Aeva Adopts Cadence Tensilica Vision DSP to Advance Lidar Performance and Efficiency

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Cadence announced that Aeva, a leader in next-generation sensing and perception systems, has licensed Cadence® Tensilica® Vision DSP IP to accelerate signal processing in its 4D LiDAR systems—enabling flexible and scalable solutions for industrial robotics and automotive applications. This design win marks a significant step in delivering high-performance, low-power lidar systems optimized for real-time perception and autonomy.

Lidar technology enables precise 3D mapping and object detection in robotics, autonomous vehicles, industrial automation and other physical AI applications at the edge. Its ability to deliver high-resolution depth information makes it indispensable for safety and navigation. Aeva’s 4D LiDAR technology goes a step further by detecting velocity and position simultaneously, empowering autonomous devices to make safer, more intelligent decisions.

Cadence Tensilica Vision DSPs deliver a unique combination of programmability and performance, enabling Aeva to add flexibility, scalability and customizations to the lidar processing pipeline. Their inherent low-power architecture and customizable Tensilica Instruction Extension (TIE) language make Tensilica DSPs ideal for real-time signal processing, where latency and efficiency are critical.

“Cadence’s DSP technology provides the flexibility and performance uplift we need to push the boundaries of perception and deliver scalable solutions to our industrial and automotive customers,” said James Reuther, chief engineer of Aeva. “By integrating the Tensilica Vision DSP into our next-generation LiDAR systems, Aeva can leverage the powerful combination of Cadence’s highly configurable hardware and comprehensive suite of optimized software libraries to accelerate innovation and bring advanced sensing capabilities to market faster.”

“Cadence is committed to enabling our customers to build smarter, safer and more connected systems for edge and physical AI applications, and we look forward to collaborating with Aeva to redefine perception with their groundbreaking 4D LiDAR technology,” said Amol Borkar, group director of product management and marketing for Tensilica DSPs at Cadence. “Our Tensilica DSPs empower SoC providers to deliver differentiated performance and power efficiency in leading-edge, low-latency applications like lidar.”

Aeva is the latest in a growing list of companies leveraging Tensilica Vision DSPs to drive innovation across industrial robotics, autonomy and other physical AI applications. Tensilica Vision DSPs come with industry-leading software libraries optimized for neural networks, computer vision, simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), radar and point cloud processing. In addition, Tensilica DSPs are equipped with a third-generation neural network compiler, the NeuroWeave SDK, which enables execution of the latest AI networks proliferating in the lidar segment. With a proven track record in ADAS, radar, audio and vision processing, Tensilica DSPs remain the go-to solution for high-performance, low-power and customizable processor IP.