Product Overview
Huawei Ascend 310 is the first AI chip of Huawei's Ascend series, announced in October 2018 at the 5th World Internet Conference; together with the Ascend 910 it launched Huawei's "Da Vinci architecture" full-scenario compute system.
The Ascend 310 targets edge computing and on-device inference; its standout feature is 8W extreme low power, pioneering Huawei's unified approach of "one architecture spanning milliwatt to hundreds of watts". It is the core compute source for smart cameras, edge servers, and on-device AI inference, and the technical starting point of Huawei's smart driving chips (Ascend 610 series).
Core Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|
| Release | 2018-10 (World Internet Conference) |
| Architecture | Da Vinci (1st generation) |
| Process | 12nm (TSMC) |
| AI Cores | 2 Da Vinci AI Cores (some sources say 8 cores) |
| CPU | Integrated control cores incl. ARM Cortex-A55 |
| FP16 | 8 TFLOPS |
| INT8 | 16 TOPS |
| Memory | LPDDR4x |
| TDP | 8 W (extreme low power) |
| Video Decoding | 16-channel full HD H.264/H.265 |
| Typical Scenarios | Smart cameras, edge servers, on-device AI |
310 Family Evolution Comparison
| Model | Release | Positioning | INT8 | FP16 | Power |
|---|
| Ascend 310 (1st gen) | 2018 | On-device/edge inference | 16 TOPS | 8 TFLOPS | 8W |
| Ascend 310P | 2022 | Upgraded edge inference | 140 TOPS | 70 TFLOPS | 72W |
| Ascend 310B | 2021/2025 | Low-cost/low-power derivative | ~16-200 TOPS | — | ≤5W+ |
| Ascend 510 | 2024 | Mainstream edge inference | 256 TOPS | — | 25-70W |
Key Features
- 8W ultra-low power: energy-efficiency benchmark of the Da Vinci architecture, fits battery-powered and fanless devices
- Origin of the full-scenario architecture: the same Da Vinci architecture flexibly scaled from device to cloud
- Video codec: integrated 16-channel full HD hardware decoding
- Large-scale deployment: powers dozens of edge hardware products such as Atlas 200 / 500 / 300
| Parameter | Value |
|---|
| Company | Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (HiSilicon) |
| Website | https://www.hiascend.com |
| Release | 2018-10 |
| Architecture | Da Vinci (1st generation) |
Use Cases
- ✅ Smart cameras / object detection
- ✅ Edge servers / on-device AI inference
- ✅ Industrial inspection, security surveillance
- ✅ Robots, drones, IoT terminals
External Links