Semidynamics puts the power of full core customisation into hands of customers

Leveraging dozens of pre-verified blocks by Semidynamics, the Configurator ensures the final core design is verified, enabling customers to swiftly create a workable core design from thousands of potential variants within a few hours.

The company's ‘Open Core Surgery’ approach allows customers to modify the Semidynamics IP according to their specific requirements, such as integrating new instructions, interfaces, and proprietary technology. This customisation process is two-fold: initially, customers set the base architecture parameters using the Configurator; subsequently, they outline any additional, bespoke features they need. Semidynamics' engineering team then implements these requirements to meet the customer's specifications, with the Configurator facilitating both stages of this process.

Roger Espasa, CEO of Semidynamics, stated: “We are the only company offering fully customisable RISC-V IP cores so there are many choices to be made by customers when specifying their requirements. Our new Configurator tool makes this process extremely easy for the customer to do on their own computer screen. The tool has a sequential set of options that logically works through the thousands of possible variants. As each one option is selected, the resulting core configuration is immediately displayed on the screen so that the customer can see how the layout of blocks builds. The customer can go back and change any of the options to see the effect on the core layout. Naturally, we are available to help and advice customers in the choices to ensure the best possible core design for their application.

 “When the customer has finalised the design, it is sent to us for a PPA and licensing quote. Once this is agreed and the contract signed, the RTL is sent to them immediately and as it is already verified by us, they don’t have that time consuming stage to do. The whole aim of Configurator is to empower the customer with an easy-to-use way to have the exact custom core that they need in the shortest possible time so that they are fastest to market with their innovative product.”

The Configurator tool offers a variety of customisation options, including cache sizes for instructions and data, the size and type of the main memory bus, and eight optional extensions. It also features Semidynamics' Tensor and RISC-V 1.0 compliant Vector Units, allowing choices in the number of cores and data configurations, alongside Gazzillion technology for optimised data flow from memory.

Accessible via the web on the customer's own computing system after registration at www.semidynamics.com/configurator, the Semidynamics Configurator tool represents a stride in simplifying and accelerating the development of customised RISC-V cores for a swift market entry with innovative products.