Qualcomm Technologies has announced the Dragonwing IQ-X Series, a new lineup of industrial-grade processors designed for PLCs, advanced HMIs, edge controllers, panel PCs, and box PCs.
Engineered for demanding environments, the series supports a wide range of industrial equipment through extensive peripheral compatibility and offers multimedia capabilities in an energy-efficient design.
Dragonwing IQ-X Series Features
The Dragonwing IQ-X Series is developed to meet the requirements of industrial OEMs and ODMs, providing:
- High-performance computing: Single and multithread compute capabilities suitable for industrial workloads.
- AI support: Integrated Qualcomm Oryon CPUs with 8–12 high-performance cores delivering up to 45 TOPS of AI performance.
- Rugged operation: Industrial-grade temperature range from -40°C to 105°C.
- Security and connectivity: Advanced security measures and extensive connectivity options.
- Long lifecycle support: Designed for extended deployment in industrial applications.
The series supports standard COM module form-factors, allowing direct replacement on existing carrier boards. An evaluation kit provides scalable solutions across industrial segments. It is compatible with standard hardware peripherals and bridge chips, and supports software, middleware, and applications on Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC, including Qt, CODESYS, and EtherCAT.
AI for Industrial Applications
The integrated NPU, together with the Qualcomm® AI Software Stack and runtimes such as ONNX and PyTorch, enables industrial AI applications like predictive maintenance, condition-based monitoring, and defect detection. This simplifies AI model deployment and supports development for intelligent edge systems.
Quick Specs: Qualcomm Dragonwing IQ-X Series
- Chipsets: IQ-X7181 / IQ-X5121
- Module Part Numbers: IQX7181MD-1-AC/AB/AA/0-AA, IQX5121MD-1-AC/AB/AA/0-AA
- CPU: Custom Qualcomm Oryon 12-core (IQ-X7181) / 8-core (IQ-X5121), up to 3.4 GHz
- AI Performance: 45 TOPS
- GPU: Qualcomm Adreno 1.25 GHz / 1.1 GHz
- Memory: 8×16-bit LPDDR5X @ 4.2 GHz, up to 64 GB (36 GB addressable with ECC)
- Display: eDP1.4b up to 4096×2160@60 Hz or 3240×2160@120 Hz, DisplayPort v1.4a up to 5120×2880@60 Hz 10-bit
- Video Decode / Encode: 4K120 / 4K60 (IQ-X7181), 4K60 / 4K30 (IQ-X5121), VP9 & AV1
- Camera: Qualcomm Spectra ISP, up to 6 cameras (IQ-X7181) / 4 cameras (IQ-X5121), 36 MP @30 fps ZSL, 1 RGB + IR, 4×4-lane CSI (IQ-X7181) / 2×4-lane CSI (IQ-X5121)
- PCIe: 8-lane Gen4 + 4-lane (2+2) Gen4, 2×2-lane Gen3 (IQ-X7181) / 2×4-lane Gen4, 2×2-lane Gen3 (IQ-X5121)
- USB: 2× USB 3.1 Gen2, 3× USB4 Type-C with DisplayPort v1.4a, 6× eUSB 2.0
- Networking: Ethernet & PCIe expansion via QPS615 companion chip
- Other I/O: 221 GPIO pins; UART, SPI, I3C, I2C via QUP
- Storage: 1× UFS 4.0 gear 5 (2 lanes), SD 3.0 support (4-bit port, IQ-X5121 also has 8-bit reserved)
- Wireless: Wi-Fi/Bluetooth via M.2 modules, external Wi-Fi/5G via WCN785/WCN6856/SDX65
- Operating System: Windows
- Package: 1747-ball BGM, 58×58 mm, max height 3 mm
- Temperature Range: -40°C to 105°C
- Longevity: 10+ years
Availability
Leading OEMs including Advantech, congatec, NEXCOM, Portwell, SECO, and Tria have adopted the Dragonwing IQ-X Series platform. Commercial devices are expected to become available in the coming months.
Speaking on the launch, Nakul Duggal, Group General Manager, Automotive and Industrial & Embedded IoT, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., said:
With the Dragonwing IQ‑X Series, we’re bringing the Qualcomm Oryon™ CPU’s best-in-class single and multithread performance to the core of the industrial PC, enabling smarter factories, more capable and faster edge controllers on the factory floor. The Dragonwing IQ‑X Series provides OEMs and ODMs a superior platform to build on for years while reducing complexity and shortening time to market.