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-riscv.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 LibreSOC, 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 diffcult for customers to get their hands on the
  26 drivers and install them due to their locked down nature. LibreSOC 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
  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
  60 # How Can I Help?
  61
  62 If you would like to fund us, see [[funding]]. We currently have some
  63 funding and always appreciate more!  If you are a Corporation or an
  64 individual you can donate tax-free to NLNet, and they can in turn gift
  65 our developers.  Contact lkcl@lkcl.net for more information.
  66
  67 # How Can I Help as a Developer?
  68
  69 If you want to write code with us (and receive donations from NLNet
  70 for doing so), keep reading.  If you want to *learn*
  71 so that you can write code with us, see "How can I learn" section,
  72 below.  If there is anything else,
  73 just get in touch on the list, there is plenty to do.
  74
  75 1. First, join the
  76 [mailing list](http://lists.libre-riscv.org/mailman/listinfo/libre-riscv-dev),
  77 introduce yourself (people will happily say "hello" back"). Read through
  78 [recent posts](http://lists.libre-riscv.org/pipermail/libre-riscv-dev/)
  79 and the [[charter]], and let everyone know, on the list that you're
  80 happy with it and agree to it.
  81 2. The next thing you should do is read through the [bugs
  82 list](http://bugs.libre-riscv.org) and see if there are any bugs that
  83 pique your interest.
  84 3. After that, go ahead and take a look at the    [git repositories](https://git.libre-riscv.org).
  85
  86 4. If you plan to do HDL work, you should familiarize yourself with our
  87    [[HDL_workflow]].  If you would like to help with the ASIC layout,
  88    see [[HDL_workflow/coriolis2]]
  89 5. We do have funding available (see [[nlnet]]) upon completion of issues -
  90 we are also working on procuring more funding which gets the project to
  91 nanometre scale tapeout.
  92 6. After all this, if you feel that Libre-SOC is a something
  93    that you would like to contribute to, add yourself to the
  94    [current_members](about_us) page, fill in some information about yourself,
  95    and join the mailing list and say hello.
  96
  97 Also note that you can edit this wiki.  You can experiment in the [[Sandbox]].
  98
  99 ## Quick peek at the code
 100
 101 Here is an example process of how to play with the soc code:
 102
 103     pip3 install virtualenv requests
 104     mkdir ~/.virtualenvs && cd ~/.virtualenvs
 105     python3 -m venv libresoc
 106     source ~/.virtualenvs/bin/activate
 107
 108     cd ~; mkdir libresoc; cd libresoc
 109     git clone https://git.libre-riscv.org/git/nmutil.git
 110     git clone https://git.libre-riscv.org/git/ieee754fpu.git
 111     git clone https://git.libre-riscv.org/git/soc.git
 112
 113     cd nmutil; pip3 install -e .; cd ..
 114     cd ieee754fpu; pip3 install -e .; cd ..
 115     cd soc; pip3 install -e .; cd ..
 116
 117     python3 soc/src/soc/decoder/power_decoder.py
 118     yosys -p "read_ilang decoder.il; show dec31"
 119
 120
 121
 122 ## How can I learn?
 123
 124 The whole purpose of this project is to be a learning environment as well
 125 as an actual business.  If you want to learn how to do ASIC design, with
 126 a view to contributing or starting your own ASIC business, start here:
 127 [[3d_gpu/tutorial]]. Yes, really: do not let anyone tell you that you
 128 can't learn this stuff too.
 129
 130 Along the way, if you find any [[resources]] or links that you found
 131 particularly helpful, please add them to that page so that other people
 132 can also benefit (and you have a place to remember them, too).
 133
 134 ## Needed Skills
 135
 136 Most labor is currently being applied to developing the GPU portion of
 137 the Libre-SOC.
 138
 139 Our highest priority short-term and medium-term: we need HDL engineers.
 140 Particularly those familiar
 141 with nMigen or just python.  Most of the techniques being used require
 142 software engineering skills (OO design, polymorphism) than they do more
 143 traditional HDL programming skills. Basically if you have experience in 2
 144 of the following you'll do fine: python, nmigen, verilog/VHDL/gate-level
 145 design. See [[HDL_workflow]]
 146
 147 We also need to find a c++ engineer with compiler experience to work on
 148 a MESA 3D driver. This will begin life similar to SwiftShader however
 149 retaining the vectorisation and predication intrinsics as well as hardware
 150 accelerated opcodes (all of which SwiftShader lacks)
 151
 152 Also, individuals with experience in formal mathematical verification
 153 are quite welcome.