The recent miserable comments on the domestic "core" miserable history have flooded the Internet and various nationalisms have flooded. Today's Bloggers also commented on why domestic CPUs have not been successful enough. The reason is very simple. It is a bad luck - wrong choices. Set architecture.
This article is an excerpt from the first chapter in the publication of the book "Hands-on-Teach Your Design CPU - RISC-V Processor".
ISA please pick up this pot - why domestic CPU has not been successful enough
As we all know, the chip is the core field of the development of China's information industry, and CPU represents the core technology in the chip. In this regard, there is a clear gap between China and developed countries. Although after years of hard work, the technological gap has been significantly reduced, but in the civil commercial sector, there is still not seen too many domestic CPUs. What is the reason that domestic commercial CPUs have not been successful enough? Next, we will examine the companies and their current status of domestic development of CPUs, as well as the instruction set genres they choose. By analyzing the past and present situation one by one, I believe I can give readers answers.
MIPS Department - Godson and Jun Zheng
1. Godson
The Loongson CPU was developed by the Godson Research Group of the Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and developed by Beijing Shenzhou Godson IC Design Company authorized by the Computing Technology Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The following is a related introduction of the Loongson CPU chip.
• The frequency of the Loongson 1 is 266MHz, which was first used in 2002, as shown in Figure 1-3.
· Godson-2 has a frequency of up to 1GHz.
· Godson 3A series is a domestic commercial 4 core processor. The latest Loongson 3A3000 is based on the SMIC 28nm FDSOI process, and is designed for 4-core 64-bit, clocked at 1.5GHz, and consumes only 30W, making it ideal for notebook platforms.
The Godson 3B series is a domestic commercial 8-core processor with a frequency of over 1 GHz. It supports vector operation acceleration and has a peak computing capability of 128 GFLOPS, which has a high performance/power ratio. Godson 3B series is mainly used in high-performance computers, high-performance servers, digital signal processing and other fields.
2. Jun Zheng
There is another company in the domestic MIPS Department - Beijing Junzheng. Junzheng and Godson belong to the MIPS camp, different from Godson's focus on desktop PC processors. Beijing Jun is one of the domestic IC design companies that focused on the wearable and Internet of Things field earlier. Because the embedded chip software is generally customized according to the needs. This leads to a certain portion of wearable products and application software in the smart wearable market that have specificity, a relatively short software ecosystem, and the diversification of application requirements. Therefore, a universal solution cannot be used to satisfy everyone's requirements. No one vendor in this area can achieve monopoly. Therefore, it is not easy for the smart wearable market to be monopolized by the x86 and ARM architectures as in the PC and mobile handset markets.
Intelligent wearable chips and IoT chips have low performance requirements. Most of the application scenarios focus on low power consumption, low cost, and size. The products of Junzheng fully meet the performance requirements, and x86 processors cannot be used in this area. The ARM camp IC design companies are subject to relatively high licensing fees and do not have price competitiveness in the case of relatively small chip production. Junzheng has over 10 years of experience in chip design and technology accumulation. Its greatest feature is its high performance-to-power ratio. The first batch of domestic smart watches, including the first-generation smart watches of the fruit shell, the Tuman generation, and the second-generation smart watch of the Tuman, have adopted the program of Jun Zheng.
X86 Department - North Dazhi, Zhaoxin and Haiguang
1. North Massa
Beijing North Public Chi Microsystem Technology Co., Ltd. was established in November 2002 and is an important backbone enterprise in the national integrated circuit design industry. In 2005, AMD and the Chinese government reached an agreement. The Ministry of Science and Technology designated the Peking University Microelectronics Center to receive technical licenses for the AMD Geode-2 processor. AMD's processor is undoubtedly the x86 architecture, and China has thus acquired x86 technology. However, the Geode processor belongs to the AMD embedded processor, so the x86 technology that AMD licenses to Peking University belongs to the embedded architecture.
2. Siucore
Another domestic company that uses the x86 architecture, Siu Hsien, may be more familiar to many people. As we all know, the core x86 architecture is the core technology of Intel and AMD, and the U.S. government will also strictly control the authorization of its technology. However, in addition to Intel and AMD, another Chinese Taiwanese company, VIA, also had an x86 architecture license. According to the report, as shown in Figure 1-8, SMIC's self-developed ZX-C processor was mass-produced in April 2015, 28nm process, 4 core processor, clocked up to 2.0GHz, and support for secret encryption algorithm . In 2017, SMIC announced that its latest generation of ZX-D series 4-core and 8-core general-purpose processors has been successfully taped, and revealed that it will launch 16nm ZX-E 8-core CPU in 2018.
3. Haiguang
In addition to Shanghai SMIC, there is also a newly-born company, Tianjin Haiguang. In 2016, AMD announced that it had reached an agreement with China's Tianjin Haiguang Investment Co., Ltd. to license x86 technology to Haiguang, obtaining licensing fees, and the two companies will also set up joint ventures to license their production server processors. It is said that in order to open up the high-performance server market in China, the x86 that AMD authorized to Chinese companies this time is likely to be the most advanced x86 technology. For Haiguang's performance, it is worth to wait and see.
Power Department - Zhonghong Hongxin
Blue Giant IBM's Power architecture has always been a high-performance endorsement. In 2013, IBM and NVIDIA and other companies formed OpenPower Open Alliance, and other companies can also obtain Power Architecture license. Since then, it has also promoted the establishment of the China POWER Technology Industry Ecology Alliance and signed licensing agreements with a number of Chinese companies. Zhonghong Hongxin is one of them. Zhonghong Hongxin was founded in 2013 and believes that Hongxin can use technology for several years to absorb and introduce new technologies.
Alpha Series - Shen Wei
Shen Wei processor or Shen Wei CPU, referred to as "SW processor".
Shen Wei has continued to deepen and upgrade its own Alpha architecture, and has expanded its multi-core architecture and SIMD feature extension instruction set based on dual-core Alpha, mainly for high-performance computing and server applications. In the 2016 International Supercomputing Conference, based on the application The Granville Lake Light supercomputer system (shown in Figure 1-9) of the Wei26010 processor debuted and won the title. Its peak performance reached 12.5×10.8 billion floating-point operations per second, making it the world’s first super-fast operation. 10.9 billion supercomputers.
ARM Series - Feiteng, Huawei Hass, Spreadtrum and Huaxintong
In order to better understand the contents of this section, it is necessary to introduce the ARM authorization mode. In short, ARM's main licensing model can be divided into two types.
Authorize "ARM processor IP" to other chip manufacturers (partners), who directly use ARM processor IP to design SoC chips.
Authorize "ARM architecture" to other chip manufacturers (partners), which based on ARM architecture self-developed its processor core, and then use the self-developed processor core design SoC chip.
1. Feiteng
Feiteng is a company established by the high-performance processor research team of China National University of Defense Technology. The National University of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China has accumulated strong technical strength in the field of CPU. In 2016, Tianjin Feiteng announced the latest product, FT2000, which was first introduced at the 2015 HotChips Conference, code-named "Mars," and is targeted at high-performance servers and industrial business hosts. The FT2000 uses the ARMv8 instruction set, but uses a self-developed kernel that is different from the Cortex-A53\A57\A72 of the ARMv8 on the market (available directly from ARM's core).
The FT2000 is also remarkable because of its performance, including up to 64 FTC661 processor cores. Its published Spec 2006 test results have an integer number of 672 and a floating point of 585, which is comparable to the Xeon E5-2699v3. This is also the first time that the domestic server chip ties in Intel in terms of performance. The total aggregate bandwidth of the memory control chip is 204.8GB/s, which is higher than the current E5V3 and E7V3 and is close to IBM POWER8 (230GB/s). Comparing with Intel's Xeon E5-2699v3 means that the Feiteng 2000 is sufficient for many commercial applications. As long as the software ecosystem can keep up, it can completely replace some of Intel's products in the commercial market.
2. Huawei Hass
Huawei Histone is currently one of the most powerful chip developers in China. Huawei's Kirin chips are at a level of performance with leading chip companies such as Qualcomm and Samsung. At the same time, Huawei is also one of the top four server providers in China. Huawei, Lenovo, Inspur and other domestic server companies account for more than 65% of the Chinese server market. Huawei had already purchased the ARM instruction set architecture license a few years ago and began to develop its own processor cores to attack the server market.
In the "Twelfth Five-Year" technological innovation achievement exhibition, Huawei exhibited its first ARM platform server "Taishan", equipped with independent research and development ARM architecture 64-bit processor "Hi1612", using TSMC 16nm process, with up to 16 Core, compatible with ARMv8-A instruction set. With Huawei's strong research and development capabilities and market operations capabilities, I believe there will be good performance.
3. Spreadtrum
In addition to Huawei, Spreadtrum is the leader of another domestic mobile phone chip. In 2016, Spreadtrum’s chip shipments reached 670 million sets. In June 2017, it announced the successful development of its own ARM-based processor. Spreadtrum claimed that it has achieved a 6-core design in the same large area as the SC9850 4-core (Cortex-A7) chip. , Power consumption and performance can be deployed according to their own needs, indicating that Spreadtrum has become a smart phone manufacturers except Apple, Samsung (Samsung and Apple's own chips are mainly for their own use), after Qualcomm, the second owner Mobile phone chip makers with key technologies for autonomous ARM CPUs.
4. Huaxin Tong
In 2016, Qualcomm and China’s Guizhou government set up a chip company in China, Huaxintong Semiconductor, to design and develop server-specific chips for the Chinese market. Huaxintong has been authorized by the ARM v8-A architecture and stated that China has become the world's second largest data center market. This authorization will help Huaxin Semiconductor to introduce advanced server chipset technology in the rapidly expanding Chinese server market, helping Chinese companies The local market provides ARM-based server technology to drive large-scale deployment of efficient server solutions.
Back Chef ISA
From the above several chapters, we have already understood the hero list of domestic CPU design. However, as mentioned above, at present, in the civilian commercial field, there are still not many domestic CPUs. It can be said that the main reason why home-made processors have not been successful enough in the civilian commercial field to date is ISA.
The importance of the instruction set architecture (ISA) for the CPU is discussed. For a CPU, the absolute hardware technology level is not the most important.
At present, the commercial mainstream instruction set architecture has already manifested an obvious dominant pattern in different fields.
· The x86 architecture dominates the desktop PC and server space.
The ARM architecture dominates the mobile handheld field, while it has a full range of desktop PCs and servers.
ARM has an absolute advantage in the embedded field.
Therefore, the author has always believed that only commercial companies that depended on the x86 and ARM camps can truly realize full commercialization. I believe that this is why the emerging heroes of CPU design in recent years are mostly x86 or ARM systems.
However, domestic autonomy is also crucial to China's national economy and people's livelihood. Pursuing domestically controlled and independent security is the direction China must adhere to in its strategy. From this point of view, the choice of x86 or ARM architecture has its limitations, as discussed below.
1. X86 architecture
· Since Intel and AMD are chip companies and not intellectual property (IP) companies, the x86 architecture is its lifeline. Assuming that other authorized chip companies use x86 architecture chips to pose a real threat to Intel and AMD, Intel AMD can fully pick up the patented stick to stop the authorization.
• The licensing cost of the x86 architecture is extremely high and far from the ordinary companies or organizations.
2. ARM architecture
The situation of the ARM architecture will be optimistic because the ARM architecture is also a patent-protected architecture belonging to ARM, but ARM's business model is based on the principles of open and win-win. ARM is the leader of the ARM ecosystem and the maker of core rules. It obtains economic benefits through infrastructure licensing and IP core licensing. On the other hand, a large number of upstream and downstream software and hardware companies in the ecosystem follow the standard specifications standardized by ARM and connect with many customer needs to achieve economic benefits.
· The domestic ARM ecosystem-based CPU industry already has a good foundation. Many companies, including Huawei Hisense, Spreadtrum, Lianxin, and Feiteng, have accumulated years of experience in ARM chip R&D. In the field of mobile terminals, China's chip design technology has reached the international mainstream level. Synchronized, foreign giants such as Qualcomm, Samsung, and Google also belong to the ARM ecosystem camp. Therefore, from a global perspective, domestic and foreign chip companies can compete fairly in an open and win-win ecosystem. Based on the above reasons, the CPU company using the ARM architecture in the domestic CPU heroes list has achieved even more impressive results.
Despite this, the ARM architecture belongs to the ARM company after all. On the one hand, it needs to pay ARM company an extremely high licensing fee (one million US dollars). On the other hand, after being acquired by Softbank, ARM now belongs to a Japanese company. Therefore, from the standpoint of absolute autonomy and control, it is unavoidable that it is subject to human beings.
The so-called "what is Xiao Cheng and Xiao He?". Read here, readers may want to ask, is there no ISA with the following characteristics?
(1) It is open source shared and does not belong to the private company of a certain commercial company. Therefore, there will be no fear of being controlled by people and self-control, and it is even more unnecessary to pay high licensing fees to commercial companies.
(2) It is based on the basic principle of open and win-win situation. There is a unified non-profit organization as the leader and the maker of core rules. Any company or individual can use its architecture for free and permanently.
· A large number of upstream and downstream software and hardware companies in the ecosystem should follow the standards and standards formulated by the organization, and meet the needs of many customers to achieve economic benefits.
· From a global perspective, domestic and foreign chip companies can compete fairly in this open and win-win ecosystem.
I believe many people, like the authors, are very much looking forward to the emergence of such an ISA for a long period of time. The industry has even seen the hope that the country will lead the designation of a national standard ISA, thus unifying the sound of the domestic CPU's ISA factions. . However, the national standard ISA, which is confined to a country, is inevitably out of place and impossible to succeed under the current trend of globalization. So all people think that such an ISA is not possible. As a veteran of the CPU design, the author has to use a poem to express his feelings: "When you die, you know everything, but you can't see Kyushu. Wang Shibei set the day of the Central Plains, and the family sacrifice did not forget Naimeng."
However, in 2016, a freshman named RISC-V suddenly appeared with a halo. It is in full compliance with the two conditions mentioned above. It belongs to the free open architecture of all humanity and has no patent defects. Many internationally renowned large companies have joined the competition, and will compete in an open and win-win environment. The author faintly feels that if this ISA can really develop, this seems to be a real opportunity for the rise of domestic CPUs.
Just now we mentioned that some people had proposed the establishment of a national standard instruction set architecture. When RISC-V was born, our neighboring country India quickly adopted RISC-V as its national standard instruction set, recommending its domestic universities. Both research institutes and RISC-V architectures have been used, and plans have been developed and dedicated funds have been invested in the development of several different series of RISC-V processors. Our country's related processor companies,,,, seem to agree to leave the silence. .
Life is already so difficult, why do you put it through - helplessness of CPU practitioners
For ordinary practitioners in every industry, they hope that their industries can thrive and thrive, and that a large number of commercial companies can participate in and generate a large number of jobs. If the industry in which it is located is either in the west or the oligarchy, it will naturally be unable to generate a large number of job demands. The ordinary practitioners may only have to seek out jealousy, desolate, and miserable. Or, "In front of the door, saddle horses and horses, the oldest woman married as a merchant woman."
Processor design is a typical example. Although the processor design is an open subject, the required technologies are mature, many engineers and practitioners have mastered it, and have the ability to develop processors. but:
As the processor architecture has long been dominated by commercial giants represented by Intel (x86 architecture) and ARM (ARM architecture), and the oligopoly effect derived from its software ecosystem has become insurmountable for ordinary companies and individuals. Scorpio.
Due to the exclusive effect of oligarchs, many processor architectures are dying out, and domestic commercial CPUs are not successful enough. As a result, the work of CPU design has become very rare for commercial companies. It can be seen from a distance, and it is not possible to play tricks. There is no long-term domestic industry and commercial company with sufficient influence.
In summary, as the senior design engineer of the CPU who once worked in a world-class company, the author was faced with the dilemma of joblessness when he changed jobs, and he also sighed at ease when many colleagues were forced to change jobs. It can be said that "the song is taller and widowed, and the big voice is thin," and CPU design practitioners are quite helpless. At this point, the colleagues who were forced to change may have tearfully said: "Life has been so difficult, why do you put it down?"
The good news is that the situation in the domestic CPU industry has finally changed in recent years. Due to China’s huge market and industrial support, the SMIC, Feiteng, Huawei, Spreadtrum, Haiguang, and Huaxin that we mentioned in the previous section have emerged. Companies such as General Electric who are engaged in CPU design, and with the birth of the RISC-V architecture, will all generate more market demand.
Concluding remarks: The understanding of the past is unfathomable
The various articles that recently discussed the tragic history of domestic "cores" flooded the Internet, and various nationalisms were rampant. The reason why this kind of silicon is astonishing is that home-grown CPUs have not been successful enough. The reason is very simple. It is bad luck - the wrong instruction set architecture. For the future, how do we choose? . . . I heard that the real estate next door opened for a new period. . . By the way, check the number of mortgages in this period expires. . Cary’s money does not seem to be enough. .
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