
Semidynamics in Spain has developed a Web tool for designers to fully configure its RISC-V cores.
The free ‘Configurator’ tool uses dozens of blocks that have been verified by Semidynamics so that the final RISC-V core is also verified. This gives developers a workable core design in a matter of a few hours from the thousands of possible variants.
The ‘Open Core Surgery’ approach developed by Semidynamics allows developers to tailor IP, including adding new instructions, new interfaces and custom IP.
Some of the options in the Configurator tool include instruction and data cache sizes, main memory bus size and type, and eight optional extensions. Additional options include Tensor and RISC-V 1.0 compliant Vector Units with a choice of number of cores and data configuration. On top of these, the company’s Gazzillion technology ensures constant data flow from memory through the cores.
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The process entails two steps. The first is to configure the base parameters of the architecture, which is what Configurator enables. The second step is to describe the special features required by the developer and the Semidynamics engineering team will take those requests and implement them according to requirements.
The newly released Configurator helps in both steps. First, it provides an easy way for the customer to specify the configuration parameters for the IP. Second, it allows the customer to describe the additional changes, beyond configuration, required.
“We are the only company offering fully customisable RISC-V IP cores so there are many .choices to be made by customers when specifying their requirements,” said Roger Espasa, CEO of Semidynamics.
“Our Configurator tool makes this process extremely easy for the customer to do on their own computer screen. The tool has a sequential set of options that logically works through the thousands of possible variants. As each one option is selected, the resulting core configuration is immediately displayed on the screen so that the customer can see how the layout of blocks builds. The customer can go back and change any of the options to see the effect on the core layout,” he said.
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“When the customer has finalised the design, it is sent to us for a PPA and licensing quote. Once this is agreed and the contract signed, the RTL is sent to them immediately and as it is already verified by us they don’t have that time consuming stage to do. The whole aim of Configurator is to empower the customer with an easy-to-use way to have the exact custom core that they need in the shortest possible time so that they are fastest to market with their innovative product,” he said.
The Semidynamics Configurator tool is web-based so it can be run on the customer’s own computer system once they have registered which can be done at www.semidynamics.com/configurator
