Andes Technology Unveils Andes D23 and N225 Cores Pioneering the Next Generation of Compact, Performant, and Secure RISC-V Processor Technology

Hsinchu, Taiwan – Oct. 18, 2023 – Andes Technology, the renowned supplier of high-efficiency, low-power 32/64-bit RISC-V processor cores and a Founding Premier member of RISC-V International, proudly announces the release of its latest innovation – the AndesCore™ D23 and N225 RISC-V processors. Specifically designed to cater to the dynamic needs of the Internet of Things (IoT) and embedded systems, these cores epitomize Andes’ unwavering commitment to delivering cutting-edge technology for the interconnected world.

The D23 and N225 cores have been meticulously engineered with compactness, performance-efficiency, low-power consumption, flexibility, and security as top priorities. These cores empower IoT and embedded chip and device manufacturers to meet the burgeoning demands of a rapidly evolving market while minimizing power usage and ensuring robust security.

Andes announced the popular N22, a 2-stage pipeline AndesCore implementing RV32I/EMAC ISA back in February 2019, targeting deeply embedded processing and having a performance of 3.95 Coremark/MHz and 1.8 DMIPS/MHz. The D23 and N225 are revamped designs with a new microarchitecture and the latest RISC-V extensions (details below) to offer better performance, smaller code size, and more security support. They provide a good migration path for customers looking to upgrade their N22 designs or kick-off a new design today.

Common Key Features of AndesCore D23 and N225:
Latest RISC-V Extensions Support: The N225 implements the RV32 IMACBZce non-privileged extensions as well as Machine/User modes and Enhanced Physical Memory Protection (ePMP). The D23 additionally supports the FDKP extensions (Single/Double-Precision Floating-Point, Scalar Crypto and Packed SIMD/DSP draft), and CMO (Cache Management Operations) extension. The D23 is also incorporated with Supervisor mode and its associated PMP (sPMP) for higher security.

Compact Size: Both cores feature a highly compact design with a 3-stage pipeline, primarily supporting single instruction issue with some dual-issue capability. This makes them exceptionally well-suited for space- and memory-constrained IoT and embedded applications, including wearables, sensors, and smart home devices.

High Performance: Both cores achieve industry-leading performance in their class, boasting outstanding benchmark scores such as 4.55 (D23) and 4.4 (N225) Coremark/MHz, and 2.08 (D23) and 1.92 (N225) DMIPS/MHz, respectively. They are capable of operating at high frequencies across various technology nodes such as near 800 MHz at 28nm, providing the necessary computing power for edge IoT devices with ever-increasing performance and feature demands.

Power Management: Both cores support advanced power management technologies such as PowerBrake and Wait-For-Interrupt (WFI) and Wait-For-Event (WFE), ensuring prolonged battery life for many types of untethered IoT devices.

Small Code Size: The N22 already offers industry-leading code size with Andes CoDense™ technology. With the addition of the new RISC-V Zce code size reduction extension, the D23 and N225 further reduce 4.4% code size for the Embench-IoT benchmark, compared to the N22. This provides additional memory cost-saving for Andes customers.

Flexibility: Both cores offer extensive configurability, including optimized multipliers for performance or area, optional static or dynamic branch prediction, various combinations of privilege modes, instruction and data Local Memories with sizes from 1 KB to 512 MB, and 2-wire or 4-wire JTAG debug interface. Designers can tailor these features to address their specific application requirements.

Ease of SoC Integration: To simplify integration into System-on-Chip (SoC) designs, both cores support either Core-Local Interrupt Controller (CLIC) for the single-CPU SoC or Platform-level Interrupt Controller (PLIC) for multiple-CPU SoC, rich options for AMBA interfaces, private machine timers or platform machine timers, and instruction trace interfaces.

In addition to the above-mentioned shared features and latest RISC-V extensions, the D23 core boasts additional capabilities, including built-in instruction and data caches, and ECC soft error protection for all cache and local memories. It can also seamlessly integrate with the powerful ACE™ (Andes Custom Extension) to support custom instructions for Domain-Specific Acceleration (DSA) and has a roadmap to include a functional safety derivative. These expanded capabilities open up opportunities for the D23 to serve a wider range of segments in automotive and industrial control applications.

Dr. Charlie Su, President and CTO of Andes Technology, expressed his enthusiasm for the release of these cores, stating, “The D23 and N225 mark a significant milestone in our commitment to providing innovative solutions for the IoT and embedded segments. With their compact design, power efficiency, and robust security features, these cores are poised to set new industry standards. We believe they will empower designers and developers to create cutting-edge products that can thrive in the fast-paced world of IoT.”

The D23/N225 have been licensed out and several companies are actively evaluating them. Their overall features will be developed and delivered in two phases. For more information about these cores, please visit the Andes Technology website.

About Andes Technology
Eighteen years in business and a Founding Premier member of RISC-V International, Andes is a publicly-listed company (TWSE: 6533; SIN: US03420C2089; ISIN: US03420C1099) and a leading supplier of high-performance/low-power 32/64-bit embedded processor IP solutions, and the driving force in taking RISC-V mainstream. Its V5 RISC-V CPU families range from tiny 32-bit cores to advanced 64-bit Out-of-Order processors with DSP, FPU, Vector, Linux, superscalar, and/or multi/many-core capabilities. By the end of 2022, the cumulative volume of Andes-Embedded™ SoCs has surpassed 12 billion. For more information, please visit https://www.andestech.com.