Latest SiFive RISC-V cores aim to boost performance, accelerate AI workloads

SiFive today launched a pair of RISC-V CPU cores aimed at high-performance and AI/ML applications. The Silicon Valley-based biz creates and licenses out a range of RISC-V CPU cores as well as other chip intellectual property to customers to put into their own processors, and also designs its own whole system-on-chips that can …

[Anonymous Coward]

What does export restriction even mean for Open Source?

I can understand if it’s ARM or x86. A company can make an unauthorized knockoff, but anyone who tries to sell it in the West gets sued by ARM/Intel.

If said processor design is OpenSource anyway, then no reseller is going to be sued for selling in the US. So…

…who is going to enforce this? Posting your designs on the Internet is covered by Freedom of Speech.

[Paul Tamera]

Don't confuse open-source and RISC-V

Once again there is a mix-up between open-source and RISC-V...

The RISC-V *specification* is open. Everyone can read it.

There are 2 categories of RISC-V processor IPs:

- Open-source IP – generally low-end cores, unknown quality, and most companies would hesitate putting those into a production chip

- Commercial IP – licensed by a company, verified, using very similar licensing models as Arm / ARC / ...

SiFive is commercial IP. These high-end processors are very far from being free (probably 8 figures...), and they are *not* open.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Don't confuse open-source and RISC-V

I don’t think anyone was confused?

Also, the OpenSource designs are ok. SiFive released one a while ago. They aren’t going to rival Intel Xeons, but they run code.

[steelpillow]

Re: Don't confuse open-source and RISC-V

Sounds to me like someone is confusing cheap'n'cheerful silicon with performant silicon here.