New Dev Platforms Bring RISC-V to the Forefront of Innovation (Part 1)

Dec. 6, 2022

More companies are on track to adopt the RISC-V architecture for new applications that range from robotics to home automation.

Cabe Atwell

Related To: Electronic Design

This gallery is part of TechXchange: RISC-V: The Instruction Set Alternative

Check out Part 2 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.

In Part 1 of this roundup, we’ll look 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.

About the Author

Cabe Atwell | Technology Editor, Electronic Design

Cabe is a Technology Editor for Electronic Design.

Engineer, Machinist, Maker, Writer. A graduate Electrical Engineer actively plying his expertise in the industry and at his company, Gunhead. When not designing/building, he creates a steady torrent of projects and content in the media world. Many of his projects and articles are online at element14 & SolidSmack, industry-focused work at EETimes & EDN, and offbeat articles at Make Magazine. Currently, you can find him hosting webinars and contributing to Electronic Design and Machine Design.

Cabe is an electrical engineer, design consultant and author with 25 years’ experience. His most recent book is “Essential 555 IC: Design, Configure, and Create Clever Circuits”

Cabe writes the Engineering on Friday blog on Electronic Design.