Developing Smart Video Doorbell on a Qualcomm Platform

Project Overview

This case study describes the design and development of a smart video doorbell system for our client using the Qualcomm System-on-Chip (SoC). Leveraging the SoC’s robust multimedia processing and networking capabilities, we enabled our client to deliver a low-power, high-resolution, real-time video streaming device featuring advanced security and home monitoring capabilities including night vision, door control relay with power backup, and offline door control mode. This paper outlines the technical approach, challenges encountered, solutions implemented, and validation processes that enabled our client to bring a successful product to market. Below are some key client requirements:

Advanced Video & Sensing

1080p video with wide-angle view, night vision, two-way audio, and smart motion detection.

Connectivity, Storage & Power

Low-latency streaming, local+cloud storage, Wi-Fi connectivity, and long battery/wired power.

Platform & System Architecture

Qualcomm MSM8916 platform running Yocto Linux for reliable, real-time doorbell operation.

Business Challenges

Our client faced critical technical challenges including power constraints, strict latency requirements, motion detection precision, secure communication protocols, thermal management within weatherproof housing, and reliable cloud connectivity with seamless OTA update support.

Ultra-Low Power Efficiency

Designed for ultra-low power use to maximize battery life and ensure long, uninterrupted doorbell operation.

Real-Time HD Processing

Processes HD video instantly with end-to-end latency under 350 ms for smooth, real-time user interaction.

Accurate Motion Intelligence

Delivers reliable motion detection with minimal false alarms using PIR, AI models, and sensor fusion.

Secure Two-Way Communication

Enables clear, secure two-way audio communication for effective real-time conversations with visitors.

Thermal & Environmental Stability

Manages heat efficiently inside compact, weather-sealed enclosures for safe outdoor performance.

Silicon Signals’ Solution

Silicon Signals delivers engineered solutions that help our client achieve innovation, reliability, and scalability.

Platform Optimization

Snapdragon 410 tuned for performance balance using suspend-to-RAM, dynamic CPU Freq, and Wi-Fi LPM.

Selection of components

Image sensor, DSI display, Snapdragon 410, Adreno GPU, ISP, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth form the core system.

Multimedia Processing

Hardware-accelerated H.264/H.265 encoding and zero-copy GStreamer pipeline for low-latency 1080p streaming.

AI-Driven Detection

PIR + IMU + on-device AI (quantized CNN on DSP via SNPE) for human/package detection and tamper alerts.

Audio Enhancements

Implemented AEC (SpeexDSP) and NR (WebRTC NS) with G.711 codec and ALSA tuning.

Thermal Design

Passive heat sink, CFD-optimized thermal layout, and DVFS-based thermal throttling.

Security & Cloud

Secure boot, OTA updates, AES-256 encryption, MQTT/HTTPS signaling, and OAuth2 access.

Engineering Facts That Matter

Efficiency, satisfaction, and customer success are the quantifiable outcomes that demonstrate the value we provide.

Battery Life

~ 0 Months

Real-Time Latency

< 0 ms

Detection Accuracy

> 0 %

Create your next-gen smart doorbell with our engineering expertise.

Measurable Results That Matter

Tech Stack

Hardware

Qualcomm Snapdragon 410, Bosch BMI160 IMU, PIR sensor, CMOS Camera (1080p)

OS

Yocto Project (Embedded Linux), Linux Kernel 4.9 LTS

Multimedia

zero-copy GStreamer pipeline , V4L2, DMA-BUF

AI/ML

Qualcomm SNPE SDK, TensorFlow Lite (Quantized CNN)

Networking

Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n), MQTT, HTTPS, RTSP

Audio

ALSA, SpeexDSP, WebRTC Noise Suppression

Security

Secure Boot, OTA (FOTA), AES-256, TLS 1.3, OAuth2, X.509

Proven Outcomes

Our smart architecture enabled our client to deliver long-lasting power efficiency, secure cloud access, and high-quality real-time video.

Extended Battery Life

Delivers nearly 2 months of usage with 10–15 daily motion or doorbell events.

Accurate Human Detection

Achieves over 95% human detection accuracy with under 5% false alerts.

Low-Latency Video

Maintains under 350 ms latency for smooth real-time viewing, even on weak networks.

Clear Two-Way Audio

Provides outdoor-ready audio clarity with MOS scores consistently above 3.5.

High-Quality Streaming

Streams crisp 1080p@30fps video at 1.5–2.5 Mbps across all lighting conditions.

Reliable Tamper Alerts

Exceeds 98% tamper detection accuracy while keeping false alarms extremely low.

Strong Thermal & Cloud Stability

Ensures stable thermal behavior and dependable cloud sync under continuous use.

Let’s create smarter, safer home experiences together

If you're ready to build a powerful, and robust smart doorbell, this case study shows what’s possible when engineering and innovation come together.