Nagold – 3 September 2026 – The market for edge AI is growing rapidly, driven by the need for real-time data processing and data protection. As the number of applications increases, it is becoming ever more important to design systems that are flexible and scalable. However, when developing an edge AI system, the choice of processor often ties the developer to a specific platform. This is because many manufacturers offer their own System-on-Module (SoM) with a proprietary pinout. Switching to a different supplier or moving to a new generation of processors at a later stage usually involves considerable effort. That is why endrich is adding the E1M modules from Alp Lab in Sweden to its portfolio, introducing a vendor-neutral module standard for edge AI systems.
“For developers and system architects, edge AI systems are not just about computing power, but also about planning certainty to avoid time-consuming and costly redesigns,” says Antonio Rodas, Chief Technology Officer at endrich. This is where Alp Lab comes in with its open E1M standard: it defines a uniform mechanical and electrical interface for edge AI modules, enabling different processor platforms to be used on the same carrier board. When switching to a more powerful processor, in many cases it is then sufficient simply to replace the module. “The Alp Lab modules complement our AI portfolio because they help our customers reduce development effort. This enables us, as a system integrator, to provide even more targeted support for building sustainable edge AI solutions in the long term,” explains Antonio Rodas.
Alp Lab has developed three E1M modules with varying levels of computing power: the E1M-AEN with 0.25–0.5 TOPS, the E1M-X V2N with 4 TOPS and the E1M-X V2N+M1 with 29 TOPS. The E1M product family is available in a 35 x 35 mm form factor, whilst the E1M-X comes in a 45 x 65 mm form factor. The modules are suitable for applications such as industrial image processing, predictive maintenance, drones, robotics and smart infrastructure. They are also designed for harsh environments and operate within a temperature range of –40 °C to +85 °C. To complement the hardware, there is the Alp Lab Software Development Kit (Alp SDK) with a unified C/C++ API based on Arm CMSIS, which brings together the runtime environments of four processor manufacturers (Alif, NXP, Renesas and DeepX). The firmware only needs to be developed once: the same code also runs on other E1M modules.
Published on 3 September 2026
