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RISC-V Development Process

RISC-V Development Process

  • Verified

    • The RISC-V Specification Development Process is governed by the RISC-V Policies and Procedures.

    Starting a New Technical Committee

    To start a new Technical Committee, follow this process:

    Screenshot 2025-02-18 at 19.22.16.png
    New Technical Committee

    Proposing

    Structuring and Chartering

    Active

    Disbanded

    Proposing

    Structuring and Chartering

    Active

    Disbanded

    Mailing list review (2+2+2w)

    • PoW Governing Committee Review

    • TSC PoW Review (if needed after TSC presentation)

    • RVI Members PoW Review

    Mailing list review (2+2w)

    • TC internal Charter review

    • TSC Charter review

    Votes and approvals for this phase follow the Specification Lifecycle.

     

    Opavote (2+2w)

    • TSC PoW Approval

    • BoD PoW Approval

    Opavote (2+2w)

    • TC Charter approval

    • TSC Charter approval

     

     

    Approvals can also occur in a meeting with a quorum of voters. However, asynchronous voting is the preferred approach.

    New Technical Committee Process in a Nutshell

    1. Proposing

      1. Proposal Initiation

        1. Appoint an Acting Chair and Vice-Chair (usually the proposers).

        2. Draft a Proposal of Work, outlining objectives, scope, and deliverables.

        3. Identify at least 3 Premier or Strategic Members to actively support the committee.

      2. Review & Approval

        1. TSC Review: presentation to TSC, request via help@riscv.org.

        2. Members Review: if TSC approves, initiate a broader 2 weeks member review via tech-exchange (template).

      3. Formal Approvals

        1. TSC Approval: asynchronously, 2 weeks, online vote (RVI Staff).

        2. Board of Directors Approval: asynchronously, 2 weeks, online vote (RVI Staff).

    2. Structuring and Chartering

      1. Infrastructure deployment: Jira, GitHub, Confluence (RVI Staff).

      2. Run a Call for Participation.

      3. Elect the Official Chairs

        1. Run Call for Candidates, 2 weeks, via Technical Committee Mailing list (template).

        2. Chairs Election in a meeting, with proper quorum of voters or asynchronously, 2 weeks, online vote (RVI Staff).

      4. Charter Development.

        1. Develop Charter

        2. Charter approval by two-thirds of participating members, via meeting, with proper quorum of voters or asynchronously, 2 weeks, online vote (RVI Staff).

        3. TSC Charter Approval, asynchronously, 2 weeks, online vote (RVI Staff).

    3. Active

      1. Start Specification Development

      2. Review the Strategic Business Plan in a TSC meeting within six months of TC approval.

    4. Disbanded

      1. The Technical Committee is disbanded and its resources archived.

    Approvals & Reviews

    Approval

    Procedure

    Approvals & Reviews

    Approval

    Procedure

    Proposing

    TSC PoW Review

    Presentation to TSC, request via help@riscv.org

    Proposing

    RVI Members PoW Review

    2 weeks member review via tech-exchange (template).

    Proposing

    TSC PoW Approval

    Asynchronously, 2 weeks, online vote.

    Proposing

    BoD PoW Approval

    Asynchronously, 2 weeks, online vote.

    Structuring & Chartering

    Call for Participation

    2 weeks, via tech-announce@lists.riscv.org and tech-exchange@lists.riscv.org (template).

    Structuring & Chartering

    Call for Candidates - Chair and Vice-Chair

    2 weeks, via Technical Committee Mailing list and tech-announce@lists.riscv.org and tech-exchange@lists.riscv.org (template).

    Structuring & Chartering

    Chairs Election

    In a meeting with quorum, or via a 2-week asynchronous online vote.

    Structuring & Chartering

    Charter Approval by Technical Committee

    Two-thirds of participating members, either in a quorate meeting or via a 2-week asynchronous online vote.

    Structuring & Chartering

    Charter Approval by TSC

    In a meeting with quorum, or via a 2-week asynchronous online vote.

    Active

    Strategic Business Plan Review by TSC

    Presentation to TSC, request via help@riscv.org

    Fast-Track or Technical Committee?

    To quickly develop and approve small, simple, and uncontentious RISC-V architecture extensions, the Fast-Track process was created.

    If you want to pursue specification development as a Fast-Track, use the Proposal of Work Template to write your specification proposal and email tech-arch-review@lists.riscv.org to request approval from the Architecture Review Committee.

    After the Architecture Review Committee's decision is published, RISC-V staff will contact the proposer to advance the process. If needed, email help@riscv.org.

    If the ARC does not approve a proposal to be pursued as a Fast-Track, the proposal must instead be pursued through a Task Group (see start a new Technical Committee).

    Screenshot 2025-02-18 at 19.24.08.png
    Fast-Track Pursuit Process

    Fast-Track Pursuit Process in a Nutshell

    1. Propose

      1. Write Fast-Track Proposal

      2. Request ARC Fast-Track approval via tech-arch-review@lists.riscv.org

    2. Request ARC Approval

      1. Wait for ARC approval to be published in meeting minutes

    3. Start Specification Development

    Specification Development

    Once either the Fast-Track or the new Technical Committee is approved, both follow the same development process, as shown in the picture below:

    Screenshot 2025-02-18 at 19.23.13.png
    Specification Development Process

    Planning

    Development

    Stabilization

    Freezing

    Ratification-Ready

    Publication

    Planning

    Development

    Stabilization

    Freezing

    Ratification-Ready

    Publication

    Mailing list review (2+2w)

    • TC Ratification Plan Review

    • GC Ratification Plan Review

    Mailing list review (2w)

    • TC Review

    Mailing list review (2w)

    • TC Review

    • ARC Review

    Mailing list review (4+2w)

    • Public Review 4w

    • TSC Final Review 2w

     

    Opavote (2w)

    • Governing Committee Approval

    Opavote (2+2w)

    • TC Approval

    • Governing Committee Confirmation

    Opavote (2w)

    • TC Approval

    Opavote (2w)

    • Governing Committee Approval

    Opavote (2w)

    • TSC Approval

    BoD Meeting

    • Ratification by Board of Directors

    Approvals can also occur in a meeting with a quorum of voters. However, asynchronous voting is the preferred approach.

     

    Approval

    Procedure

     

    Approval

    Procedure

    Planning

    Governing Commitee Approval

    In a meeting with quorum, or via a 2-week asynchronous online vote.

    Development

    Project Commitee Approval

    In a meeting with quorum, or via a 2-week asynchronous online vote.

    Development

    Governing Commitee Approval

    In a meeting with quorum, or via a 2-week asynchronous online vote.

    Stabilization

    Project Commitee Approval

    In a meeting with quorum, or via a 2-week asynchronous online vote.

    Freezing

    Governing Commitee Approval

    In a meeting with quorum, or via a 2-week asynchronous online vote.

    Ratification-Ready

    TSC Approval

    Asynchronously, 2 weeks, online vote.

    Publication

    BoD Approval

    During BoD meeting, with proper quorum of voters.

    RISC-V International