German Chip developer TASKING joins open RISC-V automotive alliance - Telematics Wire

Abstract

The German chip development tools company, TASKING, has joined the open RISC-V automotive alliance, signaling increased industry commitment to the open-standard architecture within the vehicle technology sector. This membership enhances the alliance's ability to provide robust, commercial-grade development tools necessary for high-integrity and safety-critical automotive applications. TASKING's expertise is expected to accelerate the standardization and deployment of RISC-V cores in next-generation automotive systems.

Report

German Chip developer TASKING joins open RISC-V automotive alliance

Key Highlights

• Strategic Alliance Membership: TASKING, a prominent German provider of embedded software development tools, officially joined the open RISC-V automotive alliance.
• Focus Sector: The alliance specifically targets the integration and standardization of the RISC-V Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) within the global automotive industry.
• Contribution: TASKING is expected to contribute its expertise in providing certified and robust development tools, including compilers and debuggers, which are essential for automotive software development.
• Ecosystem Strengthening: This move bolsters the commercial maturity and geographic diversity (European involvement) of the RISC-V ecosystem within a safety-critical domain.

Technical Details

• Architecture: The core technology is RISC-V, an open-standard ISA designed for scalability and customization across various computing domains.
• Required Tools: TASKING specializes in cross-compilers, debuggers, and static analysis tools necessary for complex embedded systems, particularly those adhering to strict coding and safety standards (e.g., ISO 26262).
• Application Areas: RISC-V adoption in automotive includes microcontrollers (MCUs), domain controllers, ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems), and infotainment systems.
• Open Standard: The alliance promotes the use of open specification standards to foster innovation and reduce reliance on proprietary licensing models typical of traditional architectures.

Implications

• Accelerated Adoption: The entry of established tool vendors like TASKING addresses a primary hurdle for RISC-V adoption: the need for enterprise-grade, validated development toolchains. This makes RISC-V immediately more appealing to risk-averse Tier 1 suppliers and OEMs.
• Safety and Certification: TASKING's experience in providing certified tools for safety-critical sectors helps the alliance move closer to establishing RISC-V as a trustworthy core for applications requiring high integrity levels (ASIL B, C, or D).
• Competitive Landscape Shift: By providing standardized, high-quality tooling support, the RISC-V automotive ecosystem strengthens its position as a credible alternative to dominant architectures like Arm, potentially leading to greater hardware customization and cost efficiency in vehicle design.
• Open Source Commitment: This collaboration reinforces the trend of major commercial players investing significant resources into open-source hardware architectures, diversifying the semiconductor supply chain.