Shakti processor vs Intel vs ARM

Welcome to GAREEB SCIENTIST everybody . Today we will talk about India’s First Microprocessor SHAKTI . We will see how it compares to INTEL and ARM . We will also know why intel could be a potential friend .I have seen very low quality videos on this topic on YouTube . Aim to correct this now . Chaliye jaante he .

I spoke to Sir NEEL GALA who is the TECHNICAL LEAD for Shakti . He gave me lots of information on Shakti .Thank you Neel sir . This video has been long in the making .

Below is a video explaining the same but in Hindi language.

I will divide this article into 7 small parts .

  • What is SHAKTI
  • Why is shakti different
  • Shakti’s Desi upcoming competition
  • Shakti vs intel vs ARM
  • The startup coming out of this
  • Advantages of shakti over intel and ARM
  • One big  problem with this achievement

What is SHAKTI?

shakti processor

SHAKTI is an open-source initiative by the RISE group at IIT Madras. Shakti is building many processors based on the RISC-V instruction set . Ill explain that in simple terms what that is later in the video . They currently have 3 core variants known as the E class , C class and I class .

E class is for embedded application like robotic controller boards and IoT boards. C class is the controller class for mobile like applications and can run at upto 1.5 GHz. I class is the performance oriented and can run at around 2.5 Ghz clock speed . They also have plans for multi core processors that will involve combinations of C class cores and I class cores .They also have plans for a super computer class processor which will be called Parallel shakti or para shakti.

These chips could be used in ISRO’s NavIC satellites in the future .C class cores will mostly compete with ARM . The one who design chips inside your phones . Companies like Qualcomm, Samsung and MediaTek use these designs .you must have heard words like cortex A57 or something similar.These are designed by ARM. More on that later .  2 C class processors were fabricated . One by intel based on 22 nm called RISECREEK  and the special one in India at the Chandigarh facility partly run by ISRO based on 180 nm called RIMO.

Why is Shakti different ?

shakti processor intel manufacturing

Mainly because it uses the open source RISC-V instruction architecture . Now please do not quit this video i will explain it in the simplest form possible . Intel/ AMD and ARM have their own architectures or the language with which you communicate with the processor . Intel and AMD has something called X86 and ARM uses their own . They do not share this with anyone  .If you reverse engineer and make one you will have to deal with court cases .

RISC-V is an open source instruction  set architecture .Suppose you go to buy a car , but you are forced to buy a truck along with it . If you want to buy a car , you have to also buy the truck . This is the problem with INTEL and ARM . You cant choose what specific instructions you want to use . You have to buy them all . We can use RISC-V to make a custom chip design for our needs . As a bonus many people responsible for RISC-V are also Indian so yey. They also have their own company called sci-five which makes designs like Shakti . The startup coming out from IIT Madras will be called InCore. Keep a note of that , will require after some time .This advantage gives us the power to design the chips of our need with good security . Will detail this later .

Shakti’s desi competition

If you seen my video on India’s PARAM Supercomputer , which went viral btw , you should totally watch it here . I have mentioned Vijay Bhatkar sir and  CDAC which is center for development of advanced computing which is the one developing desi supercomputers in India . CDAC is developing its own processors as well . So i asked Neel sir on if he feels this is competition to them . He said its mostly closed source and for their internal use . He also said under Indegenous Microprocessor development program funnds have been alloted to IIT Madras , IIT Bombay and CDAC. All of them are approaching the problem in different ways.

Shakti vs Intel vs ARM

Incase of ARM Neel sir told me it compares with the A55 .Its honestly unfair to do this . I will tell you the reason. Most processors are based on von Neumann architecture. Just listen I’m not complicating it . Which is an old architecture .whereas shakti is based on Harvard architecture which is newer .Basically Neumann architecture uses same pipe for both water and gas .that is instructions and data . Whereas Harvard architecture uses seperate pipes for water and gas that is data and instructions.

InCore Startup coming out of Shakti group

incore logo shakti processor iit m

So now lets talk about the Startup that will come out of this . It will be called InCore . Their business model will be similar to ARM . So they are more interested in chip design and not manufacturing . So if DRDO or ISRO wants a new chip for say  controlling engine movement , they could specifically get it designed from InCore and then ISRO decides from whom to get it manufactured. Many of your phones have Snapdragon processors . The cortex cores a55 or whatever are designed by ARM and QUALCOMM decides whom to get it manufactured by .if all goes well we just might see Shakti cores in our CPUs but there’s a lot of time for this don’t get too hyped . Although ARM earns a lot of money since they have their own instruction set . InCore may not earn as much as ARM simply because RISC-V is opensource . Although InCore might have partners like intel or TSMC to get chips manufactured .

Advantages of Shakti vs Intel vs ARM

The biggest one is security . When we buy a processor from somebody abroad we only know what they tell us . We dont know what they don’t tell us .And that’s a big issue for national missions. Shakti whereas lets you be involved in the design process .

Customizability -As i mentioned before in the car truck example you can get just what you want . You want a 2 wheeled car ? You will get no one will question you . Not even my comment section dont worry. You get to customize the chip as per your needs .

Last but not the least its an Indian tech company . Only one of its kind as of the day i made this video .

Now lets talk about the major probelm . I have a poll above in the i button . Please tell me how many of you actually knew about Shakti before watching this video ? We know about the rockstar not getiing a girlfriend. We know about all of unnessecary things . But what about such a important achievemnt ? The media also didnt glorify this ? Why ? No masala involved thats why ? Please share this if you have some time , also if you are a teacher or proffessor show it to your students . Our people need to know about our own achievements . Subscribe karna . Jai hind Jai Bharat . Gyaan ki gareebi Sabse badi .

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