Intel has just discontinued PathFinder Eclipse-based development environment for RISC-V processors with the website now reading:
We regret to inform you that Intel is discontinuing the Intel Pathfinder for RISC-V program effective immediately.
Since Intel will not be providing any additional releases or bug fixes, we encourage you to promptly transition to third-party RISC-V software tools that best meet your development needs.
PathFinder was a pre-silicon open-source development environment with support for vairous RISC-V cores, a set of other IP’s, multiple operating systems, and toolchains. It allowed designers to create RISC-V SoCs to and run them on FPGA platforms such as the Terasic developer kit or Startix-10 GX evaluation kit.
PathFinder appears to just be one of the casualties after Intel reported a loss for Q4 2022, and announced it will lose even more in Q1 2023 with Tom’s Hardware also highlighting Intel would stop investing in new products for its networking switch business. I only found out about PathFinder getting phased out on Twitter, and Intel does not appear to have formally announced it.
This also raises questions about Intel’s other RISC-V endeavors as the company implements cost-saving measures to raise capital for more profitable business, notably the HiFive Pro P550 “Horse Creek” RISC-V motherboard that is scheduled to launch this summer. RISC-V was not discussed at all in the earnings call, so we’ll have to wait to find out the fate of other Intel’s RISC-V investments.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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With Intel seemingly in financial freefall, it was a wise move for SiFive to resist being bought out by the company. If Horse Creek is canned, it will be a setback for SiFive, but not a terminal one.
Oof! I should have snagged it when I had the chance.