Andrew “bunnie” Huang designs a “mostly open” RISC-V board - Adafruit

Abstract

Andrew “bunnie” Huang has designed a new RISC-V development board characterized by its commitment to a “mostly open” hardware philosophy. This project leverages the royalty-free RISC-V architecture to create a transparent, developer-friendly platform. The initiative significantly boosts the credibility and available resources within the open-source hardware community.

Report

Key Highlights

• Designer Authority: The board was designed by Andrew “bunnie” Huang, a highly respected figure in the open hardware community known for prioritizing transparency and user control.
• Architecture Choice: The platform leverages the open-standard RISC-V instruction set architecture (ISA), ensuring a royalty-free and vendor-neutral core.
• Open Philosophy: The emphasis on being "mostly open" signifies a commitment to providing public access to critical design files (schematics, layouts) necessary for auditing and modification.
• Community Validation: The news was highlighted by Adafruit, affirming the board’s importance within the DIY and open-source electronics ecosystem.

Technical Details

• Core ISA: The board utilizes the RISC-V ISA, likely targeting modern embedded systems or low-power desktop development environments.
• Transparency Model: The “mostly open” descriptor suggests that while standard components (like specific flash chips or vendor-supplied IP blocks) might remain closed, the critical components governing the main functionality and interconnectivity are fully documented.
• Focus: Consistent with Huang's prior work (e.g., Novena), the design likely prioritizes hardware auditability and freedom from proprietary mechanisms that could hinder user control or introduce security vulnerabilities.

Implications

• Boosting RISC-V Credibility: The involvement of a high-profile open-hardware advocate like Huang provides a significant endorsement for the RISC-V ecosystem, attracting more security-conscious developers and hobbyists.
• Setting New Standards for Hardware Transparency: This initiative pushes commercial hardware toward greater openness, challenging proprietary practices and providing a practical example of high-quality, transparent design.
• Secure Computing: By providing an auditable hardware platform, the board addresses growing concerns regarding supply chain security and firmware integrity, offering a potential baseline for future secure computing projects.