RISC-V is, like x86 and ARM, an instruction set architecture (ISA). Unlike x86 and ARM, it is a free and open standard that anyone can use without getting locked into someone else’s processor designs or paying costly license fees.
WHAT IS AN ISA?
An ISA as an interface — similar to an Application Programming Interface (API) — for CPU operations. A compiler or interpreter translates your high-level language, such as C, into ISA commands for the processor to perform work.