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With semiconductor scaling no longer being an option in most situations, optimization means customizing the processor for your specific application. With the right approach and right tools, processor design automation can enable innovation and differentiation. One way of achieving this is to create an application-specific processor by owning the design. To do this efficiently, manual efforts should be reduced to the minimum. Let’s see, in this blog post, how processor design automation can drive innovation and foster differentiation.

RISC-V is bringing design freedom to software and hardware developers

The semiconductor industry is facing scaling limitations (if you haven’t yet, read our white paper on semiconductor scaling) for new applications that require efficient execution of algorithms for data processing. For example, vision, voice and vibration applications. In this context, the only way forward to differentiate is architectural innovation.

The ideal baseline for differentiating is the RISC-V ISA. Free, open, and modular, it allows custom extensions to create a unique processor tailored for specific needs and applications. Most of the time, there is no need to create an entirely new product from scratch. Customizing an existing commercial RISC-V processor is the most efficient way to design a new product with optimal features and PPA.

This approach, which is getting more and more attention, brings new opportunities for software and hardware developers, with complete design freedom. These new opportunities also come with efforts that have not been experienced before. Indeed, any modification to the processor architecture must be reflected in both hardware and software, and be verified. To minimize efforts, make the best use of resources and reduce time to market, processor design automation is key.

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