index.mdwn

   1 <div class="jumbotron">
   2   <h1 class="display-5">Welcome to Libre-SOC</h1>
   3 <blockquote>
   4   <p>We're building a chip. A fast chip. A safe chip. A trusted chip.</p>
   5
   6   <p>A chip with lots of peripherals. And a VPU.  And a 3D GPU...</p>
   7
   8   <p>Oh and here, have the <a href="http://git.libre-soc.org">source code</a>...</p>
   9 </blockquote>
  10   <hr class="my-4">
  11
  12 <h2 class="display-5">Why should I care?</h2>
  13
  14 With Libre-SOC, you can take complex algorithms usually intended for
  15 power hungry servers with big fat GPUs, and run them on tiny devices
  16 like smartwatches, cellphones, and pocket drones without changing your
  17 code at all.
  18
  19   <hr class="my-4">
  20
  21 <h2 class="display-5">Hasn't Somebody Already Done This?</h2>
  22
  23 To the best of our knowledge, no. The closest systems would be ARM Cortex
  24 devices which currently offer mediocre GPU and OpenCL support. Often
  25 times, it is quite difficult for customers to get their hands on the
  26 drivers and install them due to their locked down nature. Libre-SOC is
  27 providing our own Free/Libre drivers. Easy as 1, 2, 3!
  28
  29   <hr class="my-4">
  30
  31 <h2 class="display-5">Does Open Hardware Really Work?</h2>
  32 <p>A few names come to mind:</p>
  33
  34 <ul>
  35 <li><a href="https://www.raspberrypi.org">Raspberry Pi</a></li>
  36 <li><a href="https://www.arduino.cc">Arduino</a></li>
  37 <li><a href="https://www.raptorcs.com">Raptor Computing Systems</a></li>
  38 <li><a href="https://www.bitcraze.io">CrazyFlie</a></li>
  39 <li><a href="https://www.scopefun.com">ScopeFun</a></li>
  40 </ul>
  41
  42   <p class="lead">
  43     <a class="btn btn-primary btn-lg" href="https://libre-soc.org/why_a_libresoc/" role="button">Learn more</a>
  44
  45 </div>
  46
  47
  48
  49 # Our Team
  50
  51 We are proud of our talented and diverse [team](about_us).
  52
  53 # Our sponsors and partners
  54
  55 * [Purism](http://puri.sm) donates to us through [NLNet](nlnet)
  56   charitable gifting
  57 * [Raptor CS](http://raptorcs.com) has given us access to a powerful
  58   18-core 128 GB RAM TALOS II workstation, online.
  59 * [Raptor Engineering](https://raptorengineering.com) is providing
  60   additional assistance including access to an [[shakti/m_class/LPC]]
  61   interface (more to come)
  62 * [MarketNext](http://marketnext.org) is helping us connect to developer
  63   resources in Emerging markets, for completion of NLNet-funded tasks.
  64   See the upcoming [Hackathon](https://www.youtube.com/embed/Px6eakWja3Q"),
  65   deadline May 15th
  66 * The [[PowerPC Notebook]] Project
  67 * [RED Semiconductor](http://redsemiconductor.com) is the commercial realisation of Libre-SOC technology that respects and actively supports Libre principles in its business objectives.
  68 * [[fed4fire]] for supercomputer access for verilator simulations,
  69   with thanks to Ghent University / IMEC.
  70
  71 # Status and TODO
  72
  73 | Date     | Task                                      | bug   |
  74 | -------- | ----------------------------------------- | ----- |
  75 | Oct 2020 | Integer OpenPOWER ISAv3.0 implemented     |       |
  76 | Sep 2020 | ECP5 FPGA running basic bare metal        |       |
  77 | TODO     | 180nm GDS-II IMEC tapeout Jun 9th         |       |
  78 | TODO     | ISA Simulators                            |       |
  79 | TODO     | binutils support for SVP64                |       |
  80 | TODO     | gcc support for SVP64                     |       |
  81 | TODO     | SVP64 Vectorisation                       |       |
  82 | TODO     | Video Instructions and libraries          |       |
  83 | TODO     | Kazan 3D Vulkan Driver                    |       |
  84 | TODO     | MESA 3D Vulkan Driver                     |       |
  85 | TODO     | 3D instructions                           |       |
  86 | TODO     | cryptographic and bitmanip instructions   |       |
  87
  88
  89 # How Can I Help?
  90
  91 If you would like to fund us, see [[funding]]. We currently have some
  92 funding and always appreciate more!  If you are a Corporation or an
  93 individual you can donate tax-free to NLNet, and they can in turn gift
  94 our developers.  Contact lkcl@lkcl.net for more information.
  95
  96 # How Can I Help as a Developer? <a name="help_as_developer"></a>
  97
  98 If you want to write code with us (and receive donations from NLNet
  99 for doing so), keep reading.  If you want to *learn*
 100 so that you can write code with us, see "How can I learn" section,
 101 below.  If there is anything else,
 102 just get in touch on the list, there is plenty to do.
 103
 104 1. First, join the
 105   [mailing list](http://lists.libre-soc.org/mailman/listinfo/libre-soc-dev),
 106   introduce yourself (people will happily say "hello" back") and
 107   the Freenode IRC channel
 108   [#libre-soc](https://libre-soc.org/irclog/latest.log.html).
 109   Read through
 110   [recent posts](http://lists.libre-soc.org/pipermail/libre-soc-dev/)
 111   and the [[charter]], ask questions if you have any and let everyone know,
 112   on the list that you're happy with it and agree to it.
 113 2. The next thing you should do is read through the
 114   [bugs list](http://bugs.libre-soc.org) and
 115   see if there are any bugs that pique your interest.
 116   A fascinating way to do that is to view the
 117   [dependency graph](https://bugs.libre-soc.org/showdependencygraph.cgi?id=1&display=web&rankdir=LR)
 118 3. After that, go ahead and take a look at the
 119    [git repositories](https://git.libre-soc.org).
 120 4. If you plan to do HDL work, you should familiarize yourself with our
 121   [[HDL_workflow]].  If you would like to help with the ASIC layout,
 122   see [[HDL_workflow/coriolis2]]
 123 5. We do have funding available (see [[nlnet]]) upon completion of issues -
 124   we are also working on procuring more funding which gets the project to
 125   nanometre scale tapeout.
 126 6. After all this, if you feel that Libre-SOC is a something
 127   that you would like to contribute to, add yourself to the
 128   [current_members](about_us) page, fill in some information about yourself,
 129   and join the mailing list and say hello.
 130
 131 Also note that you can edit this wiki.  You can experiment in the [[Sandbox]].
 132
 133 ## Quick peek at the code
 134
 135 Here is an example process of how to play with the soc code.  The last
 136 step you will have needed to install yosys:
 137
 138     pip3 install virtualenv requests
 139     mkdir ~/.virtualenvs && cd ~/.virtualenvs
 140     python3 -m venv libresoc
 141     source ~/.virtualenvs/libresoc/bin/activate
 142
 143     cd ~; mkdir libresoc; cd libresoc
 144     git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/nmigen.git
 145     git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/nmigen-soc.git
 146     git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/nmutil.git
 147     git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/openpower-isa.git
 148     git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/c4m-jtag.git
 149     git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/ieee754fpu.git
 150     git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/soc.git
 151
 152     cd nmigen; python setup.py develop; cd ..
 153     cd nmigen-soc; python setup.py develop; cd ..
 154     cd c4m-jtag; python setup.py develop; cd ..
 155     cd nmutil; make develop; cd ..
 156     cd openpower-isa; make develop; cd ..
 157     cd ieee754fpu; make develop; cd ..
 158     cd soc; make gitupdate; make develop
 159
 160     python3 src/soc/decoder/power_decoder.py
 161     yosys -p "read_ilang decoder.il; show dec31"
 162
 163 The full install process may be automated using scripts found
 164 here: <https://git.libre-soc.org/?p=dev-env-setup.git;a=summary>
 165 which you can clone with:
 166
 167     git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/dev-env-setup.git
 168
 169 ## How can I learn?
 170
 171 The whole purpose of this project is to be a learning environment as well
 172 as an actual business.  If you want to learn how to do ASIC design, with
 173 a view to contributing or starting your own ASIC business, start here:
 174 [[3d_gpu/tutorial]]. Yes, really: do not let anyone tell you that you
 175 can't learn this stuff too.
 176
 177 Along the way, if you find any [[resources]] or links that you found
 178 particularly helpful, please add them to that page so that other people
 179 can also benefit (and you have a place to remember them, too).
 180
 181 ## Needed Skills
 182
 183 Most labor is currently being applied to developing the GPU portion of
 184 the Libre-SOC.
 185
 186 Our highest priority short-term and medium-term: we need HDL engineers.
 187 Particularly those familiar
 188 with nMigen or just python.  Most of the techniques being used require
 189 software engineering skills (OO design, polymorphism) than they do more
 190 traditional HDL programming skills. Basically if you have experience in 2
 191 of the following you'll do fine: python, nmigen, verilog/VHDL/gate-level
 192 design. See [[HDL_workflow]]
 193
 194 We also need to find a c++ engineer with compiler experience to work on
 195 a MESA 3D driver. This will begin life similar to SwiftShader however
 196 retaining the vectorisation and predication intrinsics then adding
 197 hardware accelerated opcodes (all of which SwiftShader lacks)
 198
 199 Also, individuals with experience in formal mathematical verification
 200 are quite welcome.
 201
 202 # Documentation
 203
 204  - [Source Code](/docs/)
 205  - [Architecture](3d_gpu/architecture)