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Imagination introduces Catapult RISC-V CPU cores
As expected, Imagination Technologies is giving another try to the CPU IP market with the Catapult RISC-V CPU cores following their previous unsuccessful attempt with the MIPS architecture, notably the Aptiv family.
Catapult RISC-V CPUs are/will be available in four distinct families for dynamic microcontrollers, real-time embedded CPUs, high-performance application CPUs, and functionally safe automotive CPUs.
The new 32-/64-bit RISC-V cores will be scalable to up to eight asymmetric coherent cores-per cluster, offer a "plethora of customer configurable options", and support optional custom accelerators. What you won't see today are block diagrams and detailed technical information about the cores because apparently, all that information is confidential even though some Catapult RISC-V cores are already shipping "in high-performance Imagination automotive GPUs". The only way to get more details today is to sign an NDA.
Also at AnandTech and Phoronix.
Previously: Imagination Announces B-Series GPU IP: Scaling up with Multi-GPU
Imagination Technologies Plans to Design RISC-V Cores
Related: Innosilicon Graphics Cards Based on "Fantasy One" GPU Feature Up to 32GB GDDR6X Memory
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 07 2021, @06:49PM (1 child)
Imagination, as per company policy it seems, is difficult to work with. They sure don't want to supply documentation and they sure don't want you to talk about their products if you're unfortunate enough to have purchased any.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 07 2021, @08:47PM
Company has been circling the drain for years since Apple dumped them.
Today, PowerVR is synonymous for cheap Android phones that Mediatek got a sweetheart deal not to include Mali on.
FOSS drivers exist for most other GPUs except this one - FSF still has a high priority page to reverse engineer the firmware from back when OMAP was still relevant more than a decade ago.
Avoid.