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Is the project still alive? Risc-V octacores and Epiphany

PostPosted: Fri Nov 05, 2021 5:35 pm
by marek
Hi board,

I'd like to ask whether the project is still alive? I thought the difference between octacores risc-V and epiphany would be that epiphany is something like a DSP processor whereas octacores and hexacores are central processing units adding cores
So epiphany should still be faster then current hexacore processors or am I wrong? Also the idea of throwing out the FPGA and having a dual core single chip with integrated epiphany (if its that simple :)) would create at least a very interesting competing board if not a mobile platform which doesnt necessarily be a mobile phone.

thanks for answers,

Marek

Re: Is the project still alive? Risc-V octacores and Epiphan

PostPosted: Thu Nov 11, 2021 1:58 pm
by marek
Here are a couple of suggestions (just dreaming, please see https://www.zeroasic.com/ :)

A phone or a tablet is being used to mostly read a book while listening to music or switching between video watching and book reading.

So most of the time when a tablet or a phone runs it only needs little graphics transformations raw photos video audio decoding (but with spotify there wont be much other possibilities for listening to music the way it was introduced by itunes), font rendering.

Apple iPad, being a particular case since desktop publishing photo editing music making, recording and mixing (with hundreds of audio tracks and audio plugins) is in apples dna but I'm not sure one would need to write a video editor with desktop plugins in order to know.
Most complex applications usually dont "collide" in terms of running concurently.

Audio video decoding could be paralelized by "turning video off" making the zero (epiphany 64 core?) a powerful chip for xy sliding photo (couple of seconds) transformations and color editing transforms or more complex effects with detection features.

I do not think image signal processing or AI circuits are necessary in order for a future zero chip to compete on mobile market since many applications on googlestore are useless (even games).

One would probably need to port android (glodroid etc) in order to show that the chip is capable of running apps important for every user.

Re: Is the project still alive? Risc-V octacores and Epiphan

PostPosted: Thu Nov 18, 2021 10:37 am
by marek
Im not sure about the speed required for OS but a 4 core 64 core chip would easily outperform 2015 macbook intel chips whats even better one would only need OpenGL and OpenCL wrappers and would be extremely developer friendly
not to mention diverse DSP. Is it just a dream or would such configuration be possible for the iOI chip? I forgot to mention keeping all the ASIC NOT required IMHO outside such as 'modem' ISP AI etc or implement most keeping it software only, makes market for for all other chips normally required