Open source hardware: Driving force and future trends for the new industrial revolution

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1000-5641.2025.05.015

Abstract

Abstract:

In the context of the new industrial revolution, with increasing computational complexity and intensified demand for customization, open source hardware has emerged as a key approach to overcome the limitations of closed architectures and enhance technological autonomy. This study focused on the Reduced Instruction Set Computer-Five（RISC-Ⅴ）open instruction set architecture and systematically reviewed its ecosystem advantages and industrial value. It compared major domestic and international open source projects in terms of design openness, system flexibility, and collaborative innovation mechanisms. From a temporal perspective, this study analyzed the development trend of open source hardware, evolving from low-level architectural innovation to heterogeneous integration and scenario-based expansion. The findings indicated that open source hardware had broad application prospects in critical areas such as intelligent manufacturing, edge computing, and immersive terminals. This could significantly improve computational efficiency and reduce development complexity and system costs. Open source hardware drives the chip design from a closed paradigm toward a shared model, offering new support for industrial intelligence upgrades and strategic technology security.

Key words: open source hardware, RISC-Ⅴ instruction set, heterogeneous computing architecture, computing power, new industrial revolution

CLC Number:

TB47

Menghan HU, Wenjing CHENG, Xiang DAI, Yiqing LIU. Open source hardware: Driving force and future trends for the new industrial revolution[J]. J* E* C* N* U* N* S*, 2025, 2025(5): 162-169.

Figures/Tables 2

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项目名称	机构/主导方	架构类型	主要特点	典型应用场景
Rocket-Chip	加州大学伯克利分校	RISC-Ⅴ	基于 Chisel, 结构清晰, 易于模块组合	教学研究、原型验证
OpenPiton	普林斯顿大学	SPARC/RISC-Ⅴ	多核设计, 支持芯粒化 (Chiplet) 结构	多核互联研究
SweRV Core	Western Digital	RISC-Ⅴ	工业级验证, 低延迟, 适合嵌入式设备	存储控制器、IoT 终端
CORE-Ⅴ	OpenHW Group	RISC-Ⅴ	社区协作开发, 工具链完善	嵌入式系统、工业控制
Open Compute	Meta/Intel等支持组织	自定义架构	推动数据中心服务器板卡硬件标准化与开源	数据中心、云计算平台

项目名称	主导机构/公司	架构类型	主要特点	典型应用场景
玄铁系列	阿里巴巴平头哥	RISC-Ⅴ	适配本地生态, 聚焦低功耗嵌入式计算	IoT设备、边缘计算
香山处理器	中国科学院计算技术研究所	RISC-Ⅴ	自主设计, 国产EDA流程全流程验证	教学科研、通用计算平台
NJU处理器	南京大学	RISC-Ⅴ	面向教学开源, 注重简洁与实验可复现性	教育实验、RISC-Ⅴ教学平台
芯来E902	芯来科技	RISC-Ⅴ	轻量级核心, 灵活的开源授权机制, 低功耗	消费电子、终端控制器
燧原处理器	燧原科技	自研架构	聚焦AI推理加速, 具备国产深度学习推理能力	云端AI加速卡、边缘推理设备

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