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ucb-bar/chipyard

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An Agile RISC-V SoC Design Framework with in-order cores, out-of-order cores, accelerators, and more

FreeFree tier
Type
Open Source
Visit Website GitHub (38 stars)

About ucb-bar/chipyard

Chipyard is an open source framework for agile development of Chisel-based systems-on-chip. It integrates the Chisel HDL, Rocket Chip SoC generator, and other Berkeley projects to produce RISC-V SoCs. The framework includes multiple processor cores (Rocket, BOOM, CVA6), vector units (Saturn, Ara), accelerators (Gemmini, NVDLA), memory systems, peripherals, and tooling. It supports multiple concurrent flows: software RTL simulation, FPGA-accelerated simulation via FireSim, automated VLSI flows via Hammer, and software workload generation via FireMarshal. Chipyard is actively developed by the Berkeley Architecture Research Group at UC Berkeley.

Key Features

Agile development of Chisel-based systems-on-chip
Supports multiple RISC-V processor cores: Rocket, BOOM, CVA6 (Ariane)
Vector units: Saturn, Ara
Accelerators: Gemmini, NVDLA
MMIO-mapped peripherals and custom accelerators
Software RTL simulation flow
FPGA-accelerated simulation via FireSim
Automated VLSI flow via Hammer
Software workload generation for bare-metal and Linux via FireMarshal
Open source, hosted on GitHub with documentation, mailing list, and issue tracker

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Open source and free to use
  • Modular and extensible framework with many pre-built components
  • Supports multiple concurrent hardware development flows (simulation, FPGA, VLSI)
  • Actively maintained by UC Berkeley research group with community support
  • Comprehensive documentation and user forum
Cons
  • Requires familiarity with Chisel HDL and hardware design concepts
  • Steep learning curve for beginners in SoC development
  • Linux-based workflow dependency (does not fully support Windows)

Best For

RISC-V SoC design and integrationCustom accelerator development and testingResearch in computer architecture and hardware designFPGA prototyping and emulationVLSI implementation and tapeout preparationEducational projects in chip design

FAQ

What is Chipyard?
Chipyard is an open source framework for agile development of Chisel-based systems-on-chip. It integrates processor cores, accelerators, memory systems, and tooling to produce RISC-V SoCs.
How do I get started with Chipyard?
To get started, see the Chipyard documentation site at https://chipyard.readthedocs.io/ for setup instructions and tutorials.
What hardware components are included?
Chipyard includes processor cores (Rocket, BOOM, CVA6), vector units (Saturn, Ara), accelerators (Gemmini, NVDLA), and additional peripherals and memory systems.
What development flows are supported?
Chipyard supports software RTL simulation, FPGA-accelerated simulation (FireSim), automated VLSI flows (Hammer), and software workload generation (FireMarshal) for bare-metal and Linux.
How can I report bugs or request features?
Bugs and feature requests can be posted on the GitHub issues page: https://github.com/ucb-bar/chipyard/issues