The first Linux-ready, 64-bit RISC-V SoC

[pylkko]

Some people on this forum might find this interesting, as there have been some discussions here about RISC-V, the open instruction set, and possible real (future) processors based on it.

So far there have only been micro-controller type cips that only run bare metal code (no OS). So SiFive have announced that they will be releasing a chip that can run Linux. But if I remember correctly, the Linux port isn't ready yet, but the developers are aiming at 4.15. GCC is already ported. Nevertheless, these chips are appreantly already available, even though they will firstly only be directed at companies that want to use them in products. They claim that a dev board for the general public will be out in 2018. I really wonder if the Raspberry pi foundation will go with this, especially since ARM was sold from their town to owners in was it Japan and I have understood that the new owners want to keep hiking up the license fees.

https://www.sifive.com/posts/2017/10/04 ... x-support/

[Head_on_a_Stick]

Thanks pylkko!

There is also lowRISC but it looks like SiFive have beaten them to it:

http://www.lowrisc.org/about/

[pylkko]

The lowRISC project claimed that they would come out with a board in 2017, but given that there has been no news from them, I am fairly sure they cannot get anything on the market before this SiFive board. SiFive are also producing their own microcontroller and the Arduino cinque processor, so they are have some real experience under their belt now. Still I think that the lowRISC community is interesting, particularly in that they aim to make a version that is entirely open (as the license allows for partially proprietary design).

This is almost bizarre but the Debian wiki is really up to date on this issue (gotta be a first):

Status Log

2017-10-05

Version 9 of the kernel upstreaming patchset has been posted to LKML on 2017-09-26. As planned after v8, it has been split into an architecture-core and a driver patchset. The RISC-V architecture maintainer has a kernel.org account now, which is a prerequisite for getting the patches into linux-next, but the actual inclusion into linux-next is still pending as the linux-next maintainer has announced that updating the linux-next tree will be on hold during the whole of October 2017.

So, in other words, a linux capable version of the processor is ready, whereas linux for the processor is not and apparently will not be for some time...

[pylkko]

Apparently the pull request was accepted by Linus Thorvalds and kernel 4.15 will support RISC-V.

Request
http://lkml.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kern ... 04263.html

Linus
http://lkml.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kern ... 06026.html

[debiman]

the price is exquisite:
http://dt.iki.fi/stuff/riscvsoc.png
unfortunately.
like organic gin and sustainable clothing, only for those who can afford it.

[pylkko]

I don't have enough experience to say what core IP price should be, but they suggest on their site that it is less expensive than other competitors. But I believe there was a post on this forums where ARM licenses were said to start at 10 million USD... and ARM Holdings also asks for royalties on top!

Considering that their microcontroller board costs €59 and that their Field-programmable gate array board for this is 99, I'd guess that the linux dev board would be in the 50-150 USD price range... but we'll see.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semicondu ... perty_core

[Head_on_a_Stick]

Future Electronics has announced the launch of the Avalanche development board, powered by Microsemi’s PolarFire field programmable gate array (FPGA) and shipping with a pre-loaded RISC-V CPU core.

https://abopen.com/news/future-ships-av ... sc-v-core/

AT £132.98 it's almost reasonably priced and it is completely protected against both Meltdown and Spectre

[pylkko]

Future Electronics has announced the launch of the Avalanche development board, powered by Microsemi’s PolarFire field programmable gate array (FPGA) and shipping with a pre-loaded RISC-V CPU core.

https://abopen.com/news/future-ships-av ... sc-v-core/

AT £132.98 it's almost reasonably priced and it is completely protected against both Meltdown and Spectre

But that is FGPA...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field-pro ... gate_array



There is now, however, a true (linux capable) RISC-V board, https://www.sifive.com/products/hifive-unleashed/

RISC-V is growing massively as many large players like Seagate have started to use it and manucdacture it in the billions. Howver, as far as I know this is the only linux-capable full cpu that exists. That is, not a microcontroller type of thing or a FGPA dev board. linux 4.15 now also supports RISC-V straingt out of the box, although there are basically no kernel modules for peripherals