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{Does what we want already exist?}
  83  \begin{center}
  84   \includegraphics[height=2.4in]{nolibresocs.jpg}\\
  85   {\bf Analysis of SoCs over the past 7+ years (answer: no)}
  86  \end{center}
  87 }
  88
  89
  90 \frame{\frametitle{What's the problem?}
  91
  92  \begin{itemize}
  93    \item {\bf iMX6}: Libre bootable, Vivante 3D GPU (libre etnaviv)
  94             but proprietary VPU (and a power-hungry Cortex A9)
  95         \item {\bf Allwinner SoCs}: mostly Libre bootable,
  96               VPU reverse-engineered; GPU: MALI or PowerVR (i.e. proprietary)
  97         \item {\bf Rockchip SoCs}: good but using MALI or PowerVR.
  98         \item {\bf TI OMAP}: good but using PowerVR.  and expensive.
  99         \item {\bf Samsung}: good but using MALI.
 100         \item {\bf Ingenic jz4775 }: GREAT! performance
 101                   sucks (1ghz MIPS32).
 102         \item {\bf Broadcom SoCs }: Cartelled. and boots from the VPU
 103   \end{itemize}
 104   {\it Basically there does not exist one single commercial SoC that
 105    provides full source code for all functions (CPU, GPU, VPU)
 106    with modern performance.  Note: All of them sponge off of Open Source}
 107 }
 108
 109
 110 \frame{\frametitle{How on earth does an ethical Libre SoC make money???}
 111
 112  \begin{itemize}
 113    \item Simple answer: Mask Rights.
 114    \item Without Mask Rights: by having a desirable
 115          product, and packaging it for a customer (i.e. by being a middle-man
 116          a service is still being provided for which payment etc. etc.)
 117    \item Without a desirable product or customer(s): err... you don't.\\
 118              (cf: definition of Business)
 119    \item By not having high NREs (leveraging back-to-back deals,
 120              and helping others fulfil their needs)
 121   \end{itemize}
 122   {\it Detachment from the goal also helps. If someone else makes this
 123    product then GREAT! I can go do something else}
 124
 125 }
 126
 127 \frame{\frametitle{Things wot are "off-limits"}
 128
 129  \begin{itemize}
 130    \item Customer entrapment (through proprietary software).\\
 131          Strong business case for not entrapping customers:\\
 132              https://tinyurl.com/most-productive-meeting-ever
 133    \item Funding, endorsing, supporting or otherwise empowering
 134               unethical Companies, Organisations and Individuals.\\
 135              (cf: definition of an ethical act).
 136         \item Being totally inflexible / unrealistic.  Goals have
 137              to be met: it's no good being an idiot about that. e.g. if
 138              a Libre 3D GPU really can't be made, use Vivante GC800
 139              (with etnaviv).
 140   \end{itemize}
 141   {\it Still no real show-stoppers to making money (or product):
 142     it's just slightly harder, that's all.  Ultimately it's about
 143     confidence. }
 144 }
 145
 146
 147 \frame{\frametitle{Interfaces, Block Diagram, of the Libre-RISCV SoC}
 148  \begin{center}
 149   \includegraphics[height=2.1in]{../shakti_libre_riscv.jpg}\\
 150   {\bf Separate Power Domains for GPIO banks, Variable voltages
 151     required, low-power sleep states etc.  Quite involved}
 152  \end{center}
 153 }
 154
 155
 156 \frame{\frametitle{Hardware / Development Complexity Comparison}
 157
 158  \begin{itemize}
 159    \item {\bf Server}: relatively easy. PCIe, RapidIO, XAUI, SATA, GbE, 10GE,
 160                  DDR3/4 (or HMC) etc. etc. No multiplexing: all interfaces dedicated
 161                  and high-speed differential pairs.
 162    \item {\bf Desktop}: really just a variant of Server.
 163              Graphics is a PCIe Card (except if integrated).  Peripherals
 164              often done in dedicated external ICs ("Southbridge" concept)
 165    \item {\bf Embedded}: also pretty easy.  Really needs a pinmux.  Low clock
 166          rate, low power mode.  e.g. SiFive Freedom U310.
 167    \item {\bf Mobile}: HARD. Performance/Watt matters $=>$ variable core
 168                  voltage domains {\it per core}.  Number of pins matters (affects
 169                  yield and package cost).  Cost
 170                  matters.  Pinmux critical.
 171   \end{itemize}
 172   {\it Bottom line: Mobile-class processors are challenging!}
 173 }
 174
 175
 176 \frame{\frametitle{TODO}
 177
 178  \begin{itemize}
 179    \item TODO\vspace{8pt}
 180   \end{itemize}
 181 }
 182
 183
 184 \frame{\frametitle{Summary}
 185
 186  \begin{itemize}
 187    \item TODO
 188   \end{itemize}
 189 }
 190
 191
 192 \frame{
 193   \begin{center}
 194     {\Huge The end\vspace{20pt}\\
 195                    Thank you\vspace{20pt}\\
 196                    Questions?\vspace{20pt}
 197         }
 198   \end{center}
 199
 200   \begin{itemize}
 201         \item Discussion:
 202         \item http://libre-riscv.org/shakti/m\_class/
 203   \end{itemize}
 204 }
 205
 206
 207 \end{document}