| --- |
| license: agpl-3.0 |
| tags: |
| - elyan-labs |
| - llm-inference |
| - npu |
| - linux |
| - edge-inference |
| --- |
| |
| > Source snapshot of [github.com/Scottcjn/npu-linux-kit](https://github.com/Scottcjn/npu-linux-kit), also on [GitLab](https://gitlab.com/elyan-labs/npu-linux-kit) with full history. Code only: nothing here runs on Hugging Face infrastructure. |
|
|
| <div align="center"> |
|
|
| # 🧰 npu-linux-kit |
|
|
| **Practical applications for the AMD XDNA NPU on Linux** — the things the NPU is *actually* good at, |
| in one kit. Built on the [open-xdna](https://github.com/Scottcjn/open-xdna) gen-1 (XDNA1 / Phoenix) |
| bring-up. |
|
|
| [](LICENSE) |
| [](COMMERCIAL.md) |
|
|
| </div> |
|
|
| --- |
|
|
| ## Why |
|
|
| AMD's NPU is underused on Linux: the official LLM stack targets XDNA2, and the NPU's real strengths |
| (**low-power, conv/vision, batchable compute, offload**) aren't packaged into usable Linux apps. This |
| kit does that — each module plays to a **measured** NPU strength, and the status of each is stated |
| honestly (no "coming soon" dressed up as done). |
|
|
| ## Modules |
|
|
| | Module | What it does | NPU fit | Status | |
| |--------|--------------|---------|--------| |
| | **[camera/](camera/)** | Real-time webcam effects → a **v4l2 virtual camera** (Zoom/OBS/browser) | conv/vision — its native strength | ✅ **working** (edge-stylize) | |
| | camera/ — background blur | Sharp foreground + blurred background (real MODNet segmentation) | conv/CNN | ✅ **working** (clean CPU blur + real seg; NPU blur path experimental) | |
| | **[embeddings/](embeddings/)** | Batch sentence/RAG embeddings, offloaded from CPU/iGPU | batchable matmul → amortizes dispatch | 🔬 candidate | |
| | **[audio/](audio/)** | Wake-word / real-time denoise | the NPU's classic edge job | 🔬 candidate (untested) | |
| | **[ggml-backend/](ggml-backend/)** | XDNA backend for ggml/llama.cpp | foundational enabler | 🚧 planned (biggest lift) | |
|
|
| ## Featured: camera effects (working today) |
|
|
| Live webcam → NPU effect → virtual camera, **measured on a Ryzen 7 8845HS (XDNA1)**: |
|
|
| - Full per-frame conv/colorspace pipeline: **220 FPS @1080p / 451 FPS @720p** (incl. host DMA round-trip). |
| - In the live daemon the NPU effect adds **~2 ms/frame at ~6.6 W** — end-to-end is **camera-capture-bound**, never NPU-bound. So there's large headroom for heavier effects (segmentation). |
| - Outputs to a **v4l2loopback** device — any app sees `NPU Camera`. |
|
|
| ```bash |
| # (after the open-xdna NPU stack is up + this kit's requirements installed) |
| sudo modprobe v4l2loopback video_nr=10 card_label="NPU Camera" exclusive_caps=1 |
| python3 camera/npu_camera_fps.py # FPS feasibility gate |
| python3 camera/npu_camera_daemon.py --loopback /dev/video10 --stream-frames 0 # live → virtual cam |
| # then pick "NPU Camera" in Zoom/OBS/your browser |
| ``` |
|
|
| ## Requirements |
|
|
| A working **XDNA NPU stack** (XRT + amd/xdna-driver + IRON/mlir-aie + Peano) — see |
| [open-xdna](https://github.com/Scottcjn/open-xdna) for the bring-up. Plus host deps: |
| `pip install -r requirements.txt` (opencv-python-headless, pyvirtualcam, numpy, ml_dtypes) and |
| `v4l2loopback` for the virtual camera. |
| |
| ## Honesty / scope |
| |
| Verified on **XDNA1 (Phoenix)**, Ubuntu 25.10 / kernel 6.17. The **camera module is real and |
| measured**; the other modules are marked candidate/planned and make **no working claims** until built. |
| Research/community project, not a production stack. |
| |
| ## License |
| |
| AGPLv3 + commercial dual-license — see [LICENSE](LICENSE) and [COMMERCIAL.md](COMMERCIAL.md). |
| © 2026 Scott Boudreaux / Elyan Labs. |
| |
