RISC-V Industrial Controllers: Breaking Free from Vendor Lock-in for Customized Automation

Escaping Vendor Lock-in with Open Architecture Industrial Controls

Industrial automation has long been dominated by a small group of major vendors with proprietary hardware and software ecosystems. This approach creates several significant challenges for manufacturers with specialized requirements:

1. Forced Obsolescence: Vendors regularly discontinue products and support based on their business needs, not yours
2. Feature Mismatch: Standard controllers often include unnecessary functions while lacking critical specialized capabilities
3. Cost Inefficiency: Specialized industrial controllers typically command substantial markups over their actual component costs

Many industrial applications have requirements that aren’t adequately addressed by off-the-shelf solutions, yet most companies accept compromised designs rather than exploring custom solutions.

The RISC-V Advantage in Industrial Control Systems

RISC-V, an open-source Instruction Set Architecture (ISA), has fundamentally changed what’s possible in industrial control design. Unlike proprietary architectures like ARM or x86, RISC-V allows complete freedom to implement, modify, and extend processor designs without licensing fees or legal constraints.

For industrial automation, this creates valuable opportunities:

• Develop application-specific controllers optimized for exact requirements
• Eliminate planned obsolescence by controlling hardware design
• Integrate precisely the peripherals and interfaces needed
• Scale processing capabilities based on application requirements
• Reduce costs by eliminating unnecessary components

Professional vs. DIY RISC-V Implementation Options

Implementing RISC-V-based systems in industrial environments offers several approaches, each with distinct advantages:

Approach 1: FPGA-Based RISC-V Implementation

This approach uses Field Programmable Gate Arrays to implement a RISC-V core alongside custom logic:

[FPGA]
├── RISC-V Core(s)
├── Custom Logic Accelerators
│   ├── Motion Control Pipeline
│   ├── Real-time Signal Processing
│   └── Protocol Handling (Modbus, PROFINET, etc.)
├── Memory Controllers
└── I/O Interfaces

Advantages:

• Complete customization of processor and peripherals
• Hardware acceleration for specialized functions
• Ability to update the entire design in the field

Professional Solutions: Leading FPGA manufacturers like Xilinx (AMD) and Intel offer development platforms specifically designed for industrial applications. Companies like Microchip and Efinix now provide RISC-V soft cores optimized for their FPGA platforms, streamlining development while maintaining customizability.

Approach 2: Commercial RISC-V System-on-Chip (SoC)

This approach uses commercially available RISC-V SoCs as the foundation, adding custom expansion boards:

[RISC-V SoC] ───┐
                │
                ├──── [Custom I/O Board]
                │
[Power Supply] ──┘

Advantages:

• Reduced development time compared to FPGA approach
• Lower unit cost for medium-volume production
• Still maintains software freedom and vendor independence

Professional Solutions: Companies like SiFive and Andes Technology now offer industrial-grade RISC-V processors designed specifically for embedded applications. SiFive’s Essential series and Andes’ 25-Series RISC-V processors provide industrial-grade reliability with features like error correction, extended temperature ranges, and long-term availability commitments.

Approach 3: Linux-capable RISC-V with Containers

For more complex applications requiring rich software ecosystems:

[High-performance RISC-V SoC]
├── Linux OS
│   ├── Container Runtime
│   │   ├── Control Application Container
│   │   ├── OPC UA Server Container
│   │   └── Data Processing Container
│   └── Real-time Scheduler
└── Deterministic I/O Subsystem

Advantages:

• Rich software ecosystem availability
• Modern development practices (containers, CI/CD)
• Freedom to update applications independently

Professional Solutions: StarFive’s VisionFive series and the Sipeed Lichee boards provide powerful, Linux-capable RISC-V platforms suitable for industrial HMI and edge computing applications. These platforms enable modern software practices while maintaining the benefits of open architecture.

Practical Implementation Guide for Industrial RISC-V Solutions

The current technology landscape suggests the following decision framework:

Effective Development Process

A structured development process for RISC-V industrial implementations includes:

1. Requirements Analysis:

   • Document timing constraints, I/O requirements, and specialized algorithms
   • Define obsolescence risk tolerance and expected product lifetime
   • Assess production volume and cost targets

2. Architecture Selection:

   • Choose between implementation approaches based on requirements
   • Select specific hardware platform (FPGA family or SoC)
   • Define software/hardware partition

3. Implementation:

   • For FPGA: Consider high-level design languages like SpinalHDL or Chisel for maintainability
   • For SoC: Design custom interface boards using industry-standard EDA tools
   • Develop firmware using industrial-grade RTOS options like FreeRTOS or Zephyr
   • For Linux systems: Consider Yocto or Buildroot for customized, maintainable distributions

4. Validation:

   • Implement comprehensive testing protocols
   • Conduct EMC compliance testing
   • Perform reliability testing under various conditions
   • Validate against original requirements

Industrial Application: Process Controller Replacement

A manufacturing facility faced obsolescence of critical process controllers with unique requirements:

• Challenge: Legacy controller discontinuation threatened production
• Constraints: Replacement needed to match specific timing characteristics and interface with existing equipment
• Approach: FPGA-based RISC-V implementation with custom peripherals

Solution Components:

• Platform: Industry-standard FPGA
• RISC-V Core: Configurable core with custom instructions for specialized operations
• Custom peripherals: Precision I/O interfaces, industrial communication protocols
• Development approach: Modern hardware description languages, mainstream firmware tools

Outcomes:

• Matched required specifications, enabling seamless transition
• Extended system lifetime through field-updateable design
• Reduced operating costs through improved efficiency
• Enhanced process capabilities previously impossible with vendor hardware
• Eliminated future obsolescence risk through vendor independence

The Future of Industrial Control: Open Architecture

RISC-V-based industrial controllers represent a practical path to hardware independence for companies with specialized requirements. While not appropriate for every application, they provide significant advantages for:

1. Specialized applications poorly served by standard controllers
2. Systems facing obsolescence of critical components
3. Applications where vendor lock-in creates unacceptable business risk
4. Projects requiring optimized performance and cost through customization

The RISC-V ecosystem continues to mature rapidly, with major semiconductor companies now offering industrial-grade implementations. This evolution makes custom control solutions increasingly accessible to organizations of all sizes, not just those with extensive engineering resources.

Interested in exploring how RISC-V can solve your industrial automation challenges? Contact me for a consultation to discuss your specific requirements and discover how custom control solutions can transform your operations.