The BlackParrot Processor

In this paper we introduce the BlackParrot multicore processor, a mainstream industrial-strength open-source implementation of the RISC-V RV64G architecture. BlackParrot is a clean-slate processor design with a lean, energy efficient, and highly performant implementation. The key differentiator between BlackParrot and prior RISC-V processor efforts is that our goal is to distribute stewardship across industry and government stakeholders instead of adopting a freemium model where the source is controlled by a private startup that does not release the actual code it tapes out. Our approach enables a pathway for creating the equivalent of Linux for RISC-V: a truly open RISC-V processor to power the open-source hardware revolution and the Age of Bespoke Silicon.Descriptors: computing system architectures, open source software, energy efficiency, operating systems, instruction set architecture, microprocessors