When shifting from NVIDIA platforms to domestic visual SoCs, the first thing to face is the difference in software stacks. NVIDIA's CUDA ecosystem is very mature, and many algorithms and optimizations are built around it. After switching to domestic chips, the original CUDA code cannot run directly, and it needs to be re-adapted using the vendor-provided SDK or common inference frameworks such as ONNX Runtime and TFLite. This process is not complicated, but it takes time to sort out the model structure and confirm operator support. If the original model uses special custom operators, you may need to implement them manually or find alternatives.
The second issue is that the approach to performance tuning is different. The GPU architecture of NVIDIA and the NPU/DSP architecture of domestic SoCs are quite different. The same model may run fast on a GPU, but it may not achieve the expected frame rate on an SoC. In this case, optimizations such as quantization, pruning, and operator fusion need to be redone. Domestic chip vendors usually provide performance analysis tools, but the completeness and user experience of these tools still lag behind NVIDIA's Nsight, so debugging relies more on experience.
The third point that is often overlooked is the adaptation of peripherals and hardware interfaces. Visual SoCs often integrate modules such as ISP, MIPI, and codecs, which are different from the external solutions on NVIDIA platforms. Original solutions using USB cameras or independent ISPs may need to be changed to directly connect sensors and use the SoC's built-in ISP for image processing. This involves details such as driver configuration, image format conversion, and latency control, which need to be evaluated in advance.
In addition, the team's technical habits also need to change. Many debugging skills and community resources accumulated on NVIDIA platforms may not be applicable to domestic platforms. When encountering problems, you may need to rely more on vendor technical support or limited documentation. Therefore, when choosing a domestic SoC, special attention should be paid to whether the vendor provides complete materials and whether support responds in a timely manner. It is best to have a few reliable reference boards or solution providers to connect with.
In the end, migration is not purely a technical action; it is more like a plan for an overall software and hardware switch. If you clarify compatibility issues such as models, operators, interfaces, and toolchains in advance and verify them in stages, the entire process can be smooth. Moreover, domestic SoCs often have advantages in power consumption, cost, and supply stability, and for many implementation projects, these are the truly critical parts.