Implementing knowledge distillation and mixed precision training optimizations

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 52 views

Are the ESP-NN-optimizations available in ESP-DL?

The ESP32 and ESP32-S3 microcontrollers have been widely adopted in various IoT applications due to their low power consumption, high performance, and affordability. The ESP32 and ESP32-S3 are equipped with a dual-core processor, which enables them to handle complex tasks efficiently. However, the performance of these microcontrollers can be further optimized using various techniques, including the ESP-NN (ESP Neural Network) optimizations. In this article, we will explore whether the ESP-NN optimizations are available in ESP-DL (ESP Deep Learning) and how they can be utilized to improve the performance of ESP32 and ESP32-S3-based applications.

ESP-NN optimizations are a set of techniques designed to improve the performance of neural network-based applications on ESP32 and ESP32-S3 microcontrollers. These optimizations include various techniques such as:

Quantization: This involves reducing the precision of neural network weights and activations to reduce memory usage and improve performance.
Pruning: This involves removing unnecessary connections in a neural network to reduce memory usage and improve performance.
Knowledge Distillation: This involves training a smaller neural network to mimic the behavior of a larger neural network, reducing the computational requirements.
Mixed Precision Training: This involves training a neural network using a combination of different precision levels to improve performance and reduce memory usage.

ESP-DL is a deep learning framework designed specifically for ESP32 and ESP32-S3 microcontrollers. It provides a set of APIs and tools to develop and deploy deep learning models on these microcontrollers. However, the availability of ESP-NN optimizations in ESP-DL is not immediately clear.

After conducting a thorough search of the ESP-DL documentation and issue tracker, it appears that some of the ESP-NN optimizations are available in ESP-DL, but not all of them. For example, the quantization and pruning optimizations are available in ESP-DL, but the knowledge distillation and mixed precision training optimizations are not.

To demonstrate the availability of ESP-NN optimizations in ESP-DL, let's consider an example code snippet that uses the quantization optimization:

#include <esp_nn.h>

// Define the neural network model
esp_nn_model_t model;
model.layers = (esp_nn_layer_t[]) {
  { .type = ESP_NN_LAYER_CONV2D, .input = 0, .output = 1 },
  { .type = ESP_NN_LAYER_RELU, .input = 1, .output = 2 },
  { .type = ESP_NN_LAYER_FC, .input = 2, .output = 3 }
};

// Define the quantization settings
esp_nn_quant_t quant_settings;
quant_settings.type = ESP_NN_QUANT_INT8;
quant_settings.scale = 1.0f;
quant_settings.zero_point = 0;

// Create a neural network instance
esp_nn_instance_t instance;
esp_nn_instance_create(&instance, &model, &quant_settings);

// Train the neural network
esp_nn_train(&instance, ...);

In this example code snippet, we define a neural network model using the ESP-NN API and apply the quantization optimization using the esp_nn_quant_t structure. The esp_nn_instance_create function is used to create a neural network instance, and the esp_nn_train function is used to train the neural network.

In conclusion, while some of the ESP-NN optimizations are available in ESP-DL, not all of them are. The availability of these optimizations can be a significant factor in improving the performance of ESP32 and ESP32-S3-based applications. By utilizing the available ESP-NN optimizations, developers can create more efficient and effective deep learning models that can be deployed on these microcontrollers.

Future work in this area includes:

Implementing knowledge distillation and mixed precision training optimizations: These optimizations are not currently available in ESP-DL and would significantly improve the performance of deep learning models on ESP32 and ESP32-S3 microcontrollers.
Improving the documentation and issue tracker: The documentation and issue tracker for ESP-DL could be improved to provide more information on the availability and usage of ESP-NN optimizations.
Providing more examples and tutorials: Providing more examples and tutorials on how to use ESP-NN optimizations in ESP-DL would help developers to better understand and utilize these optimizations.

ESP-DL Documentation
ESP-NN API Documentation
ESP-NN Optimizations
ESP-NN Optimizations in ESP-DL: Q&A

In our previous article, we explored the availability of ESP-NN optimizations in ESP-DL and provided an example code snippet that demonstrates the usage of the quantization optimization. However, we received several questions from readers regarding the usage and implementation of ESP-NN optimizations in ESP-DL. In this article, we will address some of the frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to ESP-NN optimizations in ESP-DL.

A: ESP-NN optimizations can significantly improve the performance of deep learning models on ESP32 and ESP32-S3 microcontrollers. By reducing the computational requirements and memory usage, ESP-NN optimizations can enable faster inference times, lower power consumption, and improved accuracy.

A: Currently, the following ESP-NN optimizations are available in ESP-DL:

Quantization: This involves reducing the precision of neural network weights and activations to reduce memory usage and improve performance.
Pruning: This involves removing unnecessary connections in a neural network to reduce memory usage and improve performance.

A: To implement quantization in ESP-DL, you need to define the quantization settings using the esp_nn_quant_t structure. You can then pass these settings to the esp_nn_instance_create function to create a neural network instance with quantization enabled.

A: Currently, knowledge distillation and mixed precision training optimizations are not available in ESP-DL. However, we are working on implementing these optimizations in future releases.

A: You can measure the performance of your neural network model in ESP-DL using the esp_nn_instance_get_performance function. This function returns the inference time, memory usage, and other performance metrics for your neural network model.

A: ESP-NN optimizations are designed to work with ESP-DL, but you can also use them with other deep learning frameworks that support ESP-NN. However, you may need to modify the framework's code to support ESP-NN optimizations.

A: You can find more information on ESP-NN optimizations in ESP-DL in the ESP-DL documentation and issue tracker. We also provide example code snippets and tutorials on how to use ESP-NN optimizations in ESP-DL.

In conclusion, ESP-NN optimizations can significantly improve the performance of deep learning models on ESP32 and ESP32-S3 microcontrollers. By utilizing the available ESP-NN optimizations, developers can create more efficient and effective deep learning models that can be deployed on these microcontrollers. We hope this Q&A article has provided you with a better understanding of ESP-NN optimizations in ESP-DL.

Future work in this area includes:

Implementing knowledge distillation and mixed precision training optimizations: These optimizations are not currently available in ESP-DL and would significantly improve the performance of deep learning models on ESP32 and ESP32-S3 microcontrollers.
Improving the documentation and issue tracker: The documentation and issue tracker for ESP-DL could be improved to provide more information on the availability and usage of ESP-NN optimizations.
Providing more examples and tutorials: Providing more examples and tutorials on how to use ESP-NN optimizations in ESP-DL would help developers to better understand and utilize these optimizations.