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