Chapter 449 The Chip Architecture That Surprised Even Mu Yang
Chapter 449 The Chip Architecture That Surprised Even Mu Yang
Xinghai Group, training classroom.
Employees are listening to a lecture by a senior engineer of the chip design project team.
This chip training course is not aimed at the staff of the chip project team, but the interested employees in the company.
In Xinghai Group, there are various training courses every week. The lecturers are generally senior engineers. Occasionally, experts will give lectures. Employees have nothing to do after get off work, so they can go and listen. The training and learning atmosphere of Xinghai Group is very strong.
"Dear colleagues, let's first understand the general classification of chips. Chips are roughly divided into four categories, computing chips, memory chips, sensor sensing chips, and communication chips.
The types of computing chips are roughly divided into general computing chips CPU, signal processing chips DSP, graphics computing chips GPU and other special computing acceleration chips.
The general-purpose computing chip CPU is mainly divided into three branches according to the instruction set.
The first branch: x86 series, that is, Intel/AMD series chips, mostly used in the field of personal computers and servers;
The second branch: ARM series, mostly used in embedded devices, such as low-power devices such as mobile phones and smart terminals.
The third branch: the MIPS series, which was founded by John Hennessy, a professor at Stanford University. In 2009, the Chinese Academy of Sciences reached a settlement with MIPS and was officially authorized.
The three branches are actually the chip architectures of the three companies.
In addition, you may have heard of the RISC-V architecture and other architectures.
If our company adopts the chip architecture of these companies, it will have to pay technology licensing fees.
For example, the CPUs of mobile phones such as Pingguo, Four Star, and Tongtong are all non-public designs compatible with the ARM instruction set, and the chip structure itself is completely independently developed. For example, the CPU core of Huawei's Kirin 970 chip adopts ARM's public version IP authorization model. "
The training teacher saw students asking "what is architecture? This basic concept is still not clear."
The trainer said: "This chip structure is actually the same as the main frame of the house, such as frame structure, brick-concrete structure and new structure.
And what needs to be installed in the house is actually the content of the chip..."
The training teacher spoke in an easy-to-understand manner. If Xinghai Group wants to design a new chip architecture, it is actually equivalent to abandoning the existing international chip architecture.
If Mu Yang didn't have a reading system, he didn't need to bother. The architecture he designed may not be as good as others, and it can't be designed in a short time. If it was that easy, there would be more than a few chip architectures in the world. Why spend money on the chip architecture of other companies.
In the chairman's office, Mu Yang was also thinking about the chip architecture.
He can open it and search it in the reading system to see if there is a better structure. Why use the structure of other companies and be constrained by others.
The research and development of the EBL electron beam lithography machine gave him a better choice.
Like building a house, chip design, of course, starts with selecting the system architecture.
The software for designing the system architecture mainly includes pseudo-soft Office suites such as Word, Excel, etc., and some drawing software such as pseudo-soft Visio are used to describe the design ideas of the system architecture. Xinghai Group can also develop a software suitable for its own system architecture. Specifically designed architecture.
In addition, system architecture also includes algorithm design.
We can think of a chip as a three-story building. This algorithm design is equivalent to the method of entering a certain place on a certain floor. For example, I want to put a sofa on the third floor. route and best way.
Also, different chip architectures have different expressions, that is, the instruction sets are different.
Taking communication chips as an example, the first step in the design process is system architecture and algorithm design;
The second step is the system behavior simulation, which is equivalent to the performance index of the house;
The third step is to formulate specifications, which is equivalent to the size of a house, how many floors to build, what materials to use, etc., and what functions to achieve.
The fourth step, analog circuit and digital circuit design, is actually equivalent to decorating the house and filling it with items.
Therefore, Xinghai Group has two main tasks to engage in chip design:
The first is electronic design automation software.
That is to say, the software for designing chips, you must have software for drawing pictures, that’s what it means. It’s generally called “Electronics Design Automation (EDA)”. In the past six months, the chip design department of Xinghai Group has been preparing for this work, but it has not been completed. But it also did a lot of basic work, which saved Mu Yang a lot of time.
The final core design of EDA still needs to be completed by Mu Yang.
There is no way, EDA has always been a weakness in China, if Mu Yang does not open it, there is really no way to handle EDA software.
The second is to design the chip architecture.
If Mu Yang does it himself, he can't do it in a short time, so he can only rely on the achievement point store.
Other chip design work is relatively simple for EDA and architecture.
Those domestic chip design companies generally purchase the technical authorization of EDA software and chip architecture from other companies.
Mu Yang previously spent 100 achievement points to purchase chip design technology, but to develop a new chip architecture, he had to spend another achievement point.
Open the ordinary shelves of the system store, search for "chip architecture", and still find many novel chip architectures.
Generally speaking, chips in different fields have a more suitable chip architecture.
There is also a chip architecture that can be applied to design chips in multiple fields, which does not conflict.
Just like a math problem, there may be multiple solutions, some simple and some complicated.
Muyang's chips can meet the company's automotive chips (the requirements are not high), artificial intelligence systems, supercomputing centers, and domestic high-end chip needs for computers and mobile phones.
It may not be long before Huawei and other domestic technology companies will suffer multiple rounds of restrictions from a certain country, and they will not be able to buy mobile phone chips and high-end chips.
At present, Huawei is already doing chip design, but it needs chip manufacturers to do contract work.
But if Moss Electromechanical is restricted by a certain country and Warwick designs high-end chips, it will not be able to get high-end chips. High-end brand mobile phones use high-end chips.
It may be possible to entrust Zhongxin International Company as an OEM, but Zhongxin International's technological level is not as good as that of Moss Electromechanical, and it can only produce chips of one or two levels below.
Now, Xinghai Group is solving the problem of chip manufacturing and breaking the monopoly of foreigners. Maybe in the near future, Huawei and other domestic chip design companies no longer need to worry about being restricted by foreigners, and can entrust Xinghai Group to manufacture.
Turning back to the topic, the new chip architecture will use a new instruction set, which is actually a new programming method, requiring chip designers to be familiar with its functions.
However, the logic of programming or instruction set is the same, but the expression language is different.
After reading the introduction of several chip architectures, Mu Yang chose a chip architecture suitable for Xinghai Group and named it "XH series".
If the X86 and ARM series are compared to high-rise buildings without elevator passages, then the XH series has more elevator passages, and such high-rise buildings are built underground, with more cargo transportation passages, faster efficiency, and more stable building structures.
Energy consumption is also lower since goods are transported from the top down.
In terms of energy consumption, take an example. ARM has always designed low-power processors, while Intel (using the x86 series architecture) is strong in designing ultra-high-performance desktop and server processors with higher energy consumption.
For example, the average heat generation rate of the Intel i3 and i5 processors is 37 watts, while the maximum instantaneous peak heat rate of the ARM-based system-on-chip (including the graphics processor) is about 3 watts, which is about 1/15 of the Intel i7 processor. More suitable for mobile devices.
If you use the x86 series architecture, how hot the phone must be.
However, the XH series has lower energy consumption, about half of ARM, but it can design highly complex processors. This is equivalent to greatness. If it is applied on a laptop or a mobile phone, the battery life will be longer and the CPU will not be hot.
Of course, the architecture is more complex and requires higher chip technology.
When Mu Yang learned about the function of this awesome chip architecture, he was very shocked.
Don't think too much, buy it!
200 achievement points, the price is also extremely high.
After absorbing the technical knowledge, Mu Yang felt that the XH series was too awesome.
To what extent is the cow ratio?
For example, using the same 7nm chip process.
In addition to low energy consumption and higher efficiency, the XH series is compatible with simple instructions and complex instructions. If you use simple instructions, it is the default normal situation, and you can design this way.
In terms of operating efficiency, it has roughly doubled and is more stable.
This stability means that if a certain channel is damaged or blocked, the CPU can still be used, because it has many channels, which can guarantee overclocking operation.
Generally speaking, using the same chip technology, but using the XH series architecture, the overall performance is several times stronger than chips designed with the same chip architecture.
After Mu Yang bought the new chip architecture, he started to fix the EDA software first. Without EDA, there is nothing to carry without thinking.
The research and development of chip manufacturing is progressing well. The project team has figured out the parts that cannot be purchased on the EBL lithography machine. The independent research and development has begun, and many of them are commissioned for research and development.
It will take at least half a year to make a prototype of the lithography machine. This cycle is extremely short. If it is replaced by other companies, it may not be able to do it in ten years.
Perhaps, after the prototype of the EBL lithography machine is produced and debugged, Muyang's EDA software and chip architecture have been completed, and the company's first chip Xingchen 01 can almost be designed.
Xingchen 01 is a chip used in high-end mobile phones.
In terms of technology, it plans to adopt 7nm+ EBL process, and the board-level area is 45% smaller than other solutions in the industry.
This is the world's first mobile terminal chip with more than 15 billion transistors, reaching 13.5 billion transistors, an increase of 3.2 billion transistors compared with the Kirin 990 5G released in 2016.
The CPU uses 2 large cores + 2 medium cores + 4 small cores. Compared with the mainstream flagship 7nm chips in the future, the single-core performance and multi-core performance are two times higher, which is not at the same level at all.
Compared with the current mainstream 28nm performance, it is estimated to be at least ten times.
There is no 7nm process yet.
According to Xinghai Group's current research and development progress, it plans to mass-produce 7nm by the end of this year, and it will be one or two years later for other manufacturers to produce 7nm technology.
For Xinghai Group, using EBL electron beam lithography machine, 7nm is already the worst, and the cost is no different from the current mainstream 28nm process.
It can be said that as soon as the Xingchen 01 chip is released, the top mobile phone chips of other manufacturers will be bleak and will not be able to compete with it.
Therefore, Mu Yang is looking forward to it very much.
For the next period of time, Mu Yang immersed himself in EDA software design.
When the time is almost up, he plans to invite Mr. Ren Huawei to talk about chips.
Saturday, March 9.
On this day, Mu Yang was going to test the homework of two students.
He has been immersed in scientific research, and his mind is swollen, and he can relax by occasionally instructing students.
In the chairman's office, Mu Yang sat facing two students, explaining advanced mathematics to them and explaining how to apply it in engineering.
An hour later, Leng Han and Jin Wei gained a lot.
"Teacher, your lectures are great and easy to understand. After only one lecture, I feel that I have a better understanding of the upper and lower volumes of high mathematics. I can get full marks in the exam, but I don't know how to use many knowledge points." Leng Han Listening to the teacher's explanation, there was a wonderful feeling, and Mao Sai suddenly realized many problems that troubled him.
Jin Weiru said: "Yes, teacher, I feel that I have gained a lot, but I wasted an hour of the teacher's precious time."
"Well, combining theory with practice is of course easier to master. You two have mastered advanced mathematics in college, so you can study other branches of mathematics. Xiaowei, although you are not a mathematics major, you can use more mathematics knowledge if you master it."
Mu Yang asked them to master the basic knowledge first, and then used their experience to cheat them.
If you don't understand the basic theory, Mu Yang will need to spend more experience and time instructing students.
It was also the first time for him to cheat on students, and he didn't expect the effect to be so good.
"Okay, teacher, I understand. If there is anything I don't understand, I will ask Leng Han." Jin Wei nodded.
He didn't call me Senior Sister, Leng Han gave me a supercilious look, thinking: One day, you have to call me Senior Sister honestly!
"Okay, let's stop here for today's study." Mu Yang said, "Are you two used to living in Jiangsu and Zhejiang University?
Although Jiangsu and Zhejiang University are a little weaker than Qingbei, some subjects are no worse than Qingbei.
At the same age, you have the capital of arrogance, but you must learn to be humble in your studies. You can participate in more extracurricular activities. Being a nerd will be very tiring and it will be difficult to gain a foothold in society. "
Mu Yang not only wants to guide the two of them in their studies, but also teaches them how to behave in the world.
"Teacher, Jiangsu and Zhejiang University is very good, the environment is great, and the students are very enthusiastic."
"It's very good. There's nothing I'm not used to, but I'm not familiar with the campus. It will be fine after a while."
"Teacher, Xiaowei and I want to participate in Shigu's charity foundation in our spare time." Leng Han smiled lightly.
Jin Wei's eyes widened. When did I agree to be together, but it's not bad to work in the charity organization of the teacher's sister.
"Well, it's good to do more good deeds." Mu Yang nodded, and there was nothing else to do, so the two of them could do whatever they wanted.
Leng Han and Jin Wei left Mu Yang's office. In addition to reporting on their studies, they also participated in Xinghai Group's technical confidentiality training.
What they didn't expect was that the teacher's guidance was like a god, which made their thinking clear all at once, and all the confusion disappeared.
"Junior Brother, the teacher is really amazing, just talk about it casually, I feel that all the problems are gone." Leng Han felt that he had gained a lot from studying today, and he wanted to fly when he walked.
"Well, I also don't understand, why the teacher can see through a little bit, and the effect is better than my study for half a year."
"If this happens every time, I feel that after several years of study, it will be difficult not to think about it."
"The teacher is very busy, so I was a little embarrassed to ask him." Jin Wei smiled, feeling more thirsty for knowledge.
The media is not optimistic about him, thinking that he is mediocre, and there are many students who are better than him, why Mu Yang chooses him.
Jin Wei originally had little pressure to study, but as a teacher's student, the pressure was much greater. Although the teacher didn't say it, but as his student, he couldn't be mediocre, otherwise he would lose face.
Jin Wei and Leng Han didn't plan to go back to school yet. They planned to visit the workshops and laboratories of Xinghai Group to verify their theoretical knowledge.
The two are quite special existences in the Xinghai Group, not only the management, but also the employees who know them are very polite to them.
Jin Wei felt that the teacher was too kind to them. The two of them didn't know how to drive yet, and they were not used to having a driver to take them off. But think about it, the teacher spent so much energy on training them, time is more precious, and they Save time, in fact, save time for the teacher.
There is a driver responsible for driving, and he can continue to read.
It's just that I feel a little high-profile at Jiangsu and Zhejiang University, and I'm not used to it now.
Currently, besides Aunt Mu Xiaoling, the most famous students in Jiangsu and Zhejiang University are him and Leng Han, who have become the object of discussion among teachers and students in the school.
The next day, Jin Wei went back to school and was walking on campus with his classmate Zheng Ming when he met a girl who greeted him.
"Jin Wei, are you free? Let's go to the library to read."
Jin Wei paused to think, and looked up slightly. The cute girl in front of him looked familiar. He was from another class in this department. He met him in the big class, but he didn't know her name. He was greeted twice out of politeness. , he responded with a smile.
Since coming to Jiangsu and Zhejiang University, he has been favored by many girls.
He is handsome?
Certainly not, he is only 167 in height, and at Tsinghua University, the girls in this department ignore him.
Although I haven't talked about love, I know what's going on.
Now, it's really not the time to fall in love, and the most important thing is to study.
If he didn't get the teacher's consent, he still didn't want to have too much involvement with girls.
Girls, do you have the fragrance of scientific exploration?
So, he declined the invitation: "Maybe I'm not free today."
"Oh, maybe I'm free then? Next weekend?"
"I'm focusing on my studies now, and I hope my classmates can understand."
"Of course I understand, so instead of going shopping, we read books together in the library."
Jin Wei had already refused very clearly, and smiled awkwardly.
The girl on the other side saw Jin Wei smiling a little stiffly. Although she was rejected, she was not angry and kept smiling: "My name is Zhang Lan. Then I will ask you out when you are free. Bye."
Jin Wei smiled wryly, and the male classmate next to him bumped into him, his eyes still unable to leave the girl who was walking slightly twisted.
"Come on, Jin Wei, why don't you agree? Don't take the food delivered to your door for nothing. This Zhang Lan is very handsome, and there are still many boys chasing after him, but they don't pay attention."
"If you like, you can too."
"I like to have a fart. You didn't look at me just now, and you didn't even look at me. You probably don't even know my name. You are bold enough to call me out and ask you out. Now a girl meets a good boy." , I’m really hungrier than men, I’m really afraid that I’ll be snatched away by other girls later.”
"Didn't you say that as long as you are thick-skinned, you can pick up any girl?"
"I was just talking about it. Forget it. With your conditions, it's normal to look down on it. I think that Leng Han is not bad."
Jin Wei said lightly: "Hehe, I'm not interested in her, and it's too late to avoid her. Besides, I'm only a freshman now, and I've been busy recently, so I don't want to have a relationship."
"Well, it's really not suitable for you to be in a relationship right now, otherwise you'll lose Mushen's face, and the whole internet will criticize you."
Zheng Ming smiled and replied, he was very envious of Jin Wei.
There is an extra big guy in their class, and now they have a relationship, maybe they can help them in the future; in addition, Jin Wei is a student of Tsinghua University, and he is also the top student in the college entrance examination. The top student always worships the strong.
Everyone's college entrance examination scores may be only about 50 points away, but these scores of points are a huge gap, and they are not in the same grade.
Through learning and communicating with Jin Wei, Zheng Ming did find that Jin Wei is better than himself.
Jin Wei nodded.
On the campus road to the library, many people greeted Jin Wei.
"Jin Wei, I'm a little curious, what's it like to be Mushen's student?"
"The teacher is very good to us, but just too good. I feel a lot of pressure, and I am afraid of failing his expectations." Jin Wei did not shy away from this question, but if asked about the teacher's personal affairs, he would definitely not say it.
"I'm really envious. I don't have to worry about material things anymore. Mu Shen's personal wealth is three or four hundred billion U.S. dollars."
"No idea, I don't pay attention to that."
"Well, at the level of Mushen, money is no longer important to him. I respect Mushen very much and regard him as my idol." After Zheng Ming asked, he seemed to feel that he shouldn't ask these words, lest he Jin Wei has a bad impression of him.
Just two days later, Jin Wei received a call from the teacher, saying that Xinghai Group held a technology exhibition in City H, to show the technology and products of Xinghai Group to the outside world, invite partners to communicate, and asked him and Leng Han to meet the world. Let two people get familiar with the same product arc welding robot and introduce it to the guests, the purpose is to exercise their social skills and get familiar with the arc welding robot at the same time.
The exhibition was scheduled for the next weekend, and Jin Wei suddenly felt a lot of pressure. Socializing is his weakness, let alone introducing products to guests. He had to find Leng Han, who is more lively and has strong language skills.
The second point is that he is not familiar with arc welding robots. Fortunately, the teacher asked the technical manager of arc welding robots to send them an electronic document. If he doesn't understand, he can only ask the seniors of the project team.
"Senior sister, the product introduction is still dominated by you. I really can't do this. I can only guide and explain."
"Junior Brother, it's fine, I'll take care of this." Leng Han had a smug smile on his face, very satisfied with Jin Wei's title, this guy finally gave in.