Processors and India Story

Processor Technology and India Story

India got the technical capability to create our own processor but commercially it is a very competitive market and needs heavy investments to make one processor and make it successful.

I don’t see in near future india will make a processor. DRDO is making their own processors but are less capable and less efficient but they make and use because of security reasons and denial of technology in critical times.

Technology Wise, If we take a Processor Design, we can divide it into 3 sections.

1. ISA Design
2. Implement the ISA into digital logic
3. Fabrication of logic on a die in a fab

ISA - Instruction Set Architecture

This is called Machine Set Instructions like any other language C, Java or Python but Low level and easy to implement on electronic logic Gates.

RISC, CISC and PISC and few more models are are defined here.

Couple of successful Instruction Set Architectures like x86, ARM, PowerPC and MIPS are already present in market.

Failed ones are there like IA64(Intel-Itanium).

x86 ISA is used by intel and AMD.

PowerPC used by Motorola and IBM.

MIPS ISA used by few others.

ARM ISA is licensed to many companies

Success of ISA depends on ecosystem around that ISA, like Operating Systems, Compilers, Build Tools and mainly Applications and Libraries on that ISA.

Today only x86 and ARM ISA have survived all the hurdles and flourishing in markets. x86 dominating on PC and Servers where power is not a problem as they are always connected to main power. This ISA is successful in high power and heavy computational jobs.

ARM ISA is successful in low power applications like embedded domain and initially entered into low power mobiles and slowly developed there and ruling each and every mobile phone. This ISA is successful in low power and fanless devices.

Designing a New ISA is very easy and there are better ISAs there than x86 and ARM like intel PISC architecture but could not survive as not much support from 3rd party tools like OS, Compilers, Libraries and Applications. So it died.

Huge Investment is required to make a successful ISA. Commercially creating a new ISA for india is not an easy task. Companies like Intel&HP failed to create a better and modern ISA than existing ones is failed badly and burnt Billions of dollars.

So new ISA from India or from any other countries is nearly impossible at this moment.

ARM is only selling ISA license and successful here.

MIPS also sells but not many takers and slowly fading away.

RISC-V is picking up slowly, is an open architecture and free of license fees and royalties.[1]

Digital Logic Implementation of ISA

Intel and AMD take x86 ISA and implement the instructions on their silicon using their own methods and IPs to create the logic using ECAD tools and make the tape-out to fabrication company.

Intel Got their own Fab and manufacture using their own. AMD is fabless and manufacture their desig using other factories.

All Major companies like QualComm, Apple, Samsung, Mediatek and nVidia….take ARM instruction set, Add their own additional proprietary components like USB, SATA, Radio, Ethernet, SerDes and create a SystemOnChip(SoC) and make their design ready for commercial use.

All are fabless companies and go for Manufacturing outside.

India can start one fabless processor company and create our own ecosystem or innovate new things and make a product here. We have technology and engineers available but require investments and business minded people to create our own processor.

Fabrication or Simply Fab

Simple Language, Take the logic from Fabless Company and Print the Design on Silicon. This is a pure factory which can Print the Design on Chip.

Here the cost of managing the fab is huge and investments are high, innovation is required to be in the business. The transistor size is going down every year and process technology should be up to date to reduce die size and power requirements.

Presently chips are coming out with 5 NanoMeter Transisitor size. Next Year it will go down further and fabs should invest and come out with new process technologies.

Not everyone can run their own Fab so companies like AMD sold their fabs to Global Foundries.

Intel got their own Fab and Print their own designs. Intel Fabs are located in USA, Ireland and Israel

There are 2 major Fab Service Companies in the world at present.

1. TSMC Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. As name suggests it’s in Taiwan.
2. Global Foundries, Fabs are in USA and Germany.

All the Processor manufacturing goes to one of the 2 from every fabless chip company.

China invested on SMIC fab from 2000 and travelled a lot in these 20 years but still their fab is 2 to 3 generations behind the global fabs but slowly they are catching up.

India tried to attract a fab from Global Foundries to start in Hyderabad but failed because of N number of resins. Financial problems from vendor and our political issues and infra problems.

Govt should come up with a policy to attract investments into fab business , we can start slowly using older technologies and start at least with 45 nanometers or something and catch the race slowly.

India story

1. ISA can be done but commercially not viable. Use Govt funded or Pvt Universities to design one latest generation ISA and build ecosystem for that ISA and be a game changer slowly.
2. Processor Logic implementation can be done using an existing like ARM ISA. India can build a company around this but others are way ahead. Need heavy investments to catch them or start with an existing company Acquisition.
3. Fab - Not easy but Start slowly and catch the others in the coming 10 to 15 years. Meanwhile get our Processor Manufactured by Global Fabs.