Qualcomm recently announced its first processor product specifically designed for industrial PCs (IPCs)—the Qualcomm Dragonwing IQ-X series. This series utilizes Qualcomm's proprietary Oryon CPU architecture and integrates up to 45 TOPS of AI computing performance, bringing advanced edge intelligence to devices such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs), industrial touchscreens, and edge controllers, assisting in factory automation and smart manufacturing transformation.
Nakul Duggal, General Manager of Qualcomm Technologies' Automotive, Industrial, Embedded IoT Group, stated that the Dragonwing IQ-X series brings best-in-class single-threaded and multi-threaded performance from Oryon CPUs to the core of industrial computers, making edge controllers on the production floor more powerful and faster.
Powered by a 4nm Oryon CPU, integrated NPU enables predictive maintenance.
In terms of hardware specifications, the Dragonwing IQ-X series is built using advanced 4nm process technology. Its custom Qualcomm Oryon CPU offers scalable configurations of 8 to 12 high-performance cores.
To address the edge AI demands of Industry 4.0, this series integrates an NPU (Neural Processing Unit), providing up to 45 TOPS of AI computing power. This enables industrial solutions to execute AI applications on the device side, such as predictive maintenance, condition monitoring, and defect detection, through Qualcomm AI software stacking and commonly used software frameworks like ONNX and PyTorch.
Industrial-grade rugged design, supporting operation in a wide temperature range of -40°C to 105°C.
Considering the harsh environment of industrial sites, the Dragonwing IQ-X series adopts a rugged package and supports industrial-grade temperature range, and can operate stably in a wide temperature range of -40°C to 105°C.
Regarding software compatibility, the new platform supports Windows 11 IoT Enterprise Edition LTSC, as well as common industry software and middleware such as Qt, CODESYS, and EtherCAT. Qualcomm emphasizes that this series supports industry-standard embedded computer module (COM) form factors, allowing direct replacement of existing carrier boards and helping manufacturers reduce bill of materials (BOM) costs by eliminating the need for external AI or multimedia modules.
Advantech, Nexcom, and Ruentex are among the first Taiwanese manufacturers to adopt its technology.
Qualcomm announced that its Dragonwing IQ-X series has been adopted by several leading global OEMs. Notably, the list includes several major Taiwanese industrial PC manufacturers, including Advantech, NEXCOM, and Portwell, as well as international giants such as Congatec, Kontron, Tria, and SECO.
Commercial devices using the Qualcomm Dragonwing IQ-X series are expected to be rolled out in the coming months.
