Kickstarter open source GPU project

An interesting project started on Kickstarter a few days ago . Its purpose is to create an open [here is all the nonsense of marketers] and a modern graphics processor. By modernity, the author implies compatibility with OpenGL and D3D. Mentioned the implementation of all this in Verilog, i.e. it is understood that the finished board will be based on FPGA. On the one hand, this will allow you to quickly fly up and in the future switch to custom chips, on the other hand, before this transition, the price / quality ratio may not be up to par. Although the openness of the source will warm the soul of the owner of such a card.



Developer, Silicon Spectrum, Inc., in 2002, bought the license and all documentation from the manufacturer of video chips Number Nine. There was such an office, Wikipedia remembers. These chips are implemented in FPGA and are sold under their own name. For the purposes of the project - to raise $ 200k, with additional buns at $ 400k, $ 600k and $ 1M. This should be a 2D accelerator with a PCI interface, a 3D accelerator with support for unknown version OpenGL and D3D 8.0, and two of its more stuffed features and accelerated versions, respectively.

The most interesting thing is that the developer writes in almost direct text that the 2D version is bought back eleven years ago and is outdated by the Number Nine processor, and it will simply open the source. The minimum version of the 3D accelerator is not yet ready, but it can be completed in just a few months. Drivers, at least for the first time, will be so-so. But the community will improve them, yet open source is very strong here.

The impressions of the project are mixed. On the one hand, the thing is ideologically correct. On the other hand, there is a thin smell of air trade.