RISC-V is gaining attention throughout the semiconductor industry. It offers the lure of an open-source solution that anyone can leverage to create their own CPU or custom accelerator.
Of course, dig deeper and challenges emerge. RISC-V is new and does not have the benefit yet of years of field-proven experience. This means that a carefully chosen and executed CPU verification strategy is essential. It also means that the availability of a “golden reference model” is a critical component that must be secured. Without a known good reference, it is impossible to have confidence in verification results. Having a custom instruction set simulator (ISS) is vital to success.