[HN Gopher] Xous security focused open source on 22nm custom sil...
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       Xous security focused open source on 22nm custom silicon
        
       Author : ZiiS
       Score  : 67 points
       Date   : 2026-03-02 19:22 UTC (4 days ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.crowdsupply.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.crowdsupply.com)
        
       | skywal_l wrote:
       | Interesting: https://baochip.com/.
       | 
       | I didn't know the concept of "Warrant Canary". [0]
       | 
       | [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warrant_canary
        
       | sockbot wrote:
       | For those unfamiliar with this project:
       | 
       | Baochip is a license-free RISCV implementation with MMU. It is
       | custom CPU logic hitchhiked on another company's SOC. The SOC is
       | dual CPU like the rp2340, but with the other CPU fused off.
       | 
       | Xous is a an operating system that runs on the Baochip and an
       | FPGA version of it.
       | 
       | Precursor is a prototype mobile hardware secrets device. It has
       | an FPGA that runs Xous and costs around $600. One of the core
       | goals of the project is to make inspectable hardware.
       | 
       | This baochip is the next step is to make prototype devices
       | cheaper by running xous on the baochip instead of FPGA. The
       | baochip is inspectable using a technique called IRIS.
       | 
       | Bunnie is leading this project.
        
         | jauntywundrkind wrote:
         | Almost. SoC is a 1+4 design, with a vexriscv main core
         | (350MHz), and 4 tiny "Baochip IO" PicoRV cores (700MHz)
         | (somewhat akin to the ultra-puny Programmable IO/PIO cores on
         | rp2350). The crowdsupply for this board just opened. For on
         | vexriscv, which has been around:
         | https://hn.algolia.com/?q=vexrisc
         | 
         | This is an embedded chip, not a full on application core like
         | an arm cortex A78. No GPU, 2mb+256k onboard ram + psram
         | external. But like a rp2350 there are graphics drivers. It has
         | a ridiculously fast for its class internal execute-in-place
         | flash. A rather featureful MMU for a device of its small size,
         | to support it's rust based borrow-checked memory OS. Tons of
         | security & encryption features such as sha256/512, blake2/3,
         | ECC ram, TRNG, etc. 22nm doesn't sound impressive by modern
         | standards but is pretty good for a small embedded chip; rp2350
         | is 40nm.
         | 
         | The BIO is going to be ridiculous. Fully cross barred to output
         | and just ridiculously fast.
         | 
         | Previous discussion from 47d ago on Xous, with Baochip X1
         | mentions, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46619059 (183
         | points, 69 comments, nice)
         | 
         | I want Oxide to start an RFD for evaluate changing their base
         | processor to this ("Gimlet"). Much higher security than
         | anything else available. Switching off Hubris is probably a
         | non-starter, it probably lacks some nice/necessary peripherals,
         | and major supply chain risk, but also, an incredible open
         | source chip you could go deeper on.
        
         | ysnp wrote:
         | Is the case that captures all RF still planned for the
         | productised Baochip?
        
         | tonypapousek wrote:
         | His talk at Teardown last year was excellent; I'm glad to see
         | development is still going strong.
        
       | sockbot wrote:
       | https://youtu.be/DaWkfSmIgRs
       | 
       | This talk from 3c explains the hardware and operating system side
       | of the project.
        
       | DeathArrow wrote:
       | Two cores and 22nm doesn't scream performance if this is a
       | general purpose CPU.
        
         | backscratches wrote:
         | focus on Security over performance
        
         | tliltocatl wrote:
         | Depends on your definition of general-purpose. It is much
         | closer to RP2350 than to a Ryzen.
         | 
         | Edit: except it has a MMU...
        
           | tliltocatl wrote:
           | ..which is a huge thing because AFAIK most Cortex-A SoCs on
           | the market are full of undocumented peripherals. Cortex-Ms
           | are usually sufficiently documented that you can bring them
           | up from scratch. Once you want a MMU it's either "use our
           | mainlined Linux drivers full of dark magic" (if you are _very
           | lucky_ - perfect if you want Linux, less so if you are
           | developing your own OS),  "use our Linux kernel full of
           | binary blobs" (if you are less lucky) or, as a rule, "sign a
           | NDA and don't even bother us if you aren't a billion-dollar
           | corporation".
           | 
           | (Started it as a minor edit, then decided to elaborate so
           | moved it to a new comment).
        
       | IshKebab wrote:
       | This is a really interesting project IMO, especially the BIO
       | programmable IO system (similar to RPi's PIO but open).
        
       | anonym29 wrote:
       | https://archive.is/YSfin
        
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       (page generated 2026-03-06 23:01 UTC)