Alibaba Announces Open Source RISC-V-Based Xuantie Series Processors

At the 2021 Apsara Conference on Tuesday, Zhang Jianfeng, President of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence, announced T-Head’s open source RISC-V-based Xuantie series processors and a series of tools and system software. These are the world’s first full-stack open source series processors and basic software, which will promote the maturity of RISC-V architecture and help accelerate the integration and development of RISC-V software and hardware technologies.

Zhang Jianfeng said that in the Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) era, RISC-V architecture is expected to become the next generation of widely used CPU architecture, following Intel X86 and ARM, because of its open and flexible features. However, the current RISC-V architecture faces problems such as fragmented application, low development efficiency and the difficult adaptation of software and hardware.

Xuantie RISC-V-based series processors adopt self-developed technology, covering all kinds of scenarios from low power consumption to high performance, supporting AliOS, FreeRTOS, RT-Thread, Linux, Android and other operating systems. They have been successfully applied to microcontrollers, industrial control, smart home appliances and other fields. Not long ago, Xuantie 910 was made compatible with Android for the first time in the world, which greatly expanded the application of RISC-V architecture.

Zhang Jianfeng claimed that at present, the total shipment of Xuantie series processors has exceeded 2.5 billion. The company has gained more than 150 customers and over 500 licenses, making the series processors the most widely used domestic chips in China.

SEE ALSO: Following Amazon and Huawei, Alibaba Releases Self-Developed 5nm ARM Server Chip “Yitian 710”

The open source RISC-V-based Xuantie series processors include four mass production processor IPs, namely Xuantie E902, E906, C906 and C910, as well as full-stack software and tools based on Xuantie’s multi-operating system. Developers can download the source codes of Xuantie through T-Head’s Github account and Open Chip Community. On this basis, they can realize open source EDA collaboration, innovate hardware architecture and enrich the software applications ecosystem.