Altera has received the Best-in-Show Award in the AI and machine learning category from Embedded Computing Design for its 25GbE Holoscan Sensor Bridge demonstration showcased at Embedded World 2026. The recognition highlights innovations in embedded systems and technologies displayed at the event, with winners selected by the publication’s editorial team based on design excellence, performance, and potential market impact.
The award-winning demonstration is powered by Agilex 5 SoC FPGAs and showcases a system reference design that enables high-bandwidth sensor streaming for edge artificial intelligence applications. The Holoscan Sensor Bridge functions as a MIPI-to-25Gb Ethernet solution, designed to efficiently transfer sensor data from multiple cameras to GPU-based AI processing platforms.
According to the company, the reference design combines multiple 4Kp60 sensor cameras with a newly developed component in the Quartus Platform Designer that supports Holoscan Sensor Bridge IP. This configuration allows large volumes of sensor data to be streamed over 25Gb Ethernet networks with minimal latency, a capability increasingly important for AI-driven edge systems.
Edge AI environments—such as robotics, autonomous systems, and advanced industrial applications—often require real-time processing of large data streams from cameras and other sensors. In such architectures, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are commonly used to manage sensor aggregation, data preprocessing, and high-speed data movement before the information reaches AI accelerators or GPUs.
Altera said the demonstration highlights the role programmable FPGA platforms can play in enabling faster data ingestion and movement at the network edge. By offloading data processing tasks from central compute resources, FPGAs can help maintain deterministic performance while reducing latency in AI workflows.
“This recognition from Embedded Computing Design highlights the innovation behind Altera’s FPGA-based sensor-to-Ethernet solutions,” said Venkat Yadavalli, head of Altera’s Business Management Group. “With Agilex 5 devices, developers gain the flexibility and deterministic performance needed to move massive sensor data streams to AI compute platforms with minimal latency.”
Altera noted that its FPGA-based Holoscan solutions are designed to scale across Ethernet speeds ranging from 10 to 100 gigabits per second. The company also provides networking technologies including SmartNICs and data processing units (DPUs) capable of supporting data center, cloud, and high-performance computing environments at speeds up to 400 gigabits.
The Agilex 5 FPGA and system-on-chip families are designed for midrange embedded and edge applications requiring high performance with power efficiency. The devices support modern memory standards such as LPDDR5 and DDR5, high-speed serial connectivity, and advanced security features including post-quantum cryptography secure boot.
