New features include:
Vector Coprocessor interface: This vector coprocessor accelerator interface enables better power and area efficiency with easier-to-programme solutions.
Multi-cluster: The X280 now offers a coherent core complex of up to 4 clusters of 4-cores that scales to best-in-class multi-TOP performance.
WorldGuard: A hardware system security solution that brings trusted execution to protect AI/ML algorithms.
Reference Platform: The first X280 Reference Platform for reducing time-to-market for developers and the fast-growing RISC-V ecosystem
According to SiFive, the Vector Coprocessor Interface extension (VCIX) solves two of the biggest challenges facing designers - system complexity and ease of programming.
To reduce overall system complexity, the VCIX enables designers to directly connect their own custom accelerator to the X280, utilising and sharing the X280 processor system resources. This results in a far simpler, and more efficient, accelerator system design, according to SiFive.
In order to solve the challenge of programmability, the VCIX enables a single toolchain to be used for programming both the X280 and the custom accelerator. As VCIX is a vector instruction-mapped interface, it gives a direct connection from the X280 vector ALU to a custom accelerator which means that custom vector instructions can be executed on the accelerator directly from the vector pipeline as part of the standard SiFive software flow.
Being able to share many of the fundamental processor resources, such as the vector register bank, main processor caching architecture, and memory system, brings significant benefits such as: improved the time to market due to the reduced design time for custom accelerators; higher system performance for specialised workloads and better area optimisation resulting in power and area efficiency gains
The X280 is the first RISC-V Vector processor that can be configured up to 16 cores in a coherent multi-cluster Core Complex, consisting of up to 4 cores in a coherent multi-core cluster and up to 4 coherent clusters. With these multi-core, multi-cluster configurations, SiFive is able to deliver the complete, configured fabric infrastructure alongside the processor to enable full coherency.
WorldGuard, now available for the first time in a high core count system, provides a simple, yet powerful, way of enforcing hardware security by isolating code and data as well as preventing access to select peripherals. It allows different assets to be isolated into separate security worlds. This additional layer of protection can prevent rogue or bogus software running at any RISC-V privilege level, including Machine Mode, from accessing confidential data or tampering with the software.
The X280 Reference Platform enables easy and fast access to everything needed to develop hardware and software that leverages the new capabilities in this latest release of the X280.
The X280 Reference Platform (available in Q3) will comprise of a hardware target based on the Xilinx VCU118 FPGA board, a functional model target based on QEMU (and matching the FPGA hardware target), and a Linux-based BSP, as well as the full architectural specification of the platform. The platform is intended to be easy to use by developers and the software ecosystem alike, making it easier than ever to get your application up and running with a real RISC-V vector-enabled platform.
