ALLWINNER CREATES FIRST RISC-V AP: D1 Targets Smart IoT With Custom GPU and Integrated DSP

摘要

China first began consolidating its data-center supply chain by employing custom processors, such as Alibaba's Xuantie 910, Baidu's Kunlun K200, and Jiangnan's Sunway. Now another Chinese company, Allwinner Technology, is delivering the first RISC-V-powered application processor (AP). The new D1 AP deviates from that vendor's longstanding Arm strategy, implementing a RISC-V-compatible design with a custom graphics accelerator. Allwinner licenses the chip's Xuantie c906 CPU from T-Head, an Alibaba subsidiary. The Dl can power low-end single-board Linux computers that, for example, control digital advertising boards in mall kiosks. It also enables hearable, smart meters, and other simple IoT devices. The chip integrates a single c906 CPU, a custom GPU, a Cadence Tensilica DSP to process digital audio, and a suite of external interfaces. Manufactured in 22nm technology, it sells on a development board and as a standalone product.