UK startup launches low-power RISC-V processor design to tackle the twin problems of memory and power; promises up to 50% faster computing speeds
- Blueshift’s BlueFive RISC-V processor tackles memory and energy walls
- BlueFive claims faster calculations and lower energy consumption through data optimization
- Validated design integrates memory controller and CPU for better efficiency
Blueshift Memory has introduced a new RISC-V processor reference design intended to address dual computing challenges: the Memory Wall, caused by slower memory access compared to processors, and the Energy Wall, driven by the rising energy costs of data movement.
The British company claims its BlueFive processor can deliver 5 to 50 times faster computing speeds, depending on the application and programming language, while reducing power consumption by 50% to 65% due to minimized data movement.
Blueshift’s processor is built on an open-source RISC-V core from the OpenHW Group and integrates its own Yonder smart cache and BlueBlaze intelligent memory controller. The company says this combination eliminates latency between memory and CPU, speeds up calculations and reduces power consumption.
Validated design
“The hardware was initially created under our successful Innovation UK Smart grant project and has since been refined as a reference design for a standalone processor,” said Peter Marosan, founder and CTO of Blueshift Memory. “We are creating the software environment for this CPU with TensorFlow, Redis and C/C++ libraries, making it also accessible to Python.”
Blueshift says the design has been validated in FPGA using the STREAM benchmark and tested with real-world applications including computer vision AI and Redis’ in-memory database.
The company says the non-Von Neumann architecture performs best when integrated into both memory and CPU.
“Our design has already been validated on hardware, unlike other CPU solutions that aim to speed up calculations or only provide simulated results. It specifically addresses the Memory Wall – the fundamental problem that memory technology has lagged behind processor advances and is holding back progress,” said Helen Duncan, CEO of Blueshift.
“We are already working with a commercial partner who will be a conduit for our RISC-V solution. We are also making this reference design available for use by other customers to create their own high-efficiency CPU designs.”
“We are also working with a manufacturer in Southeast Asia to create a high-bandwidth Blueshift Memory compatible memory chip, and we will make a further announcement on this very soon,” Marosan added.
