RED Semiconductor  is showing the future potential of accessible super-high performance, low-power microprocessors with an EU-funded R&D project. The company has completed a secure router implementation based on its ‘Vector+1’ ISA accelerator, and ‘Vantage’ optimised microprocessor core using fully-Libre VLSI and FPGA Toolchains, demonstrating the path to full Digital Sovereignty with resources readily accessible without restriction to UK and EU citizens and businesses.

RED Semiconductor has developed an FPGA implementation of its Vantage accelerated- microprocessor architecture to complete a project funded by NGI Pointer to demonstrate potential solutions for secure next-generation internet. Developed in collaboration with Libre-SOC, the proof-of-concept Secure Router chip design demonstrates the end-to-end use of open-source/libre platforms. Using the company’s Vector+1 vectorisation precursor and POWER® ISA, curated by the OpenPOWER Foundation the proof-of-concept in FPGA was achieved with the Vantage Processor Core presenting a Web Interface over Gigabit Ethernet running under the Zephyr security-oriented Real-Time OS.

Furthermore, Linux platform CentOS was ported to the POWER® ISA SFFS (Scalar Fixed-point + Floating-point Subset) Compliancy Subset by project contributors Vantosh, and LIP6 Lab of Sorbonne University made additional improvements to libre ASIC design toolchain Coriolis2, for performing a GDS-II Layout and Static Timing Analysis of an on-chip PLL and an Ethernet PHY.

James Lewis, RED Semiconductor CEO, said, “This important collaboration funded from specialist grants within the EU shows that a small agile start-up can attain digital independence, and build advanced microprocessor solutions that overcome the politics and legacy insecurities that are causing deep concern in the chip industry today. It marks a key step in our development of commercially available vector-optimised microprocessor chips At RED Semiconductor we are meshing the capability afforded by open-source programmes with the intrinsic security of auditable microprocessor hardware running comprehensive encryption algorithms in real-time.”

About RED Semiconductor

RED Semiconductor’s mission is to develop and deliver a new class of microprocessor chip set optimised for vector instructions that enable complex computational routines to be performed in fewer clock cycles, with smaller binaries, and consuming less power than any existing microprocessor of comparable capability. The company is based in the United Kingdom and was formed in 2021.

About Libre-SOC:

Libre-SOC is an Open/Libre development community in which a global collective of the best microprocessor engineers is developing techniques and implementations to revolutionise microprocessor performance through the use of Cray-style vector instructions. Their objective is to bring supercomputer-class computing to the desktop. libre-soc.org

About NGI Pointer:

Funding The Next Generation Ecosystem of Internet Architects, NGI-POINTER is an EU funding organisation that aims to find ambitious “NGI architects” to change the underlying fabric of the internet and the web, by supporting promising bottom-up projects that are able to build, on top of state-of-the-art research, scalable protocols and tools to assist in the practical transition or migration to new or updated technologies, whilst keeping European Values at the core. pointer.ngi.eu