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In an increasingly competitive environment, companies are concerned with controlling costs while maintaining the excellence of their hardware. With the support of the New Regional Policy, microtechnology industrials are collaborating with HEIA-FR to test RISC-V.

Over the past two years, the RISC-V (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) instruction set architecture has become a technology of interest. Developed at Berkeley, it stands out from competing solutions due to its "open-source" nature, allowing for transparent customization and optimization for a wide range of applications. Additionally, the use of RISC-V cores in Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) design encourages innovation within a dynamic and collaborative ecosystem.

Despite its widespread adoption in large-scale and high-performance computing applications, RISC-V technology remains relatively uncommon in industrial sensor ASICs. These sensors require reliable technologies that meet high requirements and have known and controlled costs. However, project partner companies are closely interested in this emerging and promising technology.

Each of the project's partner companies requires specific capabilities and has its own specificities. However, they all share the use of sensors in different types of machinery (proximity sensors, temperature sensors, etc.). They seek to determine the true potential of this open-source technology. While the concept of open-source is well-established in the software domain, its adoption in hardware, particularly in the industry, still raises questions: "There is no external company providing updates, and no technical support. So, industrialists question whether the necessary software tools for its proper functioning will be supported, and for how long" explains Professor Lorenzo Pirrami, project leader.

This implies uncertainties but also advantages. The use of microcontrollers offers flexibility and additional features, allowing companies to improve their sensors and, consequently, their production. Others who already possess them can update them. And the open-source aspect allows for significant reduction in operating costs in some cases.

The objective of the collaborative project ERMIIS is to develop and promote knowledge sharing around the RISC-V architecture among industrial partners, both at the hardware and software ecosystem levels, enabling them to make informed decisions, promote innovation, and foster the adoption of RISC-V architectures in their industrial sensors. "The project aims to explore the potential of RISC-V technology, and to have an overview of both software and hardware aspects, in order to make decisions regarding the use of the product," summarizes Lorenzo Pirrami.

"It's about replacing one technology with another, while maintaining the same level of usability, security and performance," he explains. This is where HEIA-FR specifically intervenes. By providing a set of instructions allowing each industrial partner to operate their microcontrollers according to their own needs, HEIA-FR researchers facilitate the implementation of solutions perfectly adapted to their requirements.

For more information: https://www.innosquare.com/fr/projets-realises/projets-collaboratifs-npr-2020-2023/ermiis/

Redaktion : Charly Veuthey