Introduction To SiFive Vector Processors

After describing the current 2022 broad SiFive Performance, Intelligence, and Essential Processor Product portfolio, this webinar introduction to the SiFive vector processors begins by identifying some of the challenges that exist for system designers and subsequent evolving application trends.

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The semiconductor market is constantly looking to simplify design cycles while striving for more portability and re-use, broader extensibility, and increasing design scalability. In parallel, modern neural networks are rapidly and continuously evolving requiring more powerful hardware and scalable software solutions. These trends align well with the desire for more open and community-supported solutions to enable collaboration on a large scale.

The webinar also describes the benefits of RISC-V Vectors and details why they provide more optimal solutions than those based on packed-SIMD solutions and wraps up with details on the software and hardware ecosystem available supporting the SiFive vector solutions.

The introduction of the SiFive® Performance™ P270 and SiFive Intelligence™ X280 processors brings to market the first available licensable IP to support the RISC-V Vector ISA 1.0 (ratified in late 2021).

The X280 processor is a 64-bit RISC-V Linux-capable, RISC-V Vector processor, offering best-in-class high performance and efficiency targeting AI and ML workloads. It features the powerful combination of a RISC-V Vector ISA with a 512-bit vector register length, along with the SiFive Intelligence Extensions, tightly integrated with an 8-stage dual-issue in-order scalar pipeline and decoupled vector ALU pipeline. The SiFive Intelligence Extensions operations augment and extend the standard RISC-V Vector ISA and are specifically tuned for the acceleration of neural network computation.

The P270 processor is a 64-bit RISC-V Linux capable, RISC-V Vector enabled, application processor, offering best-in-class performance and efficiency for the broadest range of control and vector combined computation workloads. The P270 features the powerful combination of a RISC-V Vector ISA with a 256-bit vector length, integrated with an 8-stage, dual-issue, in-order scalar pipeline and decoupled vector ALU pipeline.

Following the 2021 release of the P270 and X280 processors, SiFive has worked closely with customers to further define and build a vector roadmap that adds some powerful new features and enhancements, higher performance vector-based processors, along with wider vector registers. To find out more about licensing the P270 or X280, please contact us for more details; you can also access the other materials on our SiFive vectors page

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