UcoreSoC

UcoreSoC is an open-source system-on-chip development platform designed to support experimentation, education, and research in computer architecture and embedded systems. It provides a modular reference design that can be instantiated on FPGA boards or translated to ASIC implementations, with a focus on clean interfaces and reconfigurable components.

The architecture is modular and configurable. Core support is centered on a configurable processor core family, with RISC-V as a common option, available in multiple privilege levels and integer/FP configurations. The SoC includes a scalable on-chip interconnect, optional caches and MMU, on-chip memory blocks, and a range of peripheral interfaces such as serial, storage, and general-purpose I/O. The design emphasizes portability across FPGA targets and ease of hardware verification.

Licensing and development model. UcoreSoC is released under an open-source license chosen to encourage collaboration and reuse. The project uses a community-driven development model with versioned releases, issue tracking, and contribution guidelines. Reference designs, testbenches, and documentation accompany the core.

Software and tooling. Toolchain support typically includes GCC or LLVM-based toolchains for the selected CPU architecture, a bootloader, a minimal runtime, and optional Linux or RTOS ports. Emulation and simulation tools, such as QEMU or other FPGA-based simulators, are used for early development, while actual hardware targets may include development boards.

Applications and reception. UcoreSoC serves educational institutions, researchers, and hobbyists seeking a transparent, configurable platform for exploring SoC design, OS ports, and hardware-software co-design. The project invites community contributions to expand cores, peripherals, and board support.