Build Speech, Audio and Sensor Machine Learning Applications with Syntiant's TinyML Platform and Edge Impulse

Edge Impulse recently announced official support for the Syntiant NDP101 processor. The NDP101 (Neural Decision Processor™) is an always-on sensor and speech recognition processor, with ultra-low power consumption of less than 140 uW while recognizing words. It features a Dense Neural Network Architecture of four layers with 256 inner nodes and runs real-time audio inferencing up to 100 times per second. The NDP101 is a solution for wake word detection, speech classification or any audio-related application.

Equipped with the ultra-low-power Syntiant NDP101 Neural Decision Processor, the new TinyML Board can enable speech and sensor applications to run at under 140 and 100 microwatts, respectively, delivering 20x more throughput and 200x efficiency improvement compared to traditional MCU-based systems. 

Sized at 24 mm x 28 mm, the Syntiant TinyML Board is a small, self-contained system that allows trained models to be easily downloaded via Edge Impulse through a micro-USB connection without the need for any specialized hardware. The board also is fully compatible with Arduino’s open source platform.

The TinyML Board’s onboard digital microphone and motion sensor enable easy configuration for any speech, event detection or six-axis motion- and vibration-related application. Shipping with a built-in “Alexa play music” model, key product features include:

• Syntiant NDP101 Neural Decision Processor™

• Syntiant Core 1™ neural network

• Supports up to 560k parameters and 64 output classifications

• Host processor: Arm Cortex-M0+ 32-bit microcontroller, including:

  • 256KB flash memory

  • 32KB host processor SRAM

• 5 digital I/Os compatible with Arduino MKR series boards

• 2MB on-board serial flash

• 48MHz system clock

• 6-axis motion sensor

• Digital microphone

To make it easy to build and deploy audio classification models on ultra-low power silicon, Edge Impulse has partnered with Syntiant to bring support for the NDP101 processor to Edge Impulse Studio - giving developers a quick and efficient way to collect data, build models, and then deploy to the Syntiant TinyML Board.

Best of all, you can collect audio data directly through the Edge Impulse Studio. The TinyML Board supports the Arduino environment to make it easier for developers to get started.