[Libre-soc-dev] My plans for 2021

[Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton]

On Sun, Dec 20, 2020 at 1:24 PM Tobias Platen
<libre-soc at platen-software.de> wrote:
>
> From the beginning of 2021 I will be able to contribute to the libre-soc up to 25 hours a week.

excellent.

> I plan continue working on "src/soc/fu/mmu/" where I left in November soon, implmenting things like:
>  * a TLB and MMU (and getting a linux-kernel to boot on both microwatt and the libre-soc)
>  * dual L1 Caches with the 2x 128-bit-wide L0CacheBuffer to merge 8x LD/STs
>  * [maybe end of 2021] multiple Common Data Buses to / from the RegFile along with a 4x "Striped" HI/LO-32-ODD/EVEN access pattern.

just so you're aware: the end of 2021 is when the NLnet PET funding
ends (we *may* have another EUR 50,000 Grant by then, from the NLnet
"Assure" project, but this is not guaranteed).  thus, the timescales
you propose - to be working on CDBs at the end of 2021 - are about 7
to 10 months too late.

this is important for everyone to absorb and focus: we are *eight to
twelve* months behind schedule.  decisions need to be made, and fast.
the focus needs to be on implementing, not on redesigning.

features that are not obvious i.e. cannot be discussed or explained in
an extremely rapid amount of time are *out*, plain and simple. if that
turns out to be the case: document them and forget them (until a
re-evaluation phase) and focus on implementation.

so to be aware: the timescales that we need the features you are
proposing to work on, Tobias, we need completed by around *end of
March*, mid-April by the latest.  all of them.  this will allow us the
time to carry out testing needed before a mid-year 2nd 180/130 nm
tape-out.

l.