Inquiry about current status of GCC v850 backend for RH850-U2A/U2B (embedded)

[Jose Martins]

Hello all,

I’m writing to ask about the current status of the v850 backend in
GCC, specifically in the context of embedded use targeting Renesas
RH850-U2A and RH850-U2B devices.

My team develops firmware and hypervisor software for existing
RH850-U2A/U2B–based hardware, and we are evaluating whether to
continue relying on GCC for ongoing development and long-term
maintenance. To help guide that decision, we would appreciate
clarification on the following:

- Whether the v850 backend is currently considered actively maintained

- Whether it is deprecated, or expected to be deprecated or removed in
a future release

- When the backend last received meaningful updates or active maintenance

- The current level of support and test coverage for RH850-U2A and
RH850-U2B specifically

- Any known limitations, issues, or caveats relevant to bare-metal or
embedded deployments

- Whether there are recommended GCC versions, patches, or alternative
toolchains for teams continuing to support RH850-U2A/U2B

Any insight into the present status and future outlook of the
v850/RH850 support would be extremely helpful for our planning and
risk assessment.

Best regards,
José Martins
OSYX Technologies