How RISC-V standards are changing the world [Q&A]

You may have heard of RISC-V -- usually pronounced 'risk-five' -- it's an instruction set architecture originally designed to support computer architecture research and education but which has evolved to become a standard open architecture for industry.

We spoke to Calista Redmond, CEO of standards body RISC-V International to find out more about the latest developments.

BN: Can you highlight some of the recent technical achievements, ratifications, and specifications that RISC-V has made to accelerate innovation?

CR: At RISC-V Summit North America this past October, we announced that the RVA23 Profile is now ratified. RVA Profiles align implementations of RISC-V 64-bit application processors that will run rich operating systems (OS) stacks from standard binary OS distributions. RVA Profiles are essential to software portability across many hardware implementations and help to avoid vendor lock-in. The newly ratified RVA23 Profile is a major release for the RISC-V software ecosystem and will help accelerate widespread implementation among toolchains and operating systems. Key components of RVA23 include:

• Vector Extension: The Vector extension accelerates math-intensive workloads, including AI/ML, cryptography, and compression / decompression. Vector extensions yield better performance in mobile and computing applications with RVA23 as the baseline requirement for the Android RISC-V ABI.
• Hypervisor Extension: The Hypervisor extension will enable virtualization for enterprise workloads in both on-premises server and cloud computing applications. This will accelerate the development of RISC-V-based enterprise hardware, operating systems, and software workloads. The Hypervisor extension will also provide better security for mobile applications by separating secure and non-secure components.

Additionally, RISC-V International has announced that 40 new technical specifications have been ratified in only two years, adding to an already extensive list of ratified RISC-V specifications. The new specs cemented RISC-V as one of the top three instruction set architectures (ISAs) available today. Top specifications include:

• Efficiency: bitmanip, Zc*, Zfa
• Virtualization: hypervisor, aia, iommu
• Vector: vector, vector crypto, FP16, BF16
• Cyber Security: Zicfiss, Zicfilp

Currently, there are tens of billions of RISC-V cores in the market. The ratification of RVA23 and the additional specs helps to spur the impressive and explosive growth and adoption of RISC-V implementations globally.

BN: RISC-V is gaining prominence in various sectors, can you give us some examples of RISC-V’s impact and opportunities in some of these industries?

CR: RISC-V processors will account for almost a quarter of the global market by 2030, according to recent research by Omdia. The entire RISC-V ecosystem benefits from a shared standard ISA, with design freedom, flexibility, scale, and interoperability regardless of the market they serve. Across the globe and across various industries, the RISC-V ISA is delivering significant opportunities due to its open and customizable nature. For example:

• AI/ML: RISC-V's adaptability allows for specialized extensions tailored to AI/ML workloads, leading to more efficient processing, lower power consumption, and reduced costs. Its open nature fosters innovation and collaboration, enabling the development of custom accelerators and hardware. According to ABI Research, RISC-V chip shipments in edge AI (excluding TinyML) will grow to 129 million by 2030.
• Automotive: The automotive industry is experiencing a surge in software integration, with vehicles becoming increasingly software-defined. RISC-V's extendable architecture scales seamlessly across the whole vehicle, enabling the automotive supply chain to collaborate efficiently while fostering independent innovation. This flexibility supports the development of Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS), in-vehicle infotainment, and other emerging automotive technologies.
• Aerospace: Reliability and performance are critical in the aerospace sector. Organizations like NASA and the European Space Agency are already embracing RISC-V for its long life expectancy, power efficiency, and customization. The expanding RISC-V ecosystem is expected to play a crucial role in developing future aerospace technologies, from satellites to avionics systems.

RISC-V is well positioned as a versatile and adaptable solution across diverse technological landscapes.

BN: What specific government RISC-V projects and initiatives are currently underway?

CR: RISC-V’s balanced presence across the world underscores the universal appeal of the ISA. The RISC-V ecosystem has witnessed significant global investment and a diverse membership base made up of tens of thousands of engineers across more than 4,500 members worldwide. And we’re continuing to witness more and more generations of talented RISC-V engineers entering the workforce. This extensive network across countries reduces barriers to entry and fosters innovation.

RISC-V is involved in many global government projects and initiatives, including:

• Europe: RISC-V is central to the European Processor Initiative and various European Commission grants stemming from the European Chips Act. This aligns with EU research emphasizing the importance of open software and hardware as Europe invests in design capabilities for high-performance processing. Additionally, Openchip, a leading innovator in semiconductor technology based in Spain, recently joined RISC-V International as a premier member.
• United States: RISC-V began in a US University lab, funded by US industry as a standard ISA contributed to the public domain. The momentum in the US has continued with adoption and significant investment by numerous multinational companies, universities, government agencies, start-ups, VCs, and more.
• Brazil: The Brazil Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation is a Premier Member of RISC-V International. Brazil and Europe recently signed an international collaboration that will enable Brazil to develop RISC-V technologies to accelerate research and development in semiconductors and supercomputing. Private Research and Development Institutions like Eldorado Institute and Wernher von Braun Advanced Research Center have embraced RISC-V for strategic projects, and partnerships with Spain and Portugal are also centered around RISC-V.
• China: Industry, research, and academia in China have contributed to the overall success of RISC-V. Many cities in China are actively advancing the setup of local RISC-V innovation centers, including a new one in Wuhan that will formulate specifications, promote different applications for RISC-V products, and more.
• India: India has actively engaged RISC-V in its renowned Shakti program as well as numerous national investment programs such as the Digital India RISC-V (DIR-V) Program in academia and industry.

These initiatives highlight the growing global interest in RISC-V as a platform for innovation, emphasizing its potential in government-led technology initiatives and beyond.

BN: How does technology and collaboration within the RISC-V community contribute to ecosystem growth and market adoption?

CR: RISC-V is a standard that lays the blueprint for the connection between software and the underlying silicon. Through collaboration on a shared set of specifications, the community has opportunity to offer expertise and strategic direction on RISC-V building blocks that we all share and leverage. In working from that shared base, the ecosystem has increased incentive and reduced risk in supporting applications on RISC-V. Together, these factors are accelerating market adoption and consumer confidence.

BN: What are the latest software advancements in the RISC-V ecosystem?

CR: RISC-V International and our members have made the enablement of the 'Software Ecosystem' one of our top priorities.

To support the broad community, we have dozens of workgroups and Special Interest Groups working on specific industries and domains such as Android, Security, and Automotive. We also work very closely with the upstream community to enable applications on RISC-V. This year we saw Automotive Grade Linux port to RISC-V as an example of this work. RISC-V also has a growing Developer Boards program to seed hardware within the software community as well as virtual environments through our Dev Labs Program.

We have created an Enterprise Software Ecosystem Enablement Dashboard where we are tracking the development of the top applications and software components that are pivotal to the success of a robust software ecosystem that will meet end customer needs. This gives us useful insight into the current status of RISC-V software enablement. Additionally, we are continuing to work closely with the RISE Project and other related software projects to expedite delivery of more innovative RISC-V products into the market, including mobile, consumer electronics, and more. We are also pushing the RISC-V software ecosystem forward and aligning the efforts of our ecosystem partners.