Loongson recently released the 3A6000 series, a 4-core and 8-thread domestic CPU that is comparable to the Intel 10th Gen Core 4-core i3 in single-core performance, and even comparable to the 13th and 14th Gen 4-core Core at the IPC level. This means that the CPU design level of Loongson and the efficiency of the self-developed LoongArch instruction set have reached the world-class level. The 3A6000 series CPUs are a highlight of Loongson, but that's not all they have. In fact, Loongson has an even more exciting move: open instruction set and IP licensing, and it is a free and permanent license.
The release of the 3A6000 series CPU is an important breakthrough in the field of high performance of Loongson in recent years. Its single-core performance is close to the tenth-generation Core product line of Intel, a well-known foreign chip manufacturer, which is a big success for the domestic chip industry. This also shows that Loongson has made significant progress in CPU design and instruction set optimization. Moreover, Loongson's pursuit of performance does not stop there, they continue to upgrade and improve hardware to maintain competitiveness with the world's first-class level.
For Loongson's self-developed Loongarch instruction set, Loongson is open to free licensing, and there is no royalty limit. As long as the technology agreement is signed, the business is granted a perpetual license and can use it as they please, without any restrictions. This means that companies will not only be able to use this instruction set widely in their products, but will also be able to develop and extend the instruction set specific to their own needs by working with Loongson. This openness and flexibility is unmatched by other vendors.
In the current chip market, instruction set authorization is a very important business model. ARM, a well-known chip design company, uses the authorized instruction set as its main way to make profits. In this respect, Loongson is in stark contrast to ARM. The instruction set and IP core authorization provided by ARM are subject to payment, and the licensed enterprise is not allowed to modify and expand the instruction set. In contrast, Loongson's licensing method is more flexible and free, and enterprises can customize and expand the instruction set according to their own needs, which is very rare in the industry.
For the IP core part, Loongson has also opened the authorization of three CPU cores, namely LA132, LA264 and LA364, which are suitable for low, medium and high performance levels of embedded CPUs. These CPU cores only need to sign an agreement with Loongson, and they can be used for a long time for free without any cost problems. In addition, Loongson also plans to release the more advanced LA464 and LA664, which will be available for licensing. Compared with the requirements of advanced technology for ARM's external licensing of IP cores, Loongson's IP core process requirements are low, and 28nm can be competent. This is more in line with the actual situation of the domestic chip manufacturing industry, because the level of domestic chip manufacturing is generally low.
The IP core is the core part of the chip design, which contains the functional units and architecture of the chip. In general, the delegation of IP cores is an important consideration. As one of the world's largest IP vendors, ARM's IP core licensing fees are very expensive, and there are process requirements, and advanced process technology must be used to achieve the best performance. In contrast, Loongson's IP core licensing method is more concise, flexible and economical. As long as the cooperation agreement with Loongson is signed, enterprises can use the IP core for free and are not limited by process requirements. This is a very attractive advantage for domestic chip companies.
The reason why Loongson is open to the authorization of instruction sets and IP cores is very simple: it hopes to attract more enterprises to work together to jointly promote the development of the Loongson ecosystem. Loongson aims to build an ecosystem that goes hand in hand with X86 and ARM, but for now, the gap between Loongson and these two giants is still large. It is very difficult to promote the development of the entire ecosystem with the power of Loongson, and it involves the coordination and integration of both hardware and software, which is a very complex process. Therefore, Loongson chose to open the instruction set and the authorization of IP cores, hoping to attract more enterprises to participate and work together to promote the development of the entire ecosystem.
The development of the ecosystem is very important for a chip company, which not only means stronger software support and richer application scenarios, but also can attract more partners and customers. At present, Loongson has attracted more than 10 companies to sign licensing agreements, becoming the only company other than ARM to provide full-level IP cores. This shows Loongson's success in open cooperation and lays a solid foundation for the development of its ecosystem. Once more companies start using Loongson's instruction set and IP cores, Loongson's ecosystem will become even stronger, eventually able to compete with ARM, and gradually wean Chinese chip companies off their dependence on ARM. For other chip companies, Loongson's open instruction set and IP core authorization will be quite attractive. Especially in the fields of industrial control, Internet of Things and embedded, Loongson provides CPU cores at various levels from low to high performance, which provides chip companies with more choices and customization possibilities. As long as the Loongson ecosystem is effectively developed, some domestic manufacturers are fully capable of getting rid of their dependence on ARM and turning to Loongson. This will help improve the overall strength of China's chip industry.
Loongson's open instruction set and IP core authorization is not only of great significance to itself, but also a great news for China's chip companies. Chinese chip companies have been seeking to break their dependence on foreign technology and enhance their competitiveness through independent R&D and innovation. As a leading chip design company in China, Loongson's open licensing initiative has provided important support and help to other chip companies. Loongson's LoongArch instruction set can meet the needs of different fields and is suitable for various application scenarios such as IoT, embedded, desktop and server. At present, Loongson's instruction set has many successful commercial application cases. For other chip companies, it is a very attractive opportunity to be able to use Loongson's instruction set and IP core for free. This attraction is especially evident in areas such as industrial control, Internet of Things and embedded. Once Loongson's instruction set and IP cores are widely used, Loongson's ecosystem will become even stronger, thus moving away from dependence on ARM. This is a rare opportunity for Chinese chip companies.
In general, Loongson intends to promote the development of the entire chip industry through the open instruction set and free authorization of IP cores, attract more enterprises to participate, and work together to promote the construction of the Loongson ecosystem. Loongson adheres to the concept of self-improvement, hoping to keep pace with x86 and ARM, and eventually enable Chinese chip companies to get rid of their dependence on ARM and become one of the most competitive chip manufacturers in the world. At present, Loongson has achieved some results and attracted the cooperation of some enterprises, but it still faces challenges and difficulties to achieve this goal, and needs more partners and support. Only through joint efforts can the Loongson ecosystem continue to grow and make greater contributions to the development of China's chip industry.