1 <div class="jumbotron">
2 <h1 class="display-5">Welcome to Libre-SOC</h1>
4 <p>We're building a chip. A fast chip. A safe chip. A trusted chip.</p>
6 <p>A chip with lots of peripherals. And a VPU. And a 3D GPU...</p>
8 <p>Oh and here, have the <a href="http://git.libre-soc.org">source code</a>...</p>
12 <h2 class="display-5">Why should I care?</h2>
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
21 <h2 class="display-5">Hasn't Somebody Already Done This?</h2>
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!
31 <h2 class="display-5">Does Open Hardware Really Work?</h2>
32 <p>A few names come to mind:</p>
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>
43 <a class="btn btn-primary btn-lg" href="https://libre-soc.org/why_a_libresoc/" role="button">Learn more</a>
51 We are proud of our talented and diverse [team](about_us).
53 # Our sponsors and partners
55 * [Purism](http://puri.sm) donates to us through [NLNet](nlnet)
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"),
66 * The [[PowerPC Notebook]] Project
70 If you would like to fund us, see [[funding]]. We currently have some
71 funding and always appreciate more! If you are a Corporation or an
72 individual you can donate tax-free to NLNet, and they can in turn gift
73 our developers. Contact lkcl@lkcl.net for more information.
75 # How Can I Help as a Developer?
77 If you want to write code with us (and receive donations from NLNet
78 for doing so), keep reading. If you want to *learn*
79 so that you can write code with us, see "How can I learn" section,
80 below. If there is anything else,
81 just get in touch on the list, there is plenty to do.
84 [mailing list](http://lists.libre-soc.org/mailman/listinfo/libre-soc-dev),
85 introduce yourself (people will happily say "hello" back") and
86 the Freenode IRC channel
87 [#libre-soc](https://libre-soc.org/irclog/latest.log.html).
89 [recent posts](http://lists.libre-soc.org/pipermail/libre-soc-dev/)
90 and the [[charter]], ask questions if you have any and let everyone know,
91 on the list that you're happy with it and agree to it.
92 2. The next thing you should do is read through the
93 [bugs list](http://bugs.libre-soc.org) and
94 see if there are any bugs that pique your interest.
95 A fascinating way to do that is to view the
96 [dependency graph](https://bugs.libre-soc.org/showdependencygraph.cgi?id=1&display=web&rankdir=LR)
97 3. After that, go ahead and take a look at the
98 [git repositories](https://git.libre-soc.org).
99 4. If you plan to do HDL work, you should familiarize yourself with our
100 [[HDL_workflow]]. If you would like to help with the ASIC layout,
101 see [[HDL_workflow/coriolis2]]
102 5. We do have funding available (see [[nlnet]]) upon completion of issues -
103 we are also working on procuring more funding which gets the project to
104 nanometre scale tapeout.
105 6. After all this, if you feel that Libre-SOC is a something
106 that you would like to contribute to, add yourself to the
107 [current_members](about_us) page, fill in some information about yourself,
108 and join the mailing list and say hello.
110 Also note that you can edit this wiki. You can experiment in the [[Sandbox]].
112 ## Quick peek at the code
114 Here is an example process of how to play with the soc code. The last
115 step you will have needed to install yosys:
117 pip3 install virtualenv requests
118 mkdir ~/.virtualenvs && cd ~/.virtualenvs
119 python3 -m venv libresoc
120 source ~/.virtualenvs/libresoc/bin/activate
122 cd ~; mkdir libresoc; cd libresoc
123 git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/nmigen.git
124 git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/nmigen-soc.git
125 git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/nmutil.git
126 git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/c4m-jtag.git
127 git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/ieee754fpu.git
128 git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/soc.git
130 cd nmigen; python setup.py develop; cd ..
131 cd nmigen-soc; python setup.py develop; cd ..
132 cd c4m-jtag; python setup.py develop; cd ..
133 cd nmutil; make install; cd ..
134 cd ieee754fpu; make install; cd ..
135 cd soc; make gitupdate; make install; cd ..
137 python3 soc/src/soc/decoder/power_decoder.py
138 yosys -p "read_ilang decoder.il; show dec31"
140 The full install process may be automated using scripts found
141 here: <https://git.libre-soc.org/?p=dev-env-setup.git;a=summary>
142 which you can clone with:
144 git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/dev-env-setup.git
148 The whole purpose of this project is to be a learning environment as well
149 as an actual business. If you want to learn how to do ASIC design, with
150 a view to contributing or starting your own ASIC business, start here:
151 [[3d_gpu/tutorial]]. Yes, really: do not let anyone tell you that you
152 can't learn this stuff too.
154 Along the way, if you find any [[resources]] or links that you found
155 particularly helpful, please add them to that page so that other people
156 can also benefit (and you have a place to remember them, too).
160 Most labor is currently being applied to developing the GPU portion of
163 Our highest priority short-term and medium-term: we need HDL engineers.
164 Particularly those familiar
165 with nMigen or just python. Most of the techniques being used require
166 software engineering skills (OO design, polymorphism) than they do more
167 traditional HDL programming skills. Basically if you have experience in 2
168 of the following you'll do fine: python, nmigen, verilog/VHDL/gate-level
169 design. See [[HDL_workflow]]
171 We also need to find a c++ engineer with compiler experience to work on
172 a MESA 3D driver. This will begin life similar to SwiftShader however
173 retaining the vectorisation and predication intrinsics then adding
174 hardware accelerated opcodes (all of which SwiftShader lacks)
176 Also, individuals with experience in formal mathematical verification
181 - [Source Code](/Documentation/index)
182 - [Architecture](3d_gpu/architecture)