The Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) has successfully completed the first edition of the Training Course on RISC-V Fundamentals, held from November 11 to 13, 2024, at the UPC Campus Nord in Barcelona. This intermediate-level course, organized as part of the Barcelona Zettascale Lab (BZL) project and the Severo Ochoa program, aimed to introduce the foundational principles of the RISC-V ecosystem and provide attendees with tools to develop innovative solutions.
The more than 40 participants praised the course for its balance between theory and practice, highlighting the instructors’ depth of knowledge and the relevance of the content to current industry trends.
Course Overview:
The three-day program provided a comprehensive exploration of RISC-V fundamentals, virtualization techniques, and vector extensions. Each day combined theoretical lectures with practical sessions, enabling attendees to apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios.
Day 1: RISC-V Fundamentals & Operating Systems
– Morning Session: Introduction to the RISC-V ecosystem and Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) basics.
– Afternoon Session: Booting a RISC-V-compliant operating system using QEMU, followed by hands-on exercises.
Day 2: Virtualization and Custom Instructions
– Morning Session: Virtualization techniques for cloud computing with QEMU.
– Afternoon Session: Exploration of custom instructions’ potential, supplemented by practical applications.
Day 3: RISC-V Vector Extension
– Morning Session: Introduction to the RISC-V Vector Extension (RVV).
– Afternoon Session: Utilizing RVV with compilers, culminating in hands-on projects.
The course featured expert instructors from BSC, including Teresa Cervero, who delivered an insightful session on the RISC-V ecosystem. Her presentation slides are available here.
Context within the BZL Project:
This training was part of the Barcelona Zettascale Lab’s mission to position Europe as a global leader in high-performance computing (HPC). By fostering expertise in RISC-V technology, BZL aims to drive technological sustainability and cultivate a robust ecosystem encompassing both hardware and software.
Participant Feedback:
Attendees praised the course for its balanced approach between theory and practice, highlighting the instructors’ depth of knowledge and the relevance of the content to current industry trends.
Stay tuned for more information on upcoming training sessions and initiatives.