits showcased at Embedded World 2025 run a Linux-based platform built on Yocto, accessible via Synaptics’ Embedded Software SDK (ESSDK) on GitHub. This allows developers quick integration with Python, HuggingFace models, and popular ML frameworks, significantly speeding up the prototyping process. The kits come ready with USB peripherals, GPIO, USB, I²C, I2S, HDMI, and display interfaces, making it easy to connect sensors, cameras, microphones, and other external peripherals essential for comprehensive edge applications.
Dave Garrett emphasized the importance of practical, hands-on experience, encouraging developers to experiment broadly with these kits to maximize their potential. At the Dev Kit Zone, hosted by Embedded Computing Design, Synaptics demonstrated real-world applications, including industrial-grade computer vision for automated pill sorting on conveyor systems. The demonstration showed Astra Machina’s capability to perform real-time, accurate image recognition and object classification directly at the edge, underscoring its suitability for various smart industrial and consumer applications.
Wireless connectivity is another key component of Astra Machina kits. Synaptics integrates their proprietary Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules, enabling seamless IoT connectivity essential for diverse applications from smart homes to industrial automation. This integrated wireless capability helps developers easily deploy comprehensive IoT ecosystems without the need for additional complex hardware configurations.
Synaptics maintains a strong commitment to open-source software and has collaborated with Google Research on open-source compilers for machine learning networks. This partnership supports extensive compatibility with popular neural network frameworks, enabling developers to rapidly deploy sophisticated ML models across Synaptics’ diverse hardware platforms. The intent is clear: facilitating interoperability and simplifying developer experiences by avoiding proprietary lock-ins.
Developers interested in the Astra Machina Foundation Series can purchase kits immediately from authorized distributors like Mouser or directly via Synaptics’ developer portal (https://www.synaptics.com). Garrett emphasized the ease of setup, claiming developers can begin running neural networks within an hour of unboxing. He encouraged users to actively experiment, tweak, and innovate, pointing out that such iterative, hands-on approaches often lead to the most successful and impactful IoT products.
Beyond Astra Machina, Synaptics also previewed upcoming Reference Design Kits (RDKs), targeting ultra-low-power applications, capable of performing visual inference tasks in the milli-amp range. These kits, suitable for battery-powered applications, complement the higher-end performance seen in Astra Machina, offering flexible options to cater to varying edge-computing needs.
Overall, Synaptics’ participation in Embedded World 2025 highlighted its strategic push into powerful, open, and accessible development kits, designed explicitly to accelerate real-world innovation in IoT and edge computing technologies.
Check out all my Embedded World 2025 videos in this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7xXqJFxvYvjgUpdNMBkGzEWU6YVxR8Ga
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