Hardware based on the open source RISC-V architecture continues to emerge. CNX software (opens in new tab)Its NB2 processor has four cores and runs at a fast 1.8GHz. It also comes with a GPU, which makes a Linux desktop a distinct possibility.
For now, this doesn’t bother a full-fledged SBC or Raspberry Pi, it’s just a chip. (opens in new tab) Hegemony, but you can infer the capabilities of such an imaginary board by looking at the capabilities the chip supports.
4GB of RAM, built-in eMMC flash and a Micro SD card slot are available. Both have two Ethernet sockets with gigabit, USB ports scattered thanks to 2.0 and 3.2 hosts, and 3.5mm audio thanks to the presence of DACs. UART connectors provide RS232 and RS485 for serial applications, as well as I2C, PWM, GPIO, as well as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi modules. Video output appears to be through MIPI DSI 2.0 and LVDS, but the lack of common connections such as HDMI can be a barrier to creating consumer grade boards.
In addition to a GPU running at 850MHz but no details revealed, the chip also has an NPU (4 TOPS) and a DSP co-processor, as well as a VPU for 4Kp60 H.264/H.265 encoding and decoding. The CPU core provides 2.5 DMIPS/MHz. This is the same SiFive’s U74-MC 64-bit RISC core that performs similarly to Arm’s Cortex A55 design, as noted by CNX Software. The existence of the SiFive Shield security platform is another hint that there may be something similar to SiFive. (opens in new tab)I have a tip.
and press release (opens in new tab) Along with the launch, Dr. Aglaia Kong (pictured above), CEO and CTO of LeapFive Technology, explained how RISC-V fits into China’s goal of carbon neutrality (known as dual carbon) following carbon peaking. I emphasized that “We’re thinking a lot about chip innovation. First, we’re offering dual carbon, so we have to look at low-power chips. Data must be secure, traceable and tamper-proof during the process.Most importantly, due to de-globalization, the supply chain must also be secured, and chips are controllable and autonomous. We believe that RISC-V, with its open instruction set architecture, is the best choice, as it must be based on an open platform.”
This chip could run a Linux distribution such as Ubuntu Kylin. (opens in new tab)despite mainstream Ubuntu making inroads (opens in new tab) Built into the RISC-V architecture itself. It is used in smart appliances, intelligent logistics, warehousing, and edge computing applications. No release date seems to have been set.
