Odin (code conversion software)

Odin is a code conversion software tool developed by NVIDIA. Its primary function is to automatically translate CUDA code into equivalent code that can run on other hardware platforms, notably those supporting SYCL (SYCL is a royalty-free, cross-platform abstraction layer that builds on top of Khronos OpenCL). This allows developers to migrate CUDA-based applications to more open and portable platforms, facilitating broader hardware support and reducing vendor lock-in.

Odin aims to simplify the porting process by automating much of the conversion work, including adapting CUDA-specific syntax and functions to their SYCL equivalents. It analyzes the CUDA code and generates SYCL code that achieves the same functionality. The degree of automation can vary depending on the complexity of the CUDA code and the target SYCL platform. Some manual intervention and optimization might still be necessary to achieve optimal performance on the target hardware.

The tool is intended to accelerate the adoption of SYCL and other heterogeneous computing platforms by providing a path for existing CUDA codebases to transition more easily. It is a key component of NVIDIA's broader strategy to support open standards and promote interoperability in the high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) domains. While initially focused on CUDA to SYCL conversion, the underlying technology could potentially be extended to support other code translation scenarios in the future.