OpenCores

OpenCores is an open source hardware community developing digital open source hardware through electronic design automation, with a similar ethos to the free software movement. OpenCores hopes to eliminate redundant design work and slash development costs. A number of companies have been reported as adopting OpenCores IP in chips,[1][2] or as adjuncts to EDA tools.[3][4] OpenCores is also cited from time to time in the electronics press as an example of open source in the electronics hardware community, for example,[5] EE Times reported in late 2008 that OpenCores had passed the 20,000 subscriber mark.[6] In October 2010 it reached 95,000 registered users and has approximately 800 projects, in July 2012 it reached 150,000 registered users.

OpenCores has always been a commercially owned organization. In 2015, the core active users of OpenCores established the independent Free and Open Source Silicon Foundation (FOSSi), and registered the libreCores.org website, as the basis for all future development, independent of commercial control.

History of OpenCores

Damjan Lampret, one of the founders of OpenCores states on his website that it began in 1999 . The first public record of the new website and its objectives was on CNET News in 2001.[7] Through the following years it was supported by advertising and sponsorship, including Flextronics.[1]

In mid-2007 an appeal was put out for a new backer,[8] and, in November of that year, Swedish design house ORSoC AB agreed to take over maintenance of the OpenCores website.[9]

During 2015, ORSoC AB formed a joint venture with KNCMiner AB to develop bitcoin mining machines. As this became the primary focus of the business, they were able to spent less time with the opencores.org project. In response to the growing lack of commitment, the core OpenRISC development team set up the Free and Open Source Silicon Foundation (FOSSi), and registered the libreCores.org website, as the basis for all future development, independent of commercial control [10].

Licensing

In the absence of a widely accepted open source hardware license, the components produced by the OpenCores initiative use several different software licenses. The most common is the GNU LGPL, which states that any modifications to a component must be shared with the community, while you can still use it together with proprietary components. The less restrictive 3-clause BSD license is also used in some hardware projects, while the GNU GPL is often used for software components, such as models and firmware.

The OpenCores library

The library will consist of design elements from central processing units, memory controllers, peripherals, motherboards, and other components. Emerging semiconductor manufacturers could use the information and license designs for free.

Currently the emphasis is on digital modules called 'cores', commonly known as IP Cores. The components are used for creating both custom integrated circuits (ASICs) and FPGAs.

The cores are implemented in the hardware description languages Verilog, VHDL or SystemC which may be synthesized to either silicon or gate arrays.

The project aims at using a common non-proprietary system bus named Wishbone, and most components are nowadays adapted to this bus.

Among the components created by OpenCores contributors are:

OpenRISC ASIC

In April 2011 OpenCores opened donations[13] for a new project to develop a complete System on a chip design based on the OpenRISC processor and implement it into an ASIC-component. OpenCores affiliated with OpenCores, for example OpenSPARC and LEON.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Andrew Orlowski, "Flextronics demos open source chips", The Register, 12 December 2003,
  2. ↑ Rick Merritt, "Vivace plans to release HD media processors", EE Times India (online edition), 20 April 2006
  3. ↑ Dylan McGrath, "Firm packages OpenCores IP with EDA tool", EE Times (online edition), 9 January 2006
  4. ↑ "OVP Simulator Smashes SystemC TLM-2.0 Performance Barrier", EDA Cafe, 5 February 2009
  5. ↑ Richard Goering, "Doors 'open' to hardware", EE Times (online edition), 6 June 2005
  6. ↑ Anne-Francoise Pele, "OpenCores records 20,000 users", EE Times Europe (online edition), 28 October 2008
  7. ↑ John G Spooner, "Open-source credo moves to chip design", CNET News, 27 March 2001
  8. ↑ Peter Clarke, "OpenCores website, brand up for sale", EE Times Europe (online edition), 25 June 2007
  9. ↑ Peter Clarke, "Swedish design house agrees to maintain OpenCores", EE Times Europe (online edition), 28 November 2007
  10. ↑ Announcement of FOSSi at ORConf2015, CERN, Genva. schedule and video
  11. ↑ risc16f84 http://www.opencores.org/project,risc16f84
  12. ↑ zet86 http://opencores.org/project,zet86
  13. ↑ Call for OpenRISC ASIC donations, 30 April 2011

External links


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