We regularly hear about RISC-V, its aggressive open-source structure, and the way it’s making inroads into the CPU trade. Nevertheless, final 12 months we reported on an open supply GPU underneath growth, which might severely bolster the event of open-source graphics engines. This week Assume Silicon introduced that it is able to “showcase the trade’s first RISC-V-based GPU.”
The brand new RISC-V 3D GPUs from Assume Silicon will kind the inspiration of its Neox sequence. Two branches are already being readied to develop Neox choices; the Neox G sequence for graphics acceleration and the Neox A sequence for accelerating deep studying duties.
Why is Assume Silicon purposing these two separate Neox branches? It’s cheap to imagine that, as Assume Silicon is a self-proclaimed “chief in ultra-low energy graphics IP,” that it designs lean merchandise strictly for focused duties. These will not be flabby general-purpose GPUs.
Assume Silicon’s press launch offers us a couple of extra clues to the kind of embedded merchandise and purposes the respective Neox GPUs will goal. It says that the brand new GPUs will function personalized SoCs for graphics, machine studying, imaginative and prescient/video processing, and general-purpose compute workloads. Cell units and platforms look like the obvious, however not unique, goal for this expertise. Assume Silicon reckons Neox G and A cores shall be utilized in; next-generation smartwatches, augmented actuality (AR) eyewear, video for surveillance and leisure, and good shows for point-of-sale/point-of-interaction terminals.
“Unveiling the primary RISC-V-based GPU is a big milestone for the graphics trade and for Assume Silicon,” mentioned Ulli Mueller, Director of IP Licensing, Gross sales, and Advertising and marketing at Assume Silicon. Mueller added that he hoped builders coming to the exhibition could be impressed by his agency’s new 3D GPUs. Specifically, he hopes that some will see the Neox GPU’s potential to create “distinctive person experiences” whereas being thrifty with energy.
Assume Silicon will exhibit its RISC-V 3D GPU household at Embedded World 2022. This commerce present takes place in Nuremberg, Germany, from Tuesday, June 21 to Thursday, June 23. It will likely be fascinating to see the extent of efficiency these early RISC-V GPUs can muster, albeit within the low-power and embedded segments.
Earlier than we go, it’s value stating that the PC graphics trade huge hitters like AMD are additionally taking a look at utilizing RISC-V applied sciences of their product portfolios.