Intel’s Linux engineers are continuing their efforts to prepare the Linux kernel for next-generation hardware support, well ahead of the official launch.
The latest focus is on enabling a new “5th Gen” neural processing unit (NPU) found in Panther Lake P processors.
An initial set of patches has been posted to enable the 5th Gen Intel NPU. While this is a new NPU generation, the initial enablement requires only a few dozen lines of code. The Intel 5th Gen NPU largely leverages the same driver code paths within the iVPU driver as used with the 4th Gen NPU in Lunar Lake processors. However, new 5th Gen NPU firmware binaries will be necessary.
Additional iVPU driver changes may be required in the coming weeks or months to fully round out the 5th Gen NPU support. This could include enabling new features or capabilities.
This patch series provides the initial plumbing for the 5th-generation Intel NPUs and confirms their presence in Panther Lake processors.
Intel Core Ultra 300 “Panther Lake” processors are expected to succeed Lunar Lake in 2025. Panther Lake is anticipated to be produced on Intel’s 18A process node. This NPU work is just one of several patches being developed to prepare the Linux kernel for Panther Lake.
