Feb. 9, 2025, 12:13 p.m.
What's New in the Coreblocks Project? The Transactron Library
We are pleased to announce that the Kuźnia Rdzeni project has reached another important development milestone, which includes the separation of the Transactron library.
Kuźnia Rdzeni is a group of researchers at the Institute of Computer Science at UWr specializing in processor design. Its main project is Coreblocks, which is based on a high-performance out-of-order microarchitecture and implements the instruction set of the RISC-V architecture. Out-of-order processors are currently among the most complex processors, as they execute instructions in a different order than originally specified by the programmer. This enables them to execute multiple instructions simultaneously and hide delays caused by long-execution instructions. The performance gains from this approach can be significant; however, the processor must ensure that the overall program execution remains unchanged. In other words, it must appear as though it is executing instructions sequentially, just as the programmer intended. Managing this complex interplay is made easier with the Transactron library.
Transactron initially emerged as an implementation detail of Coreblocks. Since members of Kuźnia had expertise in programming language theory, they developed a programming library designed to simplify coding and lower the entry barrier by introducing abstractions—similar to classes and functions—familiar from standard programming languages such as Python and C++. This library automates many repetitive tasks related to processor design, such as connecting individual modules, allowing developers to focus on the most critical aspect: designing efficient hardware blocks. As Transactron matured, it became clear that it could be useful beyond Coreblocks. For example, the Kuźnia Rdzeni team used it during the FPGA Hackathon, where they secured first place. Consequently, in recent months, the decision was made to separate the library as an independent project.
Those interested in learning more about Transactron can visit the project page.
Coreblocks processor page: here.
