The Open-Standard C-GPU solutions, offered as IP blocks and software, enable leading processor companies to develop low-power SoCs for Next Generation 3D Graphics, Compute, and AI/ML enabled wearables, AR/VR headsets, auto displays, edge and cloud processing, industrial systems, robotics, and other connected embedded/IoT devices.

SAN DIEGO, May 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- X-Silicon Inc (XSI), a San Diego-based startup, announced today their new NanoTile open-standard low-power "C-GPU" architecture that infuses GPU acceleration into a RISC-V Vector CPU Core with tightly coupled memory for a monolithic processor solution. It will be the first to open-source its unified RISC-V Vector CPU-with-GPU Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) and provide register-level access to its hardware via a Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL). This strategy allows OEMs and Content Providers to leverage a RISC-V Vector Standard ISA with GPU extensions to customize their drivers and applications to a greater level than is currently possible. X-Silicon is also the first to offer Vulkan on RISC-V with fused GPU acceleration, making it a natural choice for development on Android devices.

GPUs today were designed originally to run games and are predominantly triangle-processors. As new workloads for parallel computing are defined, these legacy architectures are being taxed and patched to perform tasks that were never intended for them. As a consequence, memory latencies and compute inefficiencies for dynamically changing content are not well handled by these devices. X-Silicon's solution is designed from the ground up to optimally render and manage this new type of dynamic content using a single C-GPU processor with multiple NanoTiles. As such this new architecture is ideally suited to implementing more efficient graphics, AI and compute algorithms without being bound by the limitations of today's GPUs.

The NanoTile architecture is supported by 14 patents. The patent portfolio is focused on bringing a new generation of AI/ML Compute and GPU rendering using a single processor. The key claims deal with ways in which data is shuttled among the processing cores and memory, reducing latencies, and improving compute efficiency. The patented IP also enables the NanoTile architecture to be deployed within edge and cloud configurations, enabling a federated model for GPU compute.

INDUSTRY SUPPORT

"We want to enable enhanced visual experiences directly on industrial and consumer devices where users have become accustomed to using their mobile phone displays for UI, while enhancing the intelligence on these edge devices. We also want to enable low power visual computing in the cloud that supports novel methods, leapfrogging the capabilities that are available with closed systems. Our Open-Standard, Patented C-GPU Nano Tile architecture is ideally suited for processor companies targeting SoC solutions for low-power markets," said Dan Nilsson, CEO of X-Silicon. "By providing register level access through a Hardware Abstraction Layer, we not only enable novel and more efficient methods for rendering but also ensure compatibility across multiple hardware generations – a feature highly desired by consumer, industrial IoT and automotive OEMs with longer product life cycles."

"For over twenty years, the industry has been seeking an open-standard GPU flexible and scalable enough to support a variety of markets such as AR/VR, automotive, connected IoT and the vast embedded verticals including robotics," said Jon Peddie, the respected graphics market analyst and GPU enthusiast since the 1980's. "I am intrigued by X-Silicon's dynamic and highly scalable C-GPU Nano Tile architecture and its capability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously or sequentially, including OS, applications, graphics, compute and AI/ML processing. They are unique in this regard."

"X-Silicon's new C-GPU architecture is an exciting new contribution to the expanding world of edge computing by leveraging the massively parallel nature of RISC-V with AI/ML and graphics elements" said Pete Bernard of EDGECELSIOR.

The RISC-V ecosystem is reacting positively to the launch of a new Computer-Graphics company that is fully committed to furthering the Open Standard ecosystem.

"We are pleased to work with X-Silicon as they bring their Vulkan-enabled graphics rendering solution for the RISC- V ecosystem and add exciting 3D graphics to the edge platforms that cannot access other proprietary GPUs available in the market," said John Runco, Senior Vice President of Product at SiFive. "X-Silicon's solution enables these platforms to offer enhanced UI capabilities with a single high-performance RISC-V processor. We look forward to working together to bring new graphics capabilities to consumer & embedded customers with X-Silicon's RISC-V-based Open-Standard Vulkan-Enabled implementation." 

"Ventana Micro Systems is excited to partner with X-Silicon as a key graphics and compute solution provider within the RISC-V ecosystem. X-Silicon's innovative software-accelerated graphics and compute solution aligns seamlessly with RISC-V's vector capabilities, showcasing a powerful combination that enhances the performance and efficiency of edge computing solutions," said Balaji Baktha, Founder & CEO of Ventana Micro Systems. "By combining X-Silicon's Open-Standard Vulkan-enabled GPU architecture with our high-performance RISC-V CPUs, we seek to enable new and versatile applications for edge computing and data centers."

The company plans to make its software development kits available to a select set of early development partners later this year.

About X-Silicon Inc

Founded in March 2022 by compute, graphics and programmable processor industry experts, X-Silicon offers the industry's only open-standard combined Compute-Graphics (C-GPU) cores and other IP cores for silicon manufacturers. Our new open-standard patented C-GPU architecture combines a RISC-V Vector CPU core with Vulkan enabled GPU and AI/ML extensions to bring highly efficient graphics, compute, and AI/ML functionalities into a single processor. X-Silicon's dynamic compute-graphics engine, architected to be highly scalable and power efficient, brings power, performance, size, and cost advantages for the next generation of wearables, AR/VR headsets, auto displays, edge and cloud processing, industrial systems, robotics, and other connected embedded/IoT devices. For more information, visit x-silicon.com

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SOURCE X-Silicon