根據(jù)龍芯與中國科學(xué)院(Chinese Academy of Sciences)代表在近日(2/17~21)于美國舊金山舉行的國際固態(tài)電路會議(ISSCC)上的介紹，該款 Godson 3B1500服務(wù)器處理器是8核心芯片，目前樣品是以32納米制程生產(chǎn)，并預(yù)計(jì)在兩個月之內(nèi)以28納米制程投片；而28納米版本的產(chǎn)品將會是龍芯第一款商用處理器。
不過在龍芯負(fù)責(zé)Godson 3B1500處理器開發(fā)的Weiwu Hu在ISSCC會場接受EETimes美國版編輯采訪時表示，龍芯處理器架構(gòu)雖已經(jīng)開發(fā)近十年，仍在初期發(fā)展階段；意法半導(dǎo)體(ST)在過去也曾經(jīng)是龍 芯的代工伙伴。“我們的生態(tài)系統(tǒng)規(guī)模還很?。?rdquo;Hu指出，龍芯過去18個月以來一直在積極發(fā)展64位MIPS核心處理器軟件社群。
龍芯的工程師已經(jīng)為Godson打造了一個數(shù)據(jù)庫以及架構(gòu)于Linux上的Java語言中介軟件(middleware)平臺；此外他們也開發(fā)了一個執(zhí)行儲 存與電子郵件服務(wù)器的軟件堆棧。“我們一開始鎖定的是擁有固定軟件堆棧的專屬市場。”Hu表示，Godson 3B1500已經(jīng)測試過執(zhí)行開放源碼KVM虛擬軟件以及Hadoop，這類軟件能有助于讓該處理器進(jìn)軍網(wǎng)絡(luò)服務(wù)業(yè)者如百度的資料中心通用服務(wù)器。
Hu 指出，中國服務(wù)器制造商曙光(Dawning)、長城(Great Wall)與浪潮(Inspur)都包括在打算采用Godson處理器的十家系統(tǒng)業(yè)者之內(nèi)；也許該款處理器在性能上稍遜于英特爾(Intel)等同業(yè)的競 爭產(chǎn)品，但龍芯與其合作伙伴可提供價(jià)格與中國本地支持方面的優(yōu)勢。
除了商用服務(wù)器處理器，龍芯也正在為中國政府開發(fā)超級計(jì)算機(jī)、個人計(jì)算機(jī)、嵌入式系統(tǒng)應(yīng)用的其它版本Godson。“我們已經(jīng)完成幾千臺Godson桌上型計(jì)算機(jī)的試運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)；”Hu表示：“那些系統(tǒng)主要是運(yùn)用在政府相關(guān)的業(yè)務(wù)。”除此之 外，32位嵌入式版本的Godson核心也已經(jīng)應(yīng)用在中國業(yè)者海爾(Haier)、海信(Hisense)所開發(fā)的電視機(jī)；Hu指出，龍芯擁有 Godson所采用的MIPS架構(gòu)授權(quán)。
另一家中國業(yè)者國芯(C*Core )也開發(fā)嵌入式處理器授權(quán)并提供授權(quán)，該公司的技術(shù)是采用摩托羅拉(Motorola)的 M*Core設(shè)計(jì)架構(gòu)。根據(jù)Hu說法，中國至少還有其它兩個微處理器開發(fā)團(tuán)隊(duì)，默默地進(jìn)行超級計(jì)算機(jī)等級的設(shè)計(jì)案；龍芯也正在開發(fā)該類高性能版本的 Godson。
Slideshow: China's Godson processors to power servers in 2014
Rick Merritt
Weiwu Hu (pictured) said Loongson Technology is sampling a 32-nm Godson server processor and plans to ship a 28-nm version this fall to as many as ten server makers in China.
SAN FRANCISCO – Loongson Technology Corp. Ltd. is sampling its first commercial microprocessor with plans to ship production chips in the fall to as many as 10 China server makers. The milestone, if reached, represents a long-term dream of China’s technocrats--a home-grown computer based on its own microprocessor.
Loongson (Beijing, China) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences described the Godson 3B1500, an eight-core server chip, at the International Solid State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) here. The 32-nm part is sampling now with the tape-out of a shrink to a 28-nm manufacturing process expected within two months.
The 28-nm version will be Loongson’s first commercial processor, Weiwu Hu, who heads the project, told EE Times in an interview at ISSCC. He cautioned that it’s still early days for the architecture despite the fact it has been in development for nearly a decade. STMicroelectronics NV has been a manufacturing partner for Loongson in the past.
"Our ecosystem is still small," Hu said, noting Loongson has been actively developing a server software community for its 64-bit MIPS-based processor for about 18 months.
Developers in China have created a database and middleware platform for Godson in Java that rides on Linux. They have also developed a software stack for running storage and email servers.
"We are initially targeting dedicated markets with fixed software stacks," said Hu, who attended ISSCC in a traditional Mao-era suit fitted with a red pin signifying his membership of the Communist Party
The processor has been tested running open-source KVM virtualization software as well as Hadoop, he said. Such software could help it make inroads into general-purpose servers in data centers for Web services such as Baidu, China’s search engine.
China server makers Dawning, Great Wall and Inspur are among the ten systems companies planning to use Godson. The processor may sport somewhat lower performance than competing chips from Intel and others, but Loongson and its partners will have an advantage in price and in local support, Hu said.
Loongson and CAS oversee two of about six major microprocessor efforts in China, Hu said. Besides its effort in commercial servers, Loongson is working on versions of Godson for government supercomputers as well as for personal computers and embedded systems.
"We have done pilot runs of a few thousand Godson desktops," Hu said. “They are being used mainly in government-related businesses."
In addition, 32-bit embedded versions of the Godson core are already used in televisions made by China’s Haier and Hisense. Loongson has a license to the MIPS architecture on which Godson is based, Hu added.
Separately, C*Core develops and licenses embedded processors. Its technology is based on Motorola’s M*Core design.
At least two other microprocessor teams in China are quietly working on supercomputer-class projects, Hu said. Loongson is also developing versions of Godson for such high performance systems, he added.
The following pages provide some details of the 32-nm Godson 3B1500 processor that Loongson is now sampling.
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