Ceva-XC21™ Recognized for advancing cellular IoT and 5G connectivity with ultra-efficient, AI-enabled DSP architecture for cost-sensitive IoT and smart-home devices
ROCKVILLE, Md., Dec. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ceva, Inc. (NASDAQ: CEVA), the leading licensor of silicon and software IP for the Smart Edge, today announced that its Ceva–XC21™ IoT communication DSP has been awarded Best IP/Processor of the Year at the prestigious EE Awards Asia ceremony in Taipei. The EE Awards Asia recognize standout products and companies across the region's electronics industry, with finalists selected by a global editorial panel and winners chosen by the EE Times and EDN reader communities in Taiwan and Asia.
Cellular IoT on the Rise
The cellular IoT market is entering a period of rapid expansion, driven by the migration from LTE to 5G technologies. According to Omdia, 5G Reduced Capability (RedCap) and enhanced RedCap (eRedCap) connections are forecast to reach nearly 1 billion by 2030. LPWA standards like NB-IoT, LTE-M, LoRaWAN, and Sub-1GHz will also dominate massive IoT deployments. The Ceva-XC21 DSP is purpose-built to address this growth, delivering ultra-efficient, AI-enabled processing for cellular IoT and 5G/5G-Advanced devices.
Michael Boukaya, Chief Operating Officer of Ceva, commented: "Winning Best IP/Processor of the Year for Ceva-XC21 underscores our commitment to driving innovation in wireless connectivity. By combining ultra–efficient DSP processing with embedded AI, The Ceva-XC21 enables smarter connectivity for billions of devices - from IoT sensors to advanced smart–home gateways. This award affirms our vision to deliver the IP that makes ubiquitous connectivity practical and scalable for the next decade of connected innovation."
Why Ceva-XC21 won: measurable efficiency with AI–ready scalability
Purpose–built for low–power, cost– and size–optimized cellular IoT modems and 5G/5G–Advanced devices, Ceva–XC21 is a scalable, dual–thread IoT processor with built–in AI/ML support to apply machine learning to modem algorithms and network efficiency. Available in multiple configurations - including single– or dual–thread options and 32 or 64 MAC units, the Ceva-XC21 lets designers tune power, performance, and area for everything from compact IoT sensors and smartwatches to advanced smart–home gateways and IoT hubs relying on robust cellular backhaul, including 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA).
- Optimized for RedCap/eRedCap & LTE Cat–M/Cat–1: Reliable cellular backhaul for smart–home hubs, gateways, smartwatches and IoT devices in cost–sensitive, size–constrained designs.
- AI inside the modem path: Built–in AI/ML improves link robustness, latency, and energy efficiency—key for Physical AI deployments at the edge.
- Scalable architecture: Configurable from 32 to 64 MAC units, single or dual thread, to balance power, performance, and area across diverse device classes.
- Future–ready: Designed for 5G–Advanced and pre–6G workloads, including NTN and VSAT terminals, ensuring long–term viability.
- Proven gains: Up to 1.8× performance vs. prior generation and 48% area reduction in top configurations.
Availability
Ceva-XC21 DSP is available for licensing today. For more information, visit: https://www.ceva-ip.com/product/ceva-xc21/
About EE Awards Asia
The EE Awards Asia celebrate the best products, companies, and individuals across the continent's electronics industry. Judging and selection are undertaken by a global panel of experts, followed by voting from EE Times and EDN reader communities in Taiwan and Asia.
About Ceva, Inc.
At Ceva, we are passionate about bringing new levels of innovation to the smart edge. Our wireless communications, sensing and Edge AI technologies are at the heart of some of today's most advanced smart edge products. From Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, UWB and 5G platform IP for ubiquitous, robust communications, to scalable Edge AI NPU IPs, sensor fusion processors and embedded application software that make devices smarter, we have the broadest portfolio of IP to connect, sense and infer data more reliably and efficiently. We deliver differentiated solutions that combine outstanding performance at ultra-low power within a very small silicon footprint. Our goal is simple – to deliver the silicon and software IP to enable a smarter, safer, and more interconnected world. This philosophy is in practice today, with Ceva powering more than 20 billion of the world's most innovative smart edge products from AI-infused smartwatches, IoT devices and wearables to autonomous vehicles and 5G mobile networks.
Our headquarters are in Rockville, Maryland with a global customer base supported by operations worldwide. Our employees are among the leading experts in their areas of specialty, consistently solving the most complex design challenges, enabling our customers to bring innovative smart edge products to market.
Ceva: Powering the Smart Edge™
Visit us at www.ceva-ip.com and follow us on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
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