This gallery is part of TechXchange: RISC-V: The Instruction Set Alternative
Check out Part 1 here.
What you’ll learn:
- What is RISC-V?
- What are some of the popular RISC-V platforms for development?
RISC-V is described as an instruction set architecture (ISA) rooted in reduced instruction set computer (RISC) principles. RISC-V is unique because it's a common, free, open-source ISA to which software can be ported, hardware can be developed, and processors can be built to support it. RISC-V is designed to support all levels of computing, from the lowest embedded devices to the largest supercomputers. It's also particularly well-suited to embedded, IoT, and cloud applications where the processor's size, cost, and power consumption are important considerations.
The RISC-V platform can be used with a myriad of support technology, including software toolchains, debuggers, simulators, and verification tools, along with a wide range of hardware platforms, from low-cost FPGAs to high-end multicore processors.
Like Part 1 of this gallery series, Part 2 looks at some of the latest RISC-V development platforms and what they offer.
So, what does the future have in store for RISC-V? The RISC-V ISA was initially designed with extensibility in mind, and as such, there’s no definitive answer to this question. However, RISC-V has been gaining traction in recent years as a viable alternative to traditional ISAs such as x86 and Arm, so it’s likely that we will see continued adoption and development of the RISC-V ISA.
Its future also will depend on the specific needs and goals of the organizations and individuals using it. However, some possible scenarios for RISC-V include continued growth and adoption of the architecture by more organizations and individuals, as well as further development and refinement of the architecture itself. In addition, RISC-V could become the standard architecture for many new embedded and low-power devices, or even replace existing architectures such as x86 in specific applications.