Qualcomm QCS610 micro SoM and devkit to power AI and ML smart cameras

Last July, we missed Qualcomm’s announcement of QCS410 and QCS610 processors designed to bring “premium camera technology, including powerful artificial intelligence and machine learning features formerly only available to high-end devices, into mid-tier camera segments”.

The new SoC’s were recently brought to our attention by Lantronix as they have just introduced a new Open-Q 610 micro system-on-module (μSOM) based on Qualcomm QCS610 processor, as well as a development kit designed to bring such smart cameras to market. I first got a bit confused by the product name, but this goes without saying that it is completely unrelated to Qualcomm Snapdragon 610 announced over six years ago.

Open-Q 610 micro system-on-module

Open-Q 610 specifications:

SoC – Qualcomm QCS610
- CPU – Octa-core processor with 2x Kryo 460 Gold cores @ 2.2 GHz (Cortex-A76 class), and 6x Kryo 430 Silver low-power cores @ 1.8GHz (Cortex-A55 class)
- GPU – Qualcomm Adreno 612 GPU @ 845 MHz, with OpenGL ES 3.2, Vulkan 1.1, OpenCL 2.0
- DSP – Qualcomm Hexagon Compute DSP with Hexagon Vector eXtensions (HVX)
- ISP – Qualcomm Spectra 250L Image Signal Processor
- VPU – Encode: 4K30 8-bit HEVC; Decode: 4K30 10-bit: HEVC/VP9
System Memory – 2GB LPDDR4X SDRAM
Storage – 16GB eMMC flash
Wireless – Dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.x (via WCN3980)
3x board-to-board connectors (1x 120-pin + 2x 100-pin)
- Display Interfaces
  - 1x 4-lane MIPI DSI D-PHY 1.2, up to 1920 x 1080p at 60 fps
  - DisplayPort v1.4 on USB Type-C or separate DisplayPort connector
- Camera Interfaces -3x 4-lane MIPI CSI
- Audio – SLIMBus, SoundWire, MI2S interfaces
- Networking – Ethernet RGMII interface
- USB – 1x USB 3.1 with support for Type-C + DisplayPort v1.4 + 1x USB 2.0
- Other I/Os – 4-bit SD 3.0, UART, I2C, SPI, configurable GPIOs
- Sensor Core Interface – SPI, I2C, GPIO connections to sensor core DSP
Power/Battery Management – Qualcomm PM6150 + PM6150L
Supply Voltage – 3.7V nominal
Dimensions – 50×25 mm
Temperature Range – TBD

Lantronix offers a Linux OS based on Yocto Thud with Linux kernel 4.14, a connected camera SDK, RTSP streaming support with GStreamer, and multiple options for AI inference engines. Android 10 is planned for a bit later. The company notes that all hardware features may not be supported by all software, without being specific except for DisplayPort video output not being supported in Linux as we’ll see in the devkit specs below.

Open-Q 610 development kit

Lantronix also designed a mini-ITX carrier board to help customers evaluate the solution and get started with software development as soon as possible.

Open-Q 610 carrier board specifications:

Supported SoM – Open-Q 610 Micro SoM
Storage – MicroSD card slot
Display Interfaces
- DisplayPort v1.4 on dedicated DisplayPort connector (not supported in Linux OS)
- 1x 4 lane MIPI DSI connector for optional LCD / Touch panel accessory or custom display adapters
Camera Interfaces – 3x 4-lane MIPI CSI with connectors to mate to optional camera accessories
Audio
- Qualcomm WCD9340 Hi-Fi audio codec module with 3.5mm headset jack (stereo out + mic in)
- Audio expansions – Analog out header, Analog in header, digital I/O header with SoundWire/DMIC/MI2S/PDM signals
Connectivity
- Gigabit Ethernet port
- Wireless – Wi-Fi/BT PCB antenna on carrier board, WiFI/BT module on uSoM
USB – 1x USB3.1 Type-C port, 1x USB 2.0 Type-A host port
I/O expansion headers – UART, I2C, SPI, configurable GPIOs
Debugging – Micro USB port for debug UART / serial console
Power Supply – 12V/3A (adapter included) or single-cell Li-Ion battery (not included)
Dimensions – 170 x 170mm (Mini-ITX form factor)

The development kit does not include a display nor a camera by default, but Lantronix offers Open-Q LCD/Touchscreen and Open-Q IMX258 Camera as options.

Typical applications for Qualcomm QCS610 and Lantronix module include AI connected cameras, video conference systems, edge AI computing platforms, 360-degree panoramic cameras, companion robots, and smart dash cameras.

Lantronix Open-Q 610 μSOM is shown as coming soon on the product page, probably because mass-production has not started, but Open-Q 610 development kit can be pre-ordered for $995 with shipping scheduled for early November. The LCD panel adds $150, and the 13MP camera module sells for $159.

Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)

Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.