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I see a lot of people dreaming about Huawei needing to pivot to open source technology, but the overwhelmingly likely outcome here is that the trade dispute get

by DCKing 7y ago

I see a lot of people dreaming about Huawei needing to pivot to open source technology, but the overwhelmingly likely outcome here is that the trade dispute gets (partially) resolved to the extent that Huawei can operate as usual again. Dreaming of Huawei backed RISC V SoCs is a pipe dream anyway, at least for mobile processors. For a mobile SoC you need a GPU as well. There are no viable open source GPU architectures, and all vendors are US-based (Vivante, Broadcom (?), AMD, Nvidia, Qualcomm, Intel, only the first three ever do licensing deals) or UK based (ARM (Mali), PowerVR).

jason0597 7y ago
ARM's now owned by Softbank (Japanese), so it's not even British anymore
shard 7y ago
Vivante was a US company in name only (engineering in China) and after acquisition in China (by Verisilicon, whose founder and CEO is the brother of the founder and CEO of Vivante), it's not even a US company in name. Also, other US companies with GPUs besides the first 3 in your list are are open to licensing if the fees are big enough. I can't give more details than that though.
- desdiv 7y ago
  >Also, other US companies with GPUs besides the first 3 in your list are are open to licensing if the fees are big enough. This is a news story about a UK company being prohibited from dealing with Huawei due to its products containing "US origin technology". So I'm assuming that US GPU companies would also be prohibited from licensing to Huawei due to their IP's "US origin".
  - sanxiyn 7y ago
    Note that Imagination Technologies (a company behind PowerVR) made an explicit statement that they are not affected by US ban because they have no US origin technology. Read Bloomberg report here: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-20/european-chipmakers-drop-as-huawei-ban-cripples-supply-chain https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-20/european-...
    - DCKing 7y ago
      Ah, so PowerVR seems to be still a viable path even if this does not get overturned, and if Huawei can magically move to MIPS or RISC V in a reasonable timeframe.
0-_-0 7y ago
PowerVR is now owned by Canyon Bridge, which is backed by China.
tyingq 7y ago
The rhetoric is pretty strong around Huwaei. What sort of PR exchange do you see that resolves this, with them continuing to use ARM with a blessing from Google, the oval office, etc?
- throw667843 7y ago
  Not PR, but actually money and lobbying. Maybe promise a factory in some key cities and states.
sanxiyn 7y ago
You know what? This was posted TODAY. https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=SiFive-RISC-V-PowerVR https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=SiFive-R...
imtringued 7y ago
It's a pipe dream but now there is a reason for it to happen. Previously the Chinese could just strike a deal with western businesses now they are forced to rely on their own competence.

by DCKing 7y ago

jason0597 7y ago

ARM's now owned by Softbank (Japanese), so it's not even British anymore

shard 7y ago

Vivante was a US company in name only (engineering in China) and after acquisition in China (by Verisilicon, whose founder and CEO is the brother of the founder and CEO of Vivante), it's not even a US company in name. Also, other US companies with GPUs besides the first 3 in your list are are open to licensing if the fees are big enough. I can't give more details than that though.

desdiv 7y ago
>Also, other US companies with GPUs besides the first 3 in your list are are open to licensing if the fees are big enough. This is a news story about a UK company being prohibited from dealing with Huawei due to its products containing "US origin technology". So I'm assuming that US GPU companies would also be prohibited from licensing to Huawei due to their IP's "US origin".
- sanxiyn 7y ago
  Note that Imagination Technologies (a company behind PowerVR) made an explicit statement that they are not affected by US ban because they have no US origin technology. Read Bloomberg report here: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-20/european-chipmakers-drop-as-huawei-ban-cripples-supply-chain https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-20/european-...
  - DCKing 7y ago
    Ah, so PowerVR seems to be still a viable path even if this does not get overturned, and if Huawei can magically move to MIPS or RISC V in a reasonable timeframe.

0-_-0 7y ago

PowerVR is now owned by Canyon Bridge, which is backed by China.

tyingq 7y ago

The rhetoric is pretty strong around Huwaei. What sort of PR exchange do you see that resolves this, with them continuing to use ARM with a blessing from Google, the oval office, etc?

throw667843 7y ago
Not PR, but actually money and lobbying. Maybe promise a factory in some key cities and states.

sanxiyn 7y ago

You know what? This was posted TODAY. https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=SiFive-RISC-V-PowerVR https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=SiFive-R...

imtringued 7y ago

It's a pipe dream but now there is a reason for it to happen. Previously the Chinese could just strike a deal with western businesses now they are forced to rely on their own competence.