C-SKY 32-Bit CPUs Aim For Initial Support In Linux 4.20~5.0

[phoronix]

Phoronix: C-SKY 32-Bit CPUs Aim For Initial Support In Linux 4.20~5.0

The Linux port to the C-SKY 32-bit CPU architecture is trying to get into the Linux 4.20~5.0 kernel...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=C-SKY-Linux-4.20-Port-Proposed

[uid313]

No idea why anyone would be interested in C-SKY when there is ARM and RISC-V.

[cb88]

No idea why anyone would be interested in C-SKY when there is ARM and RISC-V.

C-SKY seems to have an implementation of RISC-V ... however maybe they are just upstreaming work they already did in the past year.

https://riscv.org/membership/1896/c-sky/

[uid313]

C-SKY seems to have an implementation of RISC-V ... however maybe they are just upstreaming work they already did in the past year.
https://riscv.org/membership/1896/c-sky/

To quote Michael Larabel in the this very article, "C-SKY Microsystems has joined the RISC-V Foundation but this current architecture doesn't appear based on RISC-V at all."

[cb88]

To quote Michael Larabel in the this very article, "C-SKY Microsystems has joined the RISC-V Foundation but this current architecture doesn't appear based on RISC-V at all."

I didn't contradict any of that... I was just pointing out that they probably had already done all this work and it wasn't released yet about the same time as RISC-V was becoming popular..

[coder]

No idea why anyone would be interested in C-SKY when there is ARM and RISC-V.

When they started C-SKY, RISC-V certainly didn't have the same traction as now. As for ARM, don't forget that every ARM core costs royalties.

Lastly, the cynical reason would be Chinese government control. With their own CPU architecture, they can restrict unsigned software from running on it, which gives them full control of the platform, including back doors, etc.

[uid313]

"So, the Chinese would ask you "No idea why we should rely on Western designs when we can just make CPU designs ourselves."

It really shouldn't matter that the instruction set architecture (ISA) is designed by people in the West.
The ISA is open, and they can implement it however they want, with any extensions they want, and their own micro architecture on their own architecture, on their own silicon, in their own foundries.

When they started C-SKY, RISC-V certainly didn't have the same traction as now. As for ARM, don't forget that every ARM core costs royalties.

Lastly, the cynical reason would be Chinese government control. With their own CPU architecture, they can restrict unsigned software from running on it, which gives them full control of the platform, including back doors, etc.

Well then when they see RISC-V coming along, its time to abandon their own in-house architecture.

As for the Chinese government and governement control, I guess they could the exact same thing with RISC-V. It is open source, and they can implement it with any extensions they desire and lock it down however they want.

[coder]

Well then when they see RISC-V coming along, its time to abandon their own in-house architecture.

Okay, so everyone should just stop what they're doing and flush their current non-RISC V developments down the toilet, even if it's viable and suits its intended market? I guess they didn't get the memo.

As for the Chinese government and governement control, I guess they could the exact same thing with RISC-V. It is open source, and they can implement it with any extensions they desire and lock it down however they want.

Yes, of course. I guess it was an answer to why they want their own cores rather than just their own ISA.

[LaeMing]

Re: Why.

Their C-SKY-32 silicon was probably already tested and ready to go out to manufacture by the time RISC-V was finalised and the spec locked down.
Having joined the RISC-V group, one presumes they intend to use that arch in at least in some chips going forward.
Developing and fully testing their own RISC-V silicon will take some time.
Meanwhile, they have customers waiting, and possibly already design-committed to, their C-SKY-32 hardware.