picorv32 is a size-optimized RISC-V CPU core and synthesizable processor IP designed for integration into FPGA and ASIC hardware designs. It serves as an open-source CPU architecture and embedded system-on-chip component that implements a standard RISC-V instruction set.
The design features a modular architecture that allows for the integration of external coprocessors to implement custom non-branching instructions. It includes a parameterized integer unit with configurable multiplication and division cores to balance performance against total logic gate count.
The project covers a broad range of hardware development capabilities, including memory-mapped flash execution, interrupt management, and valid-ready bus interfaces for memory and peripheral synchronization. It also provides tools for hardware verification through simulation, execution flow tracing, and the generation of SMT2 models for formal mathematical verification of CPU logic.
