arXiv Machine Learning

Efficient AI Model Deployment Using Quantization Analysis Tool

The paper introduces the Quantization Analysis Tool, a system built on the ONNX framework that streamlines quantization workflows for deep learning models. It offers layer‑wise sensitivity analysis, visualizations of weight and activation distributions, and guidance for selecting precision levels to balance model size, latency, and accuracy. Experiments on various neural network architectures show that the tool improves quantized accuracy and overall deployment efficiency.

arXiv Machine Learning
Sep 24

RAMP: Robust Adaptive Mixed-Precision Quantization for Edge CPU Vision Models

The paper introduces RAMP, a method for robust adaptive mixed‑precision quantization of vision models on edge CPUs. It evaluates 13 sensitivity metrics across four neural networks, finding that Jensen‑Shannon Divergence consistently identifies layers that can be safely quantized. Using K‑Means clustering on these metrics, RAMP achieves near‑lossless accuracy with an average 1.81× speed‑up, while cautioning against excluding low‑speed‑up layers that can fragment the computational graph.

By David Poblaci\'on-Criado, Dario Garcia-Gasulla, Eduardo Quinones
arXiv Machine Learning
Oct 5

16-bit Precision of Convolutional Neural Networks on Microcontroller Units for 8-bit Costs

The paper introduces W16A16, a 16‑bit precision quantization method for convolutional neural networks aimed at microcontroller units. On the Armv7E‑M architecture, W16A16 delivers faster inference speeds and lower energy consumption than existing quantization schemes while reducing quantization errors by roughly tenfold compared to 8‑bit approaches. The authors analyze the MCU architecture, explain why 16‑bit operations yield performance gains, and evaluate empirical errors and resource usage across regression and classification tasks.

By Rui Liu, Benjamin Paa{\ss}en
arXiv Machine Learning
Oct 16

Compiling Multi-Threshold Operators for Quantized Non-Monotonic and Fine-Granular Activations in Custom-Tailored DNN Accelerators

The paper presents a method for compiling multi‑threshold operators that support quantized, non‑monotonic, and fine‑granular activation functions in custom DNN accelerators. It extends the multi‑threshold representation to multi‑dimensional thresholds, integrates algebraic conversion rules into an ONNX‑based compiler, and validates the approach on both monotonic and non‑monotonic functions using the FINN framework. The authors also characterize hardware costs compared to graph‑level decomposition and discuss potential use in quantization‑aware training.

By Christoph Berganski, Felix Jentzsch, Marco Platzner
arXiv Machine Learning
Sep 17

FAME: An FPGA-Based Platform for Approximate Multipliers Evaluation with Pattern-Guided DNN Retraining

FAME is an FPGA-based platform that evaluates approximate multipliers directly in hardware, eliminating slow CPU/GPU LUT emulation and reducing evaluation time for DNN inference. It also introduces a pattern-guided retraining method that uses multiplier-specific patterns to recover accuracy losses. Experiments on ResNet‑18 and MobileNetV2 over ImageNet show up to 3.47× faster multiplier evaluation and a 65.5% accuracy improvement over prior retraining approaches.

By Rappy Saha, Nima Amirafshar, Jude Haris, Nima Taherinejad, Jos\'e Cano