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Shakti Semiconductor Chip
Context:
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has successfully developed an indigenous aerospace quality semiconductor chip named Shakti.
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- ISRO’s Inertial Systems Unit, Thiruvananthapuram, conceived the design of a 64-bit RISC-V-based controller.
- The chip configurations and computing requirements were tailored to align with existing ISRO sensor systems.
Key Highlights
- Project Leadership: The project was led by V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, at the Prathap Subrahmanyam Centre for Digital Intelligence and Secure Hardware Architecture (PSCDISHA) under the Computer Science and Engineering Department.
- Technology Base: The chip is based on Shakti microprocessor, developed under the Digital India RISC-V Initiative (DIRV), which is backed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
- Objective: The initiative aims to promote indigenous development of microprocessor-based products with high security and transparency using RISC-V technology.
Digital India RISC-V (DIR-V) Program
- An ambitious initiative aimed at fostering indigenous innovation in the field of microprocessors and semiconductor technology.
- Collaboration: The DIR-V program aims to position India as a global talent hub for RISC-V processors. The initiative will encourage partnerships between startups, academia, and multinational corporations to supply RISC-V System on Chips (SoCs) for various industries.
- RISC-V ISA’s Potential: RISC-V has emerged as a major alternative to other dominant processor architectures like ARM and x86, as it is open-source and does not require licensing. Its growth is driving unprecedented innovation in processor technology and pushing Moore’s Law beyond its limits.
System Features
- The internal memory is fault-tolerant, ensuring high reliability.
- The system includes advanced serial buses and peripheral interface modules, improving functionality.
- The chip underwent extensive software and hardware testing, showing promising results for future space missions.
Applications
- The Shakti chip, also known as the Indigenous RISC-V Controller for Space Applications (IRIS), is designed to meet the high-reliability and security needs of India’s space, defence, and computing industries.
- It can be used in diverse domains, from Internet of Things (IoT) to compute systems for strategic needs.
Significance
- Strengthens India’s semiconductor self-reliance in space technologies.
- Contributes to Make in India efforts in semiconductor design and fabrication.
