A developer describes connecting to the Baochip-1x, an open-hardware RISC-V system-on-chip designed by Andrew “bunnie” Huang, and exploring its built-in boot interface.
Baochip is the latest open and trustworthy hardware project from Andrew “bunnie” Huang. The Baochip-1x is a system-on-chip built around a RISC-V core, with a memory management unit that enables hardware support for virtual memory, an I/O coprocessor called BIO, and security features such as a true random number generator, AES encryption, and a range of cryptographic hashes. Its design also allows the chip’s structure to be checked visually using inexpensive infrared cameras.
The chip was built to run Xous, a microkernel operating system written in Rust. After the Dabao evaluation board arrived, the author connected it to a Linux PC, where it appeared as a USB serial console. Using GNU screen at a high baud rate, they reached a command-line interface that accepts simple commands such as echo. The author also examined the source code on GitHub and found the commands in the project’s repository, including a self_destruct command that permanently wipes and bricks the chip.
The author highlighted the project’s focus on pure Rust tooling, which avoids the maintenance burden of C compilers, and noted that the Zig ecosystem’s clang compiler is being used for BIO code. Programming the board is done by holding a PROG button while plugging in USB-C, after which UF2 files can be dragged onto the device. The author plans to learn enough Rust to blink an LED, with no set timeline.
Source: ratfactor.com
