shakti/m_class/libre_riscv_chennai_2018.tex

   1 \documentclass[slidestop]{beamer}
   2 \usepackage{beamerthemesplit}
   3 \usepackage{graphics}
   4 \usepackage{pstricks}
   5
   6 \title{Commercial Libre-RISCV SoC}
   7 \author{Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton}
   8
   9
  10 \begin{document}
  11
  12 \frame{
  13    \begin{center}
  14     \huge{Designing a Commercial Libre RISC-V SoC}\\
  15     \vspace{32pt}
  16     \Large{Ethical Strategic Leveraging of the benefits}\\
  17     \Large{of Libre and Open SW/HW}\\
  18     \Large{for pure unadulterated Commercial gain}\\
  19     \vspace{24pt}
  20     \Large{Chennai 9th RISC-V Workshop}\\
  21     \vspace{16pt}
  22     \large{\today}
  23   \end{center}
  24 }
  25
  26
  27 \frame{\frametitle{Credits and Acknowledgements}
  28
  29  \begin{itemize}
  30    \item The Designers of RISC-V\vspace{15pt}
  31    \item The Shakti Group\vspace{15pt}
  32    \item Prof. G S Madhusudan\vspace{15pt}
  33    \item Neel Gala\vspace{15pt}
  34    \item Rishabh Jain\vspace{15pt}
  35   \end{itemize}
  36 }
  37
  38
  39 \frame{\frametitle{Why, How, What?}
  40
  41  \begin{itemize}
  42    \item Why? Because these days it's just not necessary to
  43          make [un]ethical compromises in order to make a profitable,
  44          desirable mass-volume product\\
  45          {\it (There's enough companies doing that: where it's got us??)}
  46    \item How? By leveraging the long-establised strategic cost and
  47          maintenance benefits of libre-licensed software (and
  48          HDL) and
  49          {\it making sure that the people who provide it are
  50          financially rewarded}.  Also by empowering diverse team
  51          collaboration
  52    \item What? A 2.5ghz RISC-V 64-bit SoC that has
  53                  a 3D Embedded GPU, 1080p Video decode, and interfaces
  54                  to make it attractive for use in tablets, netbooks, industrial
  55                  embedded and more.  22nm or less, under 400 pins, under USD \$4.\\
  56   {\it All sounds obvious... but is it practical and achievable?}
  57   \end{itemize}
  58 }
  59
  60
  61 \frame{\frametitle{Definitions}
  62
  63  \begin{itemize}
  64    \item {\bf Business}: the provision of a service and being
  65                  commensurately financially rewarded for doing so
  66    \item {\bf Spongeing}: the provision of a service and being
  67                   taken advantage of for doing so {\it (cf: Professor Yunus)}
  68         \item {\bf An ethical act}: an act that increases truth,
  69                   love, awareness or creativity for one or more people
  70                   (including yourself), {\it without} reducing those
  71                   same four qualities {\it for anyone}
  72         \item {\bf The Four Freedoms}: the rights and guarantees
  73                   associated with and embedded within GNU Licenses {\it (cf: FSF)}
  74   \end{itemize}
  75   {\it Is it possible to ethically do business and respect the
  76    Four Freedoms? That's where it gets interesting, as there are
  77    even cases where the Four Freedoms are unethical.  Note: google's
  78    former motto "don't be evil" is clearly (unintentionally) unethical}
  79 }
  80
  81
  82 \frame{\frametitle{How on earth does an ethical Libre SoC make money???}
  83
  84  \begin{itemize}
  85    \item Simple answer: Mask Rights.
  86    \item Without Mask Rights: by having a desirable
  87          product, and packaging it for a customer (i.e. by being a middle-man
  88          a service is still being provided for which payment etc. etc.)
  89    \item Without a desirable product or customer(s): err... you don't.\\
  90              (cf: definition of Business)
  91    \item By not having high NREs (leveraging back-to-back deals,
  92              and helping others fulfil their needs)
  93   \end{itemize}
  94   {\it Detachment from the goal also helps. If someone else makes this
  95    product then GREAT! I can go do something else}
  96
  97 }
  98
  99 \frame{\frametitle{Things wot are "off-limits"}
 100
 101  \begin{itemize}
 102    \item Customer entrapment (through proprietary software).\\
 103          Strong business case for not entrapping customers:\\
 104              https://tinyurl.com/most-productive-meeting-ever
 105    \item Funding, endorsing, empowering or otherwise supporting
 106               unethical Companies, Organisations and Individuals.\\
 107              (cf: definition of an ethical act).
 108         \item Being totally inflexible / unrealistic.  Goals have
 109              to be met: it's no good being an idiot about that. If
 110              a Libre 3D GPU really can't be made, use Vivante GC800
 111              (with etnaviv).
 112   \end{itemize}
 113   {\it Still no real show-stoppers to making money (or product):
 114     it's just slightly harder, that's all.  Ultimately it's about
 115     confidence. }
 116 }
 117
 118
 119 \frame{\frametitle{Interfaces, Block Diagram, of the Libre-RISCV SoC}
 120  \begin{center}
 121   \includegraphics[height=2.1in]{../shakti_libre_riscv.jpg}\\
 122   {\bf Separate Power Domains for GPIO banks, Variable voltages
 123     required, low-power sleep states etc.  Quite involved}
 124  \end{center}
 125 }
 126
 127 \frame{\frametitle{Hardware / Development Complexity Comparison}
 128
 129  \begin{itemize}
 130    \item {\bf Server}: relatively easy. PCIe, RapidIO, XAUI, SATA, (1/10) GbE,
 131                  DDR3/4 (or HMC) etc. etc. No multiplexing: all interfaces dedicated
 132                  and high-speed differential pairs.
 133    \item {\bf Desktop}: really just a variant of Server.
 134              Graphics is a PCIe Card (except if integrated).  Peripherals
 135              often done in dedicated external ICs ("Southbridge" concept)
 136    \item {\bf Embedded}: also pretty easy.  Really needs a pinmux.  Low clock
 137          rate, low power mode.  e.g. SiFive Freedom U310.
 138    \item {\bf Mobile}: HARD. Performance/Watt matters $=>$ variable core
 139                  voltage domains {\it per core}.  Number of pins matters (affects
 140                  yield and package cost).  Cost
 141                  matters.  Pinmux critical.
 142   \end{itemize}
 143   {\it Bottom line: Mobile-class processors are challenging!}
 144 }
 145
 146
 147 \frame{\frametitle{TODO}
 148
 149  \begin{itemize}
 150    \item TODO\vspace{8pt}
 151   \end{itemize}
 152 }
 153
 154
 155 \frame{\frametitle{Summary}
 156
 157  \begin{itemize}
 158    \item TODO
 159   \end{itemize}
 160 }
 161
 162
 163 \frame{
 164   \begin{center}
 165     {\Huge The end\vspace{20pt}\\
 166                    Thank you\vspace{20pt}\\
 167                    Questions?\vspace{20pt}
 168         }
 169   \end{center}
 170
 171   \begin{itemize}
 172         \item Discussion:
 173         \item http://libre-riscv.org/shakti/m\_class/
 174   \end{itemize}
 175 }
 176
 177
 178 \end{document}