Today at Embedded World, SiFive, Inc. unveiled the HiFive Premier P550, an advanced iteration of the former HiFive Unmatched board. This new development board offers a Linux-based platform in a standard PC form factor, marking a significant evolution in their RISC-V product line.

The HiFive Premier P550 is powered by a quad-core SiFive Performance P550 processor. Its standout feature is the P550 core, known for delivering high compute density and efficient performance, while maintaining an energy-efficient profile.

CPU: 

• Three-issue, out-of-order, 64-bit execution pipeline
• 64-bit quad-core SiFive P550  running at 1.4GHz with:
  • RV64GC (RV64IMAFDC)
  • 32KB instruction cache / 32KB data cache per core
  • 256KB L2 cache per core
• 4MB Coherent Banked L3 cache

HiFive Premier P550 block diagram
(click image to enlarge)

The development platform’s modular design, including a replaceable system-on-module (SOM), is powered by the versatile Eswin EIC7700 SoC. This SoC incorporates a range of features: a 2D/3D GPU, a hardware video encoder/decoder, NPU, DSP, and a security subsystem.

HiFive Premier P550 peripherals
(click images to enlarge)

The HiFive Premier P550 is well-equipped with 16GB of LPDDR5 memory operating at 6400 MT/s, 128GB of eMMC Flash for swift booting, and a SATA3 connector for rapid data transfer. Storage options are further expanded with a microSD card slot.

For multimedia, it features an HDMI 2.0 connector and a versatile audio interface header for line-out and line-in connections.

Networking is robust with two Ethernet RJ45 connectors for high-speed internet access, another RJ45 for remote management, and an M.2 Key E slot for optional Wi-Fi/Bluetooth modules. This is complemented by a PCI Express Gen3 x1 and a USB 2.0 interface.

The device runs on SiFive’s Freedom-U SDK, providing a solid software foundation including OpenSBI, U-Boot, and Linux Kernel v6.60 or later. It also includes essential development packages like GCC and LLVM toolchains, along with various performance tools and utilities.

Patrick Little, CEO of SiFive, regards the HiFive board as a ‘golden reference’ in RISC-V development, particularly potent in pioneering AI applications.

Specifications listed for the HiFive Premier P550:

• Memory/Storage:
  • On-board 16GB LPDDR5 @6400 MT/s
  • 1x SATA3 connector (6GB/s)
  • On-board 128GB eMMC Flash 1.5 Boot Flash
  • 2KB EEPROM
  • 1x microSD card slot
• Display/Audio:
  • 1x HDMI 2.0 connector 
  • 1x Header for audio interface 
• Expansion:
  • 1x PCI Express Gen3 x4 (via PCIe x16 slot)
• Connectivity:
  • 2x 10/100/1000 Ethernet RJ45 connectors
  • 1x Ethernet RJ45 connector for remote board management using a  on-board dedicated MCU
  • 1x M.2 Key E connector for Wi-Fi / Bluetooth module (not included) 
    • 1x PCI Express Gen3 x1
    • 1x USB 2.0
• I/O Interfaces:
  • 40-pin GPIO header:
    • 1x I2c, 1x QSPI, 1x UART
    • 16x GPIOs
• USB:
  • 2x stacked USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A connectors
  • 1x 19-pin male USB3 connector for two front panel USB 3.2 Gen1 ports
  • 1x Type-E connector for a front panel USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-C port
• Debug:
  • 1x JTAG Header 
  • 1x microUSB port (UART, JTAG support via FT4232H JTAG controller)
• Other Features:
  • 3x fan headers 
  • Mini-ITX case compliant front panel connector
  • 1x CR1220 battery holder for Real-Time Clock
• Power:
  • 24-pin ATX (PSU not included)
• Mechanical:
  • 203 x 107mm
  • Mini-DTX form factor 

Further Information

The HiFive Premier P550 will come in two variants, featuring either 16GB or 32GB RAM, according to the product brief. Set for release in July 2024 through Arrow Electronics, pre-orders are available on Arrow.com. 

For more information, visit the HiFive Premier P550 product page on SiFive’s website.