Introduction
In recent decades architecture ARM has dominated the landscape of embedded systems: from low-power microcontrollers to processors for smartphones, automotive and IoT devices. The combination of energy efficiency, extensive documentation and an established ecosystem has made ARM the an almost obligatory choice for those who develop large-scale solutions.
In recent years, however, a new player is attracting attention: RISC-V, an architecture open-source that promises to change the balance of the sector. It is not just a technical alternative: it is a paradigm which puts opening at the centre, customization and technological sovereignty, reducing licensing constraints.
ARM: a hegemony built on licenses and reliability
ARM has established itself with a well-tested model: it delivers Core IP licensed that manufacturers integrate into their chips. This has generated a large and mature ecosystem: toolchains (ARM GCC, IAR, Keil), professional debuggers and RTOS supported (FreeRTOS, ThreadX, Zephyr) have made ARM a constant reference.
On a technological level, the family is scalable: Cortex-M for MCUs and sensors, Cortex-A for applications complex and Linux, profiles for automotive and AI. The downside are licensing costs and contractual constraints and a structural dependence on a single supplier, factors that can impact margins and time to market.
RISC-V: an open architecture that changes the rules of the game
RISC-V was born in 2010 at the University of Berkeley with a clear objective: to offer a Open ISA, royalty free, that anyone can build on. It's not a single implementation, but a specific one: companies, universities and startups can create your own core, adapting it to specific needs without licensing costs.
This freedom enables unprecedented flexibility: you can design a core ultra-low-power minimalist or add dedicated extensions to speed up TO THE, encryption or DSP. For many manufacturers, it means reduce dependence on closed IPs and differentiate the product at the instruction level.
The real advantages of RISC-V for embedded
The most immediate benefit is the absence of royalties: in markets with compressed margins, eliminating licenses increases competitiveness. But the main value is the customization: Proprietary extensions allow instruction-level acceleration for the critical paths of the application, with direct impacts on latency, consumption and area.
Another pillar is the technological sovereignty. In Europe, India and China, interest in less constrained supply chains is growing to foreign suppliers. In domains like automotive and HPC, being able to control architecture and tools is a strategic advantage.
Challenges still open
The RISC-V software ecosystem is growing rapidly but is not as homogeneous as the ARM one. Even with good support for GCC and LLVM, advanced debugging tools, trace and profiling are not always at the same level. The rich possibility of extending the ISA carries the risk of fragmentation and partial compatibility between different cores.
Furthermore, the presence of historic vendors and consolidated certifications gives ARM an advantage in regulated sectors. Having said that, reality like YesFive, Andes, Expressive And Microchip they are filling the gaps with increasingly mature IP and reference designs.
Where RISC-V grows fastest
In the sector IoT and low-power MCUs RISC-V advances rapidly: products like ESP32-C3 and Arduino boards with RISC-V cores bring the ISA to the consumer and light industrial markets. In the'AI edge, the possibility of introducing dedicated instructions it is ideal for lightweight networks and vision pipelines. In HPC, European and Asian projects are working on RISC-V platforms for reasons of sovereignty and scalability.
In automotive, the first pilot programs explore control, safety and infotainment. ARM remains dominant, but RISC-V gains credibility on specific components and as a platform for innovative functionality.
Ecosystem and community: the true engine of innovation
There RISC-V International coordinates standards and extensions, promoting open collaboration between companies and academia. The software stack evolves rapidly: in addition to Linux support, RTOS like Zephyr and FreeRTOS have stable ports, while shared documentation reduces entry barriers e time-to-first-blink.
This open model contrasts with ARM's more closed approach. As already happened with Linux in the server world, open-source can accelerate the pace of innovation even in embedded.
Practical insights added
Architectural choice. If your project requires mature certifications, wide availability of drivers and tools “enterprise-grade”, ARM reduces risks and times. If instead the customization ISA and cost reduction are priorities, RISC-V allows you to model the processor on the needs of the application.
Benchmarks that matter. In addition to the classic MIPS/MHz, it measures interrupt latency and energy efficiency (µA/MHz in active/sleep), memory footprint with toolchain real,throughput on DSP/AI kernel and determinism in RT scenarios. Integrate these tests into the CI for repeatable ARM vs RISC-V comparisons.
Migration strategy. Start from one pilot targeted: select a mainstream RISC-V board with HAL and examples, bring in a key feature (e.g. DSP filter, sensor-to-radio pipeline), measure power and performance, and only then extend the reach. This way you reduce risk and build internal know-how.
Conclusion: towards an ARM–RISC-V duopoly?
ARM will not disappear: the consolidated ecosystem and relationships with the main manufacturers keep it central in complex projects. But RISC-V is now more than a promise: it is a rapidly maturing reality, adopted by a growing number of players and destined to grow in the coming years.
The future could take shape as a ARM–RISC-V duopoly, with tangible benefits for developers and businesses: competition, faster innovation and reduced costs. It is the ideal time to experiment with RISC-V with pilot projects, validate the toolchain and build a sustainable adoption roadmap.
References
Do you want to integrate ARM or RISC-V into your embedded systems?
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