How It All Began

It began in June 2009 with a newspaper article. Nothing much happened, but then another article came. It was time that the entrepreneurs and the budding designers came together to realize the Indian Microprocessor Dream!


I met Mr. Ashish Banerjee through a mutual friend, Anshuman Ghosh. These were the excerpts of our first meeting:

• We wanted to create our own microprocessor which we can tailor to the specific application we need it for

• OpenSPARC is an open source microprocessor which is used in SUN's high speed server systems. Modifying its source code to the specific application and synthesizing it on FPGA and optimizing it is our goal

• Once we are able to understand its architecture in totality, we can do loads of crazy stuff with it!

• We could also work side by side on JaM, which is Java Machine (so you basically remove the virtual). He had published a paper in which he demonstrated that how JAVA code could be made to run faster than C code in multi-threaded applications.

• I decided to do my MTP (M.Tech Project) on the OpenSPARC idea.

After a lot of iterations, my MTP was finalized and Prof. Anshul Kumar agreed to supervise my M.Tech thesis. The objectives defined were broadly these:

OBJECTIVE

To build a processor for Intrusion Detection and Prevention System (deep packet inspection) using OpenSparc's source code and two NIUs, and optimize/customize specifically for Android

1. Synthesize one/multiple open sparc core specific to the requirements

2. Synthesize the input and the output NIUs

3. Connecting the core/s with the NIUs and synthesizing the complete setup on an FPGA.

4. Create alternative variations (if time permits) and make an intelligent wizard which will allow users to customize their design

The detailed MTP proposal is available at http://www.deorha.com/home/indian-microprocessor-dream/mtp-finalize

Industrial Academia Meet

We had our Industrial-Academia Meet on 3rd April, 2010. I along with Rudraksh and Arjun (both from Amity) floated the idea of creating an Ecosystem for design of an Indian Microprocessor. The presentation that we gave in the meet is attached below. We were mentored by Mr. Ashish and the meeting was moderated by Prof. Balakrishnan. Prof Balakrishnan gave some valuable insights into the whole discussion.

Minutes of the Session:

1. We wish to design an Indian Microprocessor. Not just one processor but synthesize different application specific processors.
2. Understand in detail OpenSPARC's architecture and then customize its source code (it is open-sourced by SUN) to make it optimal for the specific need.
3. It will be a hands on experience, which will involve synthesizing the design on FPGA kit available in our labs.
4. MiniPs, SURAs, BTPs and MTPs can be offered based on this. First yearites who were interested in this can come to the labs (with permission of course) and try to get a feel of processor architecture and of working on an FPGA.
5. For those of you who don't wish to work at hardware level, they can code using C/JAVA. But even then for optimizing the code, you would need to understand the internal architecture in detail.


Links:
1. a) http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/infotech/hardware/Govt-to-chip-in-with-India-Microprocessor/articleshow/4774502.cms
b) http://epaper.livemint.com/ArticleImage.aspx?article=18_03_2010_002_001&mode=1
2. a) http://www.opensparc.net/
b) http://www.opensparc.net/opensparc-t2/download.html
3. http://www.opensparc.net/fpga/index.html
4. http://www.ashishbanerjee.com/
5. http://www.opensparc.net/publications/books/opensparc-internals.html