[Arm-netbook] crowdfunding page is live -- and different CPUs for the future

[Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton]

---
crowd-funded eco-conscious hardware: https://www.crowdsupply.com/eoma68


On Mon, Jul 18, 2016 at 8:40 PM, Manuel A. Fernandez Montecelo
<manuel.montezelo at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> 2016-07-18 15:34 Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton:
>>
>> On Mon, Jul 18, 2016 at 11:26 AM, Manuel A. Fernandez Montecelo
>> <manuel.montezelo at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> 2016-07-18 01:38 Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton:
>>
>>
>>>> ... but if you *don't do* that licensing, and instead try to replicate
>>>> them all, you are immediately placing the entire project at risk.
>>>> bear in mind that TSMC won't talk to you if you make a failed chip
>>>> (first time) because you're wasting their time.  and it costs $USD 2
>>>> *MILLION* for the production masks (the lithographic masks like an OHP
>>>> plastic sheet)
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I don't really have any idea about the fabrication processes, but
>>> according to this:
>>>
>>>  https://dev.sifive.com/documentation/freedom-u500-platform-guide/
>>>
>>>  "The resulting customized U500 SoC is optimized for manufacture in a
>>>  TSMC 28nm metal-gate process, and delivered as packaged tested parts
>>>  by SiFive."
>>>
>>> and contains most of the technologies that you mention, except video,
>>> but maybe the custom accelerators can substitute traditional GPUs.
>>
>>
>> yeah the "except video" means it can't be used (as a SoC).
>> connecting a GPU via PCIe.... mmm... you're at what... between 20 to
>> 1000 watts there, depending on the GPU?
>>
>> and up to *FOUR* DDR3/4 lanes?  WOW.  128-bit-wide memory access.
>> yowser.  that's going to be something like 12-20 watts just on memory
>> access.
>
>
> The 32 bit version is more power-restrained, perhaps:
>
>  https://dev.sifive.com/documentation/freedom-e300-platform-guide/
>
> (but I don't think that 32-bits of a new architecture it's very
> interesting / future-proof)

 correct.  and it's targetted at 180nm so will be maaax ooooof....
72mhz, or 120 mhz, thereabouts.  it'll be very low power, and pretty
low-cost ($2 or so).  it's equivalent to the STM32F and the ATSAM
range in other words.


>
> I suppose that using custom co-processors/accelerators is an alternative
> possibility for video/display, but probably not easy.  Some uses of the
> SoC (e.g. micro-servers) probably don't care anyway,

 yeah they wouldn't.  that U500 would actually make a great EOMA200 processor.

> but I understand
> that it's part of the EOMA68 standard.

 it's not that, it's that the power requirements to run a separate
video IC are just as heavy if not heavier than the actual processor
itself.  even just running the PCIe lanes between the video and main
processor - driving the voltages up and down - can take up a
significant proportion of the EOMA68 power budget.



>
> Other than that, I hoped that by providing the links would lead to some
> quick evaluation of the platform just announced, but if they're not
> useful nevermind, sorry for the noise.

 no it's all good

>
>> > Yeah, I agree.  I was only saying that if one's going to go out of
>>>
>>> her/his way and consider IC1T for a future option, RISC-V can be a more
>>> interesting and future-proof alternative *than IC1T* (not better than
>>> ARM or MIPS at the moment).
>>
>>
>> ... we still have to have the OS support.  so we still need to wait
>> for debian, arch and fedora to catch up.
>
>
> I'm quite sure that they'll come sooner than IC1T, though ;-)

 sadly, yeah.  i really like the ICubeCorp design approach.

> The next FreeBSD release will come with support for RISC-V.

 oo interesting

>
>>> Yeah, Loongson would be also good, although I am not sure if they will
>>> keep it active or if they'll abandon it in favour of others.
>>
>>
>> well it's the one that the chinese government is pushing for their
>> independent supercomputer - intel lost out there thanks to the NSA,
>> congratulations U.S. Government you just f*****d your own economy well
>> done!
>
>
> Indian research agencies / government are investing heavily in RISC-V,
> it seems.

 ... because they're (rightly as it turns out!) paranoid about the
NSA, but also paranoid about China.  and russia.  and everybody else.

 no that's great to hear because it means they get their sovereignty back.  YAY!

l.