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 it's a VPU.  And it's 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 * [Mythic Beasts](http://mythic-beasts.com) who don't overcommit on
  56   their VPS allocations (no memory ballooning), and put servers on
  57   the fastest backbone Internet points.
  58 * [Purism](http://puri.sm) donates to us through [NLNet](nlnet)
  59   charitable gifting
  60 * [Raptor CS](http://raptorcs.com) has given us access to a powerful
  61   18-core 128 GB RAM TALOS II workstation, online.
  62 * [Raptor Engineering](https://raptorengineering.com) is providing
  63   additional assistance including access to an [[shakti/m_class/LPC]]
  64   interface (more to come)
  65 * [MarketNext](http://marketnext.org) is helping us connect to developer
  66   resources in Emerging markets, for completion of NLNet-funded tasks.
  67   See the upcoming [Hackathon](https://www.youtube.com/embed/Px6eakWja3Q"),
  68   deadline May 15th
  69 * The [[PowerPC Notebook]] Project
  70 * [RED Semiconductor](http://redsemiconductor.com) is the commercial realisation of Libre-SOC technology that respects and actively supports Libre principles in its business objectives.
  71 * [[fed4fire]] for supercomputer access for verilator simulations,
  72   with thanks to Ghent University / IMEC.
  73
  74 # Status and TODO <a name="TODO"></a>
  75
  76 This section covers more future tasks.  A progress report
  77 is available at the [[3d_gpu]] page.
  78
  79 | Date     | Task                                      | bug   |
  80 | -------- | ----------------------------------------- | ----- |
  81 | Oct 2020 | Integer OpenPOWER ISA v3.0 implemented    | [[!bug 383]]   |
  82 | Sep 2020 | ECP5 FPGA running basic bare metal        | [[!bug 22]]      |
  83 | TODO     | 180nm GDS-II IMEC tapeout Jun 9th         | [[!bug 199]]    |
  84 | TODO     | Complete MMU for GNU/Linux OSes           | [[!bug 51]]      |
  85 | TODO     | ISA Simulators                            | [[!bug 241]]      |
  86 | TODO     | power-gem5 Simulator                      | [[!bug 581]]      |
  87 | TODO     | binutils support for SVP64                | [[!bug 550]]      |
  88 | TODO     | gcc support for SVP64                     | [[!bug 558]]      |
  89 | TODO     | [[openpower/sv/svp64]] Vectorisation      | [[!bug 583]]     |
  90 | TODO     | In-order execution engine                 |       |
  91 | TODO     | out-of-order execution engine             | [[!bug 81]]       |
  92 | TODO     | Video Instructions and libraries          | [[!bug 137]]      |
  93 | TODO     | IEEE754 FP HDL Library                    | [[!bug 48]]      |
  94 | TODO     | Kazan 3D Vulkan Driver                    | [[!bug 54]]      |
  95 | TODO     | MESA 3D Vulkan Driver                     | [[!bug 251]]      |
  96 | TODO     | 3D instructions                           | [[!bug 252]]       |
  97 | TODO     | cryptographic [[openpower/sv/bitmanip]] instructions   |       |
  98 | TODO     | [[crypto_router_asic]] (130nm?)           | [[!bug 589]]       |
  99 | TODO     | Kestrel BMC Port                          |       |
 100 | TODO     | Debug Working Group (JTAG, DMI, FSI)      |       |
 101
 102 # How Can I Help?
 103
 104 If you would like to fund us, see [[funding]]. We currently have some
 105 funding and always appreciate more!  If you are a Corporation or an
 106 individual you can donate tax-free to NLNet, and they can in turn gift
 107 our developers.  Contact lkcl@lkcl.net for more information.
 108
 109 # How Can I Help as a Developer? <a name="help_as_developer"></a>
 110
 111 If you want to write code with us (and receive donations from NLNet
 112 for doing so), keep reading.  If you want to *learn*
 113 so that you can write code with us, see "How can I learn" section,
 114 below.  If there is anything else,
 115 just get in touch on the list, there is plenty to do.
 116
 117 1. First, join the
 118   [mailing list](http://lists.libre-soc.org/mailman/listinfo/libre-soc-dev),
 119   introduce yourself (people will happily say "hello" back) and
 120   the Libera IRC channel
 121   (#libre-soc at irc.libera.chat port 6697, see
 122 https://libera.chat/guides/connect), [logs here](https://libre-soc.org/irclog/latest.log.html).
 123   Read through
 124   [recent posts](http://lists.libre-soc.org/pipermail/libre-soc-dev/)
 125   and the [[charter]], ask questions if you have any and let everyone know,
 126   on the list that you're happy with it and agree to it.
 127 2. The next thing you should do is read through the
 128   [bugs list](http://bugs.libre-soc.org) and
 129   see if there are any bugs that pique your interest.
 130   A fascinating way to do that is to view the
 131   [dependency graph](https://bugs.libre-soc.org/showdependencygraph.cgi?id=1&display=web&rankdir=LR)
 132 3. After that, go ahead and take a look at the
 133    [git repositories](https://git.libre-soc.org).
 134 4. If you plan to do HDL work, you should familiarize yourself with our
 135   [[HDL_workflow]].  If you would like to help with the ASIC layout,
 136   see [[HDL_workflow/coriolis2]]
 137 5. We do have funding available (see [[nlnet]]) upon completion of issues -
 138   we are also working on procuring more funding which gets the project to
 139   nanometre scale tapeout.
 140 6. After all this, if you feel that Libre-SOC is a something
 141   that you would like to contribute to, add yourself to the
 142   [current_members](about_us) page, fill in some information about yourself,
 143   and join the mailing list and say hello.
 144
 145 Also note that you can edit this wiki.  You can experiment in the [[Sandbox]].
 146
 147 ## Quick peek at the code
 148
 149 Here is an example process of how to play with the soc code.  The last
 150 step you will have needed to install yosys:
 151
 152     pip3 install virtualenv requests
 153     mkdir ~/.virtualenvs && cd ~/.virtualenvs
 154     python3 -m venv libresoc
 155     source ~/.virtualenvs/libresoc/bin/activate
 156
 157     cd ~; mkdir libresoc; cd libresoc
 158     git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/nmigen.git
 159     git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/nmigen-soc.git
 160     git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/nmutil.git
 161     git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/openpower-isa.git
 162     git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/c4m-jtag.git
 163     git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/ieee754fpu.git
 164     git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/soc.git
 165
 166     cd nmigen; python setup.py develop; cd ..
 167     cd nmigen-soc; python setup.py develop; cd ..
 168     cd c4m-jtag; python setup.py develop; cd ..
 169     cd nmutil; make develop; cd ..
 170     cd openpower-isa; make develop; cd ..
 171     cd ieee754fpu; make develop; cd ..
 172     cd soc; make gitupdate; make develop
 173
 174     python3 src/soc/decoder/power_decoder.py
 175     yosys -p "read_ilang decoder.il; show dec31"
 176
 177 The full install process may be automated using scripts found
 178 here: <https://git.libre-soc.org/?p=dev-env-setup.git;a=summary>
 179 which you can clone with:
 180
 181     git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/dev-env-setup.git
 182
 183 ## How can I learn?
 184
 185 The whole purpose of this project is to be a learning environment as well
 186 as an actual business.  If you want to learn how to do ASIC design, with
 187 a view to contributing or starting your own ASIC business, start here:
 188 [[3d_gpu/tutorial]]. Yes, really: do not let anyone tell you that you
 189 can't learn this stuff too.
 190
 191 Along the way, if you find any [[resources]] or links that you found
 192 particularly helpful, please add them to that page so that other people
 193 can also benefit (and you have a place to remember them, too).
 194
 195 ## Needed Skills
 196
 197 Most labor is currently being applied to developing the GPU portion of
 198 the Libre-SOC.
 199
 200 Our highest priority short-term and medium-term: we need HDL engineers.
 201 Particularly those familiar
 202 with nMigen or just python.  Most of the techniques being used require
 203 software engineering skills (OO design, polymorphism) than they do more
 204 traditional HDL programming skills. Basically if you have experience in 2
 205 of the following you'll do fine: python, nmigen, verilog/VHDL/gate-level
 206 design. See [[HDL_workflow]]
 207
 208 We also need to find a c++ engineer with compiler experience to work on
 209 a MESA 3D driver. This will begin life similar to SwiftShader however
 210 retaining the vectorisation and predication intrinsics then adding
 211 hardware accelerated opcodes (all of which SwiftShader lacks)
 212
 213 Also, individuals with experience in formal mathematical verification
 214 are quite welcome.
 215
 216 # Documentation
 217
 218  - [Source Code](/docs/)
 219  - [Architecture](3d_gpu/architecture)