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 * [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 <a name="TODO"></a>
  72
  73 This section covers more future tasks.  A progress report
  74 is available at the [[3d_gpu]] page.
  75
  76 | Date     | Task                                      | bug   |
  77 | -------- | ----------------------------------------- | ----- |
  78 | Oct 2020 | Integer OpenPOWER ISA v3.0 implemented    | [[!bug 383]]   |
  79 | Sep 2020 | ECP5 FPGA running basic bare metal        | [[!bug 22]]      |
  80 | TODO     | 180nm GDS-II IMEC tapeout Jun 9th         | [[!bug 199]]    |
  81 | TODO     | Complete MMU for GNU/Linux OSes           | [[!bug 51]]      |
  82 | TODO     | ISA Simulators                            | [[!bug 241]]      |
  83 | TODO     | power-gem5 Simulator                      | [[!bug 581]]      |
  84 | TODO     | binutils support for SVP64                | [[!bug 550]]      |
  85 | TODO     | gcc support for SVP64                     | [[!bug 558]]      |
  86 | TODO     | [[openpower/sv/svp64]] Vectorisation      | [[!bug 583]]     |
  87 | TODO     | In-order execution engine                 |       |
  88 | TODO     | out-of-order execution engine             | [[!bug 81]]       |
  89 | TODO     | Video Instructions and libraries          | [[!bug 137]]      |
  90 | TODO     | IEEE754 FP HDL Library                    | [[!bug 48]]      |
  91 | TODO     | Kazan 3D Vulkan Driver                    | [[!bug 54]]      |
  92 | TODO     | MESA 3D Vulkan Driver                     | [[!bug 251]]      |
  93 | TODO     | 3D instructions                           | [[!bug 252]]       |
  94 | TODO     | cryptographic [[openpower/sv/bitmanip]] instructions   |       |
  95 | TODO     | [[crypto_router_asic]] (130nm?)           | [[!bug 589]]       |
  96 | TODO     | Kestrel BMC Port                          |       |
  97 | TODO     | Debug Working Group (JTAG, DMI, FSI)      |       |
  98
  99 # How Can I Help?
 100
 101 If you would like to fund us, see [[funding]]. We currently have some
 102 funding and always appreciate more!  If you are a Corporation or an
 103 individual you can donate tax-free to NLNet, and they can in turn gift
 104 our developers.  Contact lkcl@lkcl.net for more information.
 105
 106 # How Can I Help as a Developer? <a name="help_as_developer"></a>
 107
 108 If you want to write code with us (and receive donations from NLNet
 109 for doing so), keep reading.  If you want to *learn*
 110 so that you can write code with us, see "How can I learn" section,
 111 below.  If there is anything else,
 112 just get in touch on the list, there is plenty to do.
 113
 114 1. First, join the
 115   [mailing list](http://lists.libre-soc.org/mailman/listinfo/libre-soc-dev),
 116   introduce yourself (people will happily say "hello" back) and
 117   the Libera IRC channel
 118   (#libre-soc at irc.libera.chat port 6697, see
 119 https://libera.chat/guides/connect), [logs here](https://libre-soc.org/irclog/latest.log.html).
 120   Read through
 121   [recent posts](http://lists.libre-soc.org/pipermail/libre-soc-dev/)
 122   and the [[charter]], ask questions if you have any and let everyone know,
 123   on the list that you're happy with it and agree to it.
 124 2. The next thing you should do is read through the
 125   [bugs list](http://bugs.libre-soc.org) and
 126   see if there are any bugs that pique your interest.
 127   A fascinating way to do that is to view the
 128   [dependency graph](https://bugs.libre-soc.org/showdependencygraph.cgi?id=1&display=web&rankdir=LR)
 129 3. After that, go ahead and take a look at the
 130    [git repositories](https://git.libre-soc.org).
 131 4. If you plan to do HDL work, you should familiarize yourself with our
 132   [[HDL_workflow]].  If you would like to help with the ASIC layout,
 133   see [[HDL_workflow/coriolis2]]
 134 5. We do have funding available (see [[nlnet]]) upon completion of issues -
 135   we are also working on procuring more funding which gets the project to
 136   nanometre scale tapeout.
 137 6. After all this, if you feel that Libre-SOC is a something
 138   that you would like to contribute to, add yourself to the
 139   [current_members](about_us) page, fill in some information about yourself,
 140   and join the mailing list and say hello.
 141
 142 Also note that you can edit this wiki.  You can experiment in the [[Sandbox]].
 143
 144 ## Quick peek at the code
 145
 146 Here is an example process of how to play with the soc code.  The last
 147 step you will have needed to install yosys:
 148
 149     pip3 install virtualenv requests
 150     mkdir ~/.virtualenvs && cd ~/.virtualenvs
 151     python3 -m venv libresoc
 152     source ~/.virtualenvs/libresoc/bin/activate
 153
 154     cd ~; mkdir libresoc; cd libresoc
 155     git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/nmigen.git
 156     git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/nmigen-soc.git
 157     git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/nmutil.git
 158     git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/openpower-isa.git
 159     git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/c4m-jtag.git
 160     git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/ieee754fpu.git
 161     git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/soc.git
 162
 163     cd nmigen; python setup.py develop; cd ..
 164     cd nmigen-soc; python setup.py develop; cd ..
 165     cd c4m-jtag; python setup.py develop; cd ..
 166     cd nmutil; make develop; cd ..
 167     cd openpower-isa; make develop; cd ..
 168     cd ieee754fpu; make develop; cd ..
 169     cd soc; make gitupdate; make develop
 170
 171     python3 src/soc/decoder/power_decoder.py
 172     yosys -p "read_ilang decoder.il; show dec31"
 173
 174 The full install process may be automated using scripts found
 175 here: <https://git.libre-soc.org/?p=dev-env-setup.git;a=summary>
 176 which you can clone with:
 177
 178     git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/dev-env-setup.git
 179
 180 ## How can I learn?
 181
 182 The whole purpose of this project is to be a learning environment as well
 183 as an actual business.  If you want to learn how to do ASIC design, with
 184 a view to contributing or starting your own ASIC business, start here:
 185 [[3d_gpu/tutorial]]. Yes, really: do not let anyone tell you that you
 186 can't learn this stuff too.
 187
 188 Along the way, if you find any [[resources]] or links that you found
 189 particularly helpful, please add them to that page so that other people
 190 can also benefit (and you have a place to remember them, too).
 191
 192 ## Needed Skills
 193
 194 Most labor is currently being applied to developing the GPU portion of
 195 the Libre-SOC.
 196
 197 Our highest priority short-term and medium-term: we need HDL engineers.
 198 Particularly those familiar
 199 with nMigen or just python.  Most of the techniques being used require
 200 software engineering skills (OO design, polymorphism) than they do more
 201 traditional HDL programming skills. Basically if you have experience in 2
 202 of the following you'll do fine: python, nmigen, verilog/VHDL/gate-level
 203 design. See [[HDL_workflow]]
 204
 205 We also need to find a c++ engineer with compiler experience to work on
 206 a MESA 3D driver. This will begin life similar to SwiftShader however
 207 retaining the vectorisation and predication intrinsics then adding
 208 hardware accelerated opcodes (all of which SwiftShader lacks)
 209
 210 Also, individuals with experience in formal mathematical verification
 211 are quite welcome.
 212
 213 # Documentation
 214
 215  - [Source Code](/docs/)
 216  - [Architecture](3d_gpu/architecture)