RISC-V Reaches Adolescence

EE Times Current · 17 Dec 2021 · 31m

What this episode covers

Kevin Krewell, principal analyst at Tirias Research, discusses the state of the RISC-V ecosystem following the 2021 RISC-V Summit, highlighting its emergence as a viable competitor to x86 and Arm architectures. He details how companies like Imagination Technologies and SiFive are leveraging the open instruction set to build CPU cores, while the RISC-V International Foundation works to standardize the ecosystem through new profiles and platforms to prevent fragmentation. Krewell also notes the significant enthusiasm for RISC-V in China due to its neutral governance and open nature, which offers an alternative to Western-controlled technologies.

Mentioned

Companies
Imagination Technologies, SiFive, Arm, Intel, AMD, Apple, Qualcomm, Esperanto, Ventana, Andes, IBM, Samsung Electronics, Oculi, Siemens
Also
RISC-V, x86, MIPS

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Moore's Lobby · 51m

    Cooperation and Competition Behind the Scenes in the RISC-V Community

    Mark Himelstein, CTO of RISC-V International, explains how the open standard instruction set architecture (ISA) fosters a community of cooperation and competition among chip designers, from startups to multinationals like Qualcomm and NVIDIA. He details the organization's structure, which includes 70 technical groups working on specifications like vector extensions and upcoming matrix operations for AI, while navigating supply chain challenges and the transition from proprietary ISAs. Himelstein highlights that the shared software ecosystem—compilers, OS, and tools—is the primary glue keeping the community together, as no single entity can afford to build a new ISA alone. The episode covers the rapid ratification of specifications, the importance of development boards, and the strategic focus on Android support and AI/ML acceleration.

  • The Circuit · 40m

    Episode 21: A Discussion on RISC-V with Calista Redmond CEO of RISC-V International

    Calista Redmond, CEO of RISC-V International, explains that RISC-V is an open standard instruction set architecture (ISA) rather than open-source software, providing a frozen, global standard that prevents vendor lock-in while allowing companies to add proprietary extensions. She details how the organization manages diversity through 70 work groups and a single core ISA to avoid fragmentation, while major industry players like NVIDIA, Intel, Google, and MediaTek contribute to the ecosystem. Redmond highlights the recent Rise fund as a critical accelerator for software toolchains and operating systems, noting that the primary hurdle is now timing and ecosystem readiness across diverse markets from embedded to data center AI.

  • Moore's Lobby · 1h 02m

    Leading the RISC-V Revolution, SiFive Aims to Take the Computing Industry Throne

    Jack Kang, Senior Vice President at SiFive and a founding team member, discusses his career trajectory from designing CPUs at Marvell and NVIDIA (working on the Xbox Kinect and Nintendo Switch) to joining the startup. He explains how SiFive leverages the open RISC-V standard to offer high-performance, low-power processors for applications ranging from wearables to data centers, aiming to disrupt the proprietary ARM and x86 markets. Kang highlights the strategic advantage of RISC-V's modularity and openness, particularly in automotive and AI, where rapid innovation requires flexible, programmable hardware solutions rather than fixed, legacy architectures.

  • The Circuit · 41m

    Episode 5: x86 vs. Arm vs. RISC-V, Shifting from General Purpose to Specific Purpose Silicon

    Ben Bajarin and Jay Goldberg discuss the competitive landscape of x86, Arm, and RISC-V architectures, highlighting the industry's shift from general-purpose silicon to specialized, custom designs. They analyze how companies like Ampere Computing, Apple, and Qualcomm are leveraging custom Arm-based architectures to gain performance and efficiency advantages in the data center, challenging Intel's dominance. The hosts also explore RISC-V's rapid adoption, driven by its open nature and cost-effectiveness, particularly among Chinese startups and for IoT and edge AI applications.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 06m

    We'll Believe It When We See It - Hiring Hypercatalectic Helpelp

    Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss Dave's plan to hire a new assistant to handle the grunt work of hardware prototyping, allowing Dave to focus on video content. They analyze the RISC-V open-source processor architecture, debating its potential for commercial adoption versus established players like ARM, and reference Clay Christensen's 'The Innovator's Dilemma' to discuss how market shifts occur. The conversation also covers the DARPA Robotics Challenge, the history of nuclear weapons, and the practical challenges of traveling with test equipment.

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by EE Times Current. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.