Bluespec, Inc. Releases a New Family of Open-Source RISC-V Processors

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Bluespec, Inc. releases a new family of open-source RISC-V processors to spur open innovation:

Jul. 24, 2018 – 

Bluespec Inc. has released Piccolo, its first in a family of RISC-V open-source processors provided as a vehicle for open innovation in embedded systems.

Piccolo is a 3-stage RV32IM processor whose small "footprint" is ideal for many IoT applications. The repository (http://bluespec.com/piccolo-risc-v-core/) contains a royalty-free synthesizable Verilog core that can be easily integrated and deployed into an ASIC or FPGA. Bluespec, Inc. will actively maintain Piccolo. It also offers commercial-grade tools for the customization and verification of RISC-V cores. Configurations will be continually added to provide the full spectrum of embedded controller features. Companies or universities interested in contributing to the Piccolo project should contact Bluespec, Inc. (add contact – RISC-V open source support).

"Embedded system developers want freedom to innovate and simplification of their development cycle", says Charlie Hauck, CEO of Bluespec. "The answer is easy access to reliable open-source RISC-V cores that are portable across all technology platforms. Companies need to make product and business decisions free of the constraining license and royalty terms of proprietary IP business models."

RISC-V has demonstrated that open collaboration can produce an industrial strength ISA. The independent RISC-V Foundation (www.riscv.org) maintains the ISA and has over 100 members, including many notable high-tech companies. RISC-V dominates computer architecture research and is rapidly expanding as a vehicle for commercial innovation.

"The process of licensing traditional processors is time consuming and expensive" says Jim Hogan of Managing Partner of Vista Ventures. "Expensive processors present a formidable barrier to innovation in the embedded systems market. Developers have been waiting for a viable choice and it is exciting to see that a truly viable option in RISC-V is finally coming of age. Bluespec's release of verified and easy to integrate processors is yet another indication of the RISC-V turning point".

Bluespec, Inc. provides hardware development tools that reduce the time, effort and risk of developing RISC-V processors and systems. It is a founding member of the RISC-V Foundation and a leader in the RISC-V open-source movement that is paving the way for a new wave of open innovation in processor-based systems.

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