#thenewscompany : Alibaba Group’s research division, Damo Academy, has unveiled its first server-grade processor based on the open-source RISC-V architecture. This marks a significant step in China’s push for semiconductor self-reliance.
The C930 high-performance computing chip will begin shipping in March as part of Alibaba’s broader strategy to expand its artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing capabilities.
According to Alibaba, the C930 is a 64-bit multi-core processor with superscalar, out-of-order execution and a 16-stage pipeline microarchitecture. It is compatible with the RISC-V RVA23 Profile, which introduces essential hypervisor extensions for cloud and server deployment. The chip includes a vector processing unit supporting FP16, BF16, FP32, FP64, and various integer formats, making it well-suited for AI and data-intensive applications.
This chip is a part of Alibaba’s XuanTie series and represents a major milestone in RISC-V adoption. RISC-V is an open-source instruction set architecture (ISA) that contrasts with proprietary alternatives from competitors Intel and ARM. Due to its open-source ISA, RISC-V allows developers to modify and contribute to its design freely.
This customisability makes RISC-V an attractive option for Chinese organisations amid increasing US restrictions on technology exports.
China’s Push for Domestic Chip Development
Alibaba Group’s investment in performance-oriented RISC-V chips is part of a broader effort in China to free itself from dependence on US technology. The government of China has urged local companies to shift away from American chips, with major programs driving home-grown semiconductor growth.
Only last week, Alibaba unveiled a grand plan to spend 380 billion yuan (£40.87 billion) in the next three years to build out AI and cloud infrastructure. This outlay, more than the company has spent on cloud over the last decade, will be used to build data centres and deploy AI chips, cementing Alibaba as China’s top cloud provider.
China’s Expanding RISC-V Ecosystem
Alibaba’s move is not isolated, other Chinese tech firms and research institutions are also ramping up RISC-V development. The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) is expected to release a high-performance RISC-V-based chip called XiangShan this year, continuing a project initiated in 2019.
China’s telecom giant China Mobile has also signalled its commitment to domestic chip technology, including RISC-V, while PC manufacturers like Lenovo are exploring alternatives to American-designed processors.
Despite these efforts, China has yet to produce a RISC-V processor that rivals top-tier offerings from Intel, AMD, or NVIDIA.
But Alibaba’s experience with designing chips suggests there is capacity for rapid improvement. The company previously developed the Yitian 710, an Arm CPU that outperformed much of the competition in hyperscale cloud computing.
Source : Techerati
