Advantech adds a Qualcomm-based companion computer for drones
Image: Advantech
Advantech has launched the ASR-D501, a compact companion computer that handles vision, AI inference and mission processing aboard unmanned aircraft.
The board uses Qualcomm’s QCS6490 processor. Advantech’s 29 September announcement quotes up to 12 TOPS of AI performance within a sub-10 W power envelope. The figure describes the computing platform and should not be treated as a consumption figure for an entire aircraft or its attached sensors.
The ASR-D501 works alongside a primary flight controller. Perception, localisation and sensor-fusion tasks run on the companion computer, leaving stabilisation and actuator control with the flight controller.
Its camera connections include five four-lane MIPI-CSI interfaces. Other connections include 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, USB Type-C, CAN FD, UART and I²C. M.2 expansion supports additional connectivity.
Advantech’s product listing specifies 8 GB of onboard LPDDR5 memory and 128 GB of UFS storage. The QCS6490 combines an eight-core Kryo CPU with Adreno graphics and a neural-processing unit. The board also provides a Mini DisplayPort output and separate M.2 E-key and B-key expansion positions.
Software support includes Ubuntu and Advantech’s robotics suite, with ROS 2 and MAVLink-related integration for flight-controller environments. The launch announcement identifies PX4 and ArduPilot among the supported ecosystems.
The board measures 100 × 60 mm and weighs approximately 50 g without a heatsink. Advantech specifies a 5–12 V DC input and an operating-temperature range of −20°C to 70°C.
