AI is accelerating from cloud to edge, making on-device AI a foundational capability for real-time interaction and low-power products. More new devices need local real-time closed loops of sensing, inference, and action, raising demands on compute integration, power control, and development efficiency. Beken Corporation launched the BK7259 edge AI high-performance chip with the Armino SDK and R2 development kit, integrating wireless connectivity, multimedia processing, and on-device AI on one platform.
On-device AI chip design faces sufficient compute, controllable power, and mass-producible cost constraints, plus challenges from multi-chip stacking: higher BOM, complex cross-module coordination, and fragmented development. The BK7259 takes a system-level approach, replacing multi-chip stacking with a single-chip design that integrates HD video, advanced audio, precise motion control, and dedicated AI processing, reducing peripheral components and cross-module complexity.
On compute architecture, the chip uses a dual-core Arm Cortex-M52 and Cortex-M55 with a unified memory architecture for efficient parallel processing; it integrates the Arm Ethos-U65 NPU for 0.3 TOPS AI compute, working with ISP, GPU, VPU, and DPU multimedia units; connectivity supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth. The Armino SDK and R2 full-scenario AI robot development kit lower development barriers.
Lyu Xueli, GM of Beken's Product and Solutions Division, said on-device AI's value is not just running models but keeping the full chain coordinated and making AI hardware truly mass-producible. The BK7259 uses a highly integrated heterogeneous compute architecture combining connectivity, sensing, inference, and control, helping customers go from idea to product faster and cheaper. It targets smart access control, smart glasses, IPC network cameras, desktop robots, in-vehicle interaction, and small embodied devices.
The BK7259's rapid rollout is backed by Arm Flexible Access and Arm's global technology ecosystem. Its Cortex-M52, Cortex-M55, and Ethos-U65 IP were selected and validated through the program. For Beken, Arm Flexible Access is not just an IP licensing scheme but a chip innovation accelerator: a low-cost annual subscription gives access to mainstream Arm IP portfolios and resources, with free IP trials, simulation validation, and configuration adjustments during the subscription, paying license fees only at tape-out for the final IP—unlocking R&D flexibility. Beken said it will continue using the program and Arm's ecosystem to iterate compute architecture and integration for on-device AI, deepening cooperation with Arm China on embodied intelligence and edge computing.
ICgoodFind Summary: The BK7259 integrates connectivity, sensing, inference, and control in one chip, targeting the BOM and coordination complexity of multi-chip on-device AI hardware. Its 0.3 TOPS with a dual-core architecture and Ethos-U65 NPU matters less for the compute number than for mass-producible full-chain integration. Arm Flexible Access's low-barrier licensing lowers the trial-and-error cost from prototype to tape-out for such integration innovation.
