Re:Unleashing Open-Source Silicon
by wmf on Monday November 25, 2019 @06:44PM
(#21634176)
Why do you think an open source CPU design can't be manufactured by a fab?
That's possible but it doesn't enable the feedback loop where you can modify it, use your own modifications immediately, then contribute them back to the community. FPGAs support that loop, but only for accelerators.
There are economics of scale at play but the entry level keep going down
Everything I've read says that the cost to tape out is going up.
I could see an open and verifiable design taking the place of microcontrollers in many places where cost is more a factor than performances.
Yeah, but why would a community form around that? What's cool about saving a few pennies for some chip companies?
That's possible but it doesn't enable the feedback loop where you can modify it, use your own modifications immediately, then contribute them back to the community. FPGAs support that loop, but only for accelerators.
There are economics of scale at play but the entry level keep going down
Everything I've read says that the cost to tape out is going up.
I could see an open and verifiable design taking the place of microcontrollers in many places where cost is more a factor than performances.
Yeah, but why would a community form around that? What's cool about saving a few pennies for some chip companies?