A Flexible RISC-V CPU Design

A Flexible RISC-V CPU Design

A Flexible RISC-V CPU Design

The latest 6-mW open-source plastic chip can perform machine learning functions and remains operational even when wrapped around a pencil.

A flexible golden chip wrapped around a thin tube.
This new RISC-V chip experiences an approximately 4% performance dip when bent.
Pragmatic Semiconductor

This innovative chip is the first flexible microprocessor made outside silicon, demonstrating it can handle machine learning tasks while being flexible. The U.K.-based team at Pragmatic Semiconductor claims it could potentially cost under one dollar.

For instance, an ECG patch equipped with this microprocessor could diagnose arrhythmia by processing the data gathered from its sensors, according to Emre Ozer, senior director of Pragmatic Semiconductor’s processor division.

Flexible electronics enable applications in which interaction with soft materials is necessary, such as body-embedded devices. While traditional electronics use rigid materials, new avenues are opening up.

Cost-effective and Adaptable

The chip, named Flex-RV, is built on the metal-oxide semiconductor indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO).

Whereas typical attempts to create flexible silicon devices require specialized packaging to maintain integrity, Flex-RV’s IGZO construction allows for a more straightforward and cost-effective fabrication directly on flexible plastics.

With a design based on the open-source RISC-V instruction set, Flex-RV eliminates the significant costs usually tied to proprietary chips. This open nature allows for flexibility and customization in design.

The team aims to lower chip costs and democratize access to processor technology through their innovations.

Flex-RV packs a 17.5 square millimeter core and approximately 12,600 logic gates, executing tasks at a speed of 60 kHz on less than 6 milliwatts.

Unlike previous non-silicon chips tested only on wafers, Flex-RV evaluations were conducted on printed circuit boards, demonstrating its ability to function correctly even when bent at sharp angles.

Each chip’s projected manufacturing cost may be under a dollar, propelled by cutting-edge fabrication technologies and open-source licensing. The results have been detailed in a recent publication in Nature.