The CoVE specification defines a unified confidential computing architecture for RISC-V that scales across embedded, edge, and cloud use cases. The system designers select the appropriate deployment model based on the specific constraints and goals of their target systems. ACE adopts the deployment model tailored for mid- to high-end embedded platforms (see Appendix D in the CoVE spec).

Ultimately, we should expect multiple CoVE implementations optimized for different domains. For instance, in cloud environments, the focus is on maximizing performance and resource utilization—typically requiring full CoVE support and advanced hardware features such as Smmtt and AIA. Salus from Rivos is an example of such a high-end implementation. In contrast, embedded systems have limited power and silicon budgets, and thus prioritize simpler hardware. These systems trade off performance and accept memory fragmentation in favor of reduced hardware complexity and cost—ACE is designed with this trade-off in mind.

ACE runs on P550 by emulating the missing hardware features. This enables experimental deployment on real hardware. (P550 is the first commercially available RISC-V processor with virtualization support.)