Today’s System-on-Chip Platforms Have the Power to Drive Edge Computing
A system-on-chip (SoC) is an integrated circuit that incorporates all of the components of a computer system. These components might include controllers, timing units, memory units, transistors, peripherals and more depending upon the type of application. An SoC also includes software embedded in the system.
SoCs have long been incorporated into electronic devices such as tablets and mobile phones because they are compact and power efficient. Today, SoCs are increasingly being used in Internet of Things (IoT) devices and other “edge” computing systems. As a result, research firm Technavio expects the global SoC market to see a compound annual growth rate of more than 13 percent through 2022.
For many IoT applications, developers favor SoC solutions that support multiple radio access technologies, wireless protocols and frequency bands. This enables the SoC to collect and transmit information for machine-to-machine communication, building automation, location-based services, wearable devices and mobile applications. Mixed-signal SoCs are the largest product category with nearly 41 percent of the market, according to Technavio.
However, more powerful SoCs are seeing increased adoption for edge computing applications that require more complex data analytics. The goal is to handle as much processing as possible on the device itself, minimizing the need to move data to a remote data center or the cloud.
Supermicro recently introduced several new additions to its edge computing and network appliance portfolio based on the new Intel Xeon D-2100 SoC processor. The company’s X11SDV series motherboards offer infrastructure optimization by combining the performance and advanced intelligence of Intel Xeon processors into an ultra-dense, low-power SoC.
With server-class reliability, availability and serviceability features, Supermicro X11SDV platforms deliver balanced compute and storage for intelligent edge computing and network appliances. These advanced technology building blocks are equipped with up to 18 processor cores, 512GB DDR4 four-channel memory operating at 2666MHz and four 10GbE LAN ports with RDMA support. They are also available with the Intel QuickAssist Technology (QAT) encrypt/decrypt acceleration engine and internal storage expansion options including mini-PCIe, M.2 and NVMe support.
Supermicro’s new SYS-E300-9D is a compact embedded system suited for network security, SD-WAN, vCPE controller and NFV edge computing appliances. Based on Supermicro’s X11SDV-4C-TLN2F mini-ITX motherboard with a four-core, 60-watt Intel Xeon D-2123IT SoC, this system supports up to 512GB memory, dual 10GbE RJ45 ports, quad USB ports, and one SATA/SAS hard drive, SSD or NVMe SSD.
The new SYS-5019D-FN8TP is a compact (less than 10-inch depth) 1U rackmount embedded system that is ideal for cloud and virtualization, network appliances, and embedded applications. This power- and space-efficient system is based upon Supermicro’s X11SDV-8C-TP8F flex-ATX motherboard supporting the eight-core, 80-watt Intel Xeon D-2146NT SoC. It also features built-in Intel QAT crypto and compression and supports up to 512GB memory, four GbE RJ45 ports, dual 10GbE SFP+ and dual 10GbE RJ45 ports, dual USB 3.0 ports, four 2.5” internal SATA/SAS hard drives or SSDs, and internal storage expansion options including mini-PCIe, M.2 and NVMe support.
Rahi Systems is a Supermicro partner with expertise from the data center to the edge. Let us help you leverage Supermicro’s deep expertise in server technology and the first SoC based on the Intel Xeon D-2100 processor.
