The MIPS Open initiative will be moderated by Wave Computing and an Advisory Committee that will include industry-leading OEMs, partners, universities and technology luminaries
Wave Computing, on Monday, announced that it will open source its MIPS instruction set architecture (ISA) to accelerate the ability for semiconductor companies, developers and universities to adopt and innovate using MIPS for next-generation system-on-chip (SoC) designs.
The MIPS ISA will be open-sourced providing full access to both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions for free of charge – with no licensing or royalty fees. This is being done under the MIPS Open program launched by the Silicon Valley company. Under the program, participants will have access to existing MIPS patents as well.
The company said that the details on the “open-source MIPS” and information on how to participate will be made available in the first quarter of 2019.
Wave acquired MIPS Technologies in June. Since the time of acquisition, Wave CEO Derek Meyer, a MIPS veteran, has been planning on going open source – as revealed to EE Times by Art Swift, president, Wave Computing’s MIPS IP Business.
New Initiative to accelerate innovation
The MIPS Open initiative is a key part of Wave’s ‘AI for All’ vision, according to Lee Flanagin, Wave’s senior vice president and chief business officer.
The MIPS Open initiative will be moderated by Wave Computing and an Advisory Committee that will include industry-leading OEMs, partners, universities and technology luminaries who will help guide community-driven innovations on MIPS.
In addition, certified verification partners will assist in ensuring compatibility of implementations and preventing architectural fragmentation.
Looking forward to many MIPS-based innovations
Lee believes that the MIPS-based solutions developed under MIPS Open will complement their existing and future MIPS IP cores.
“This will ensure current and new MIPS customers will have a broad array of solutions from which to choose for their SoC designs and will also have access to a vibrant MIPS development community and ecosystem,” he asserted.
Swift added, “The overwhelmingly positive response we have received thus far from customers on our MIPS Open initiative is an indication of the dramatic, positive impact we believe the program will have on the industry. We invite the worldwide community to join us in this exciting journey and look forward to seeing the many MIPS-based innovations that result.”
