On: ARM1 Gate-Level Simulation

[mianos]

2015 btw, created from from the chip layout cif.

Are there any copyright/patent issues with something like this?

[Someone → mianos]

ARM1 is from 1985. IANAL, but browsing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_circuit_layout_desi..., I think any design protection has expired (“the term of protection is at least 10 (rather than eight) years from the date of filing an application or of the first commercial exploitation in the world, but Members may provide a term of protection of 15 years from the creation of the layout-design”)

I also expect patents to have expired after over 30 years.

[kmeisthax → Someone]

If there's a microcode ROM in there, that can be copyrightable and will last until the end of the century. Grumble grumble.

[talideon → kmeisthax]

There's zero microcode. You can go into the StrongARM period and beyond before you're hitting anything like microcode. It's anathema to the basis of RISC CPUs. IIRC, you'll only start finding it when there's a need to emulate earlier ISAs.

[userbinator → mianos]

ARM will probably still try to sue you if you create a physical chip based on this.

But their business is in hardware, not software, or else they'd also go after the countless emulators out there.