Raspberry Pi Foundation are now a silver member of the RISC-V Foundation - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: tsman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2019, 07:41:58 pm
content: https://twitter.com/Raspberry_Pi/status/1081187761418317824QuoteBroadcom planning a RISC-V SoC and its being considered for a future Raspberry Pi? Another possibility is that Eben Upton is changing jobs and leaving Broadcom to go to a RISC-V company like SiFive?

author: hamster_nz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2019, 10:29:28 pm
content: Interesting! I couldn't imagine a RISCV Raspberry Pi would be a viable option at the moment, if only for the need to maintain cross-platform compatability.But a RISCV equivalent of a micro:bit as a microcontroller add-on to the RaspPi ecosystem it might be workable.Actually, on second thoughts I can't see how it could work, compared with a Pi Zero, which is already pretty well featured, dirt cheap and runs the full Linux software stack...It will be interesting to see what happens.

author: brucehoult
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2019, 10:54:23 pm
content: Quote from: tsman on January 04, 2019, 07:41:58 pmWhile that is possible, the simpler explanation would be if it's connected to Raspberry Pi team members Robert Mullins and Alex Bradbury's long running LowRISC project maybe finally bearing fruit.https://www.lowrisc.org/

author: tsman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2019, 10:56:25 pm
content: Quote from: brucehoult on January 04, 2019, 10:54:23 pmAhh. Yes. That would be far more likely. I didn't know 2 of the 3 founders are part of the Raspberry Pi Foundation.Quote

author: brucehoult
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2019, 11:10:02 pm
content: Quote from: hamster_nz on January 04, 2019, 10:29:28 pmInteresting thought.QuoteThe Pi Zero is not dirt cheap! If it was actually cheap then you'd be able to buy one without adding on more in "shipping" than in the supposed price of the board. If it was cheap then you'd be able to order 10 of them, or 100, to spread the shipping cost. If it was cheap they'd *encourage* that, with multi-packs.None of those things have happened, more than three years after launch.I'm sure the actual cost of a Pi Zero is far more than the 5 dollar/pounds they advertise it for.

author: tsman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2019, 11:31:02 pm
content: Quote from: brucehoult on January 04, 2019, 11:10:02 pmNo hard evidence but I was told by somebody who works for one of the main stores that sells the Pi Zero and Pi Zero W in the UK is that there is supposedly nearly zero profit for them when sold mail order. The Raspberry Pi Foundation aren't making a loss on them but the stores aren't making a profit either. Farnell and RS don't manufacture or distribute them for this reason unlike the full sized boards. The Pi Zero WH which has a soldered on header doesn't have this quantity limitation as you're charged an extra ~£4 for that header.

author: tsman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2019, 11:41:44 pm
content: Quote from: blueskull on January 04, 2019, 11:22:49 pmThe ST Nucleo boards are far cheaper than they should be as well. The STM32F103CB used as the onboard ST-Link and the main STM32 alone in bulk quantities are well over half the cost of the whole Nucleo board. ST say the boards are for evaluation/development usage only in the manual though and forbid integration into commercial devices so they are subsidising it somehow.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2019, 11:50:45 pm
content: Quote from: brucehoult on January 04, 2019, 11:10:02 pmI'd probably pay it if they'd just let me..

author: hamster_nz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2019, 01:01:21 am
content: Quote from: Monkeh on January 04, 2019, 11:50:45 pmWhy do they not let you?Unless I'm desperate, I order my RaspPi stuff from Pimoroni the UK all the time without any issues. This thread reminded me to order a Pi A+ (I don't have one yet), and just because I am a little bit stubborn I added a Pi Zero onto it.Shipping for order half way around the planet for the entire order is another ~US$5.00, so I guess you could argue it cost me US$6.33, but they are defiantly not made of expensive unobtainium.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2019, 01:03:22 am
content: Quote from: hamster_nz on January 05, 2019, 01:01:21 amOne at a time is ridiculous if I want, say, ten.

author: Dielectric
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2019, 01:28:36 am
content: Heh, I just pick up a Zero (W option now, mostly) whenever I'm in the checkout at Microcenter (US electronics retailer) even if I don't have an immediate need. Sorry for the stockpiling, but my IOT startup depends on themAt Microcenter, they actually do *let* you buy more than one per visit, but the cost is double for the second one, triple for the third, something like that.

author: Rasz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2019, 02:21:56 am
content: Quote from: hamster_nz on January 04, 2019, 10:29:28 pmwhy? they dont really need binary compatibility on the linux side. GPU must stay the same, designing new one is too expensive (and most likely a patent minefield) + sunk cost fallacy + mature firmware. We only got Pee because at some point Nokia paid out of their ass for designing a fancy camera DSP.Quote from: hamster_nz on January 04, 2019, 10:29:28 pmBroadcom might have no use for pee at this point, and selling management on "leading innovation by experimenting with exciting new CPU arch" (but throw more pointy haired words in there) could be the only means of keeping this project alive.Personally I would be more excited about potential USB 3.0 or pcie than new CPU core.

author: brucehoult
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2019, 03:03:27 am
content: Quote from: hamster_nz on January 05, 2019, 01:01:21 amTry putting *two* (or more) Pi Zeros in your order. You can't.

author: hamster_nz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2019, 03:53:26 am
content: Quote from: brucehoult on January 05, 2019, 03:03:27 amTrue. When it comes to Raspberry Pi Zeros, if I want one I can buy one for about US$5 plus shipping, and it is quite likely you can too.However, if you want two or more you can buy one for $5 plus shipping.I wouldn't expect a food bank to give multiple food parcels to the local corner store or resturant so they can sell cheaper food to customers, so I understand why the Raspberry Pi Foundation (also a charity) don't want to sell Pis in commercial quantities.It clearly doesn't further the stated aims of the charity, but will consumes their time, resources and supply chain for no return.They also are likely to have a 'strings attached' agreement with their suppliers, to prevent selling in quantity. Charities have to accept those sort of things....

author: chickenHeadKnob
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2019, 09:13:44 am
content: Quote from: blueskull on January 04, 2019, 11:22:49 pm10 bucks? Not anymore, price went up $14 USD recently, also comparable increase on the CY8CKIT -(psoc4 whatever number) from 4 to $6 USD. Still a good deal and it is true you can buy shed loads at a time. I just realized maybe Canuk-a-chuk geo sensing +pricing is possible on mouser,digi-key web sites. Canadians have to pay more even after exchange rate is factored in. Maybe a US forum member can confirm price.