A tiny Open POWER ISA softcore written in VHDL 2008
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Paul Mackerras 3510071d9a Add a second execute stage to the pipeline
This adds a second execute stage to the pipeline, in order to match up
the length of the pipeline through loadstore and dcache with the
length through execute1.  This will ultimately enable us to get rid of
the 1-cycle bubble that we currently have when issuing ALU
instructions after one or more LSU instructions.

Most ALU instructions execute in the first stage, except for
count-zeroes and popcount instructions (which take two cycles and do
some of their work in the second stage) and mfspr/mtspr to "slow" SPRs
(TB, DEC, PVR, LOGA/LOGD, CFAR).  Multiply and divide/mod instructions
take several cycles but the instruction stays in the first stage (ex1)
and ex1.busy is asserted until the operation is complete.

There is currently a bypass from the first stage but not the second
stage.  Performance is down somewhat because of that and because this
doesn't yet eliminate the bubble between LSU and ALU instructions.

The forwarding of XER common bits has been changed somewhat because
now there is another pipeline stage between ex1 and the committed
state in cr_file.  The simplest thing for now is to record the last
value written and use that, unless there has been a flush, in which
case the committed state (obtained via e_in.xerc) is used.

Note that this fixes what was previously a benign bug in control.vhdl,
where it was possible for control to forget an instructions dependency
on a value from a previous instruction (a GPR or the CR) if this
instruction writes the value and the instruction gets to the point
where it could issue but is blocked by the busy signal from execute1.
In that situation, control may incorrectly not indicate that a bypass
should be used.  That didn't matter previously because, for ALU and
FPU instructions, there was only one previous instruction in flight
and once the current instruction could issue, the previous instruction
was completing and the correct value would be obtained from
register_file or cr_file.  For loadstore instructions there could be
two being executed, but because there are no bypass paths, failing to
indicate use of a bypass path is fine.

Signed-off-by: Paul Mackerras <paulus@ozlabs.org>
2 years ago
.github/workflows
constraints
fpga Extend LiteDRAM VHDL wrapper to allow more than one clock line 2 years ago
hello_world Zero BSS in hello world test 2 years ago
include
lib
litedram Extend LiteDRAM VHDL wrapper to allow more than one clock line 2 years ago
liteeth
litesdcard
media Add title image 5 years ago
micropython
openocd
rust_lib_demo
scripts Move XER low bits out of register file 2 years ago
sim-unisim
tests tests/misc: Add a store/dcbz test 3 years ago
uart16550
verilator
.gitignore
LICENSE
Makefile
README.md README: Add Linux on Microwatt instructions 2 years ago
cache_ram.vhdl
common.vhdl Add a second execute stage to the pipeline 2 years ago
control.vhdl Add a second execute stage to the pipeline 2 years ago
core.vhdl Move XER low bits out of register file 2 years ago
core_debug.vhdl core_debug: Initialise gspr_index 2 years ago
core_dram_tb.vhdl Extend LiteDRAM VHDL wrapper to allow more than one clock line 2 years ago
core_flash_tb.vhdl
core_tb.vhdl
countbits.vhdl
countbits_tb.vhdl Add a second execute stage to the pipeline 2 years ago
cr_file.vhdl execute1: Restructure to separate out execution of side effects 2 years ago
crhelpers.vhdl
dcache.vhdl Simplify flow control in the dcache and loadstore units 2 years ago
dcache_tb.vhdl
decode1.vhdl execute1: Restructure to separate out execution of side effects 2 years ago
decode2.vhdl Add a second execute stage to the pipeline 2 years ago
decode_types.vhdl
divider.vhdl Add a second execute stage to the pipeline 2 years ago
divider_tb.vhdl
dmi_dtm_dummy.vhdl
dmi_dtm_ecp5.vhdl
dmi_dtm_tb.vhdl
dmi_dtm_xilinx.vhdl
dram_tb.vhdl Extend LiteDRAM VHDL wrapper to allow more than one clock line 2 years ago
execute1.vhdl Add a second execute stage to the pipeline 2 years ago
fetch1.vhdl
foreign_random.vhdl
fpu.vhdl fpu: Reduce uninitialised signals 2 years ago
glibc_random.vhdl
glibc_random_helpers.vhdl
gpio.vhdl Remove some FPGA style signal inits 2 years ago
helpers.vhdl
icache.vhdl Merge pull request #373 from antonblanchard/icache-insn-u-state 2 years ago
icache_tb.vhdl fix: fix icache_tb not finishing correctly 2 years ago
icache_test.bin
insn_helpers.vhdl
loadstore1.vhdl Simplify flow control in the dcache and loadstore units 2 years ago
logical.vhdl
microwatt.core
mmu.vhdl MMU: Implement a vestigial partition table 3 years ago
multiply.vhdl
multiply_tb.vhdl
nonrandom.vhdl Add random number generator and implement the darn instruction 4 years ago
plru.vhdl
plru_tb.vhdl
pmu.vhdl
ppc_fx_insns.vhdl
random.vhdl
register_file.vhdl Move XER low bits out of register file 2 years ago
rotator.vhdl
rotator_tb.vhdl
run.py
sim_16550_uart.vhdl
sim_bram.vhdl
sim_bram_helpers.vhdl
sim_bram_helpers_c.c
sim_console.vhdl
sim_console_c.c
sim_jtag.vhdl
sim_jtag_socket.vhdl
sim_jtag_socket_c.c
sim_no_flash.vhdl
sim_pp_uart.vhdl
sim_vhpi_c.c
sim_vhpi_c.h
soc.vhdl Remove some FPGA style signal inits 2 years ago
spi_flash_ctrl.vhdl Remove some FPGA style signal inits 2 years ago
spi_rxtx.vhdl Remove some FPGA style signal inits 2 years ago
sync_fifo.vhdl
syscon.vhdl
utils.vhdl
wishbone_arbiter.vhdl
wishbone_bram_tb.bin
wishbone_bram_tb.vhdl
wishbone_bram_wrapper.vhdl wishbone_bram_wrapper ram_addr_bits is 1 bit off 2 years ago
wishbone_debug_master.vhdl
wishbone_types.vhdl
writeback.vhdl
xics.vhdl xics: Fix warning when comparing two std_ulogic_vectors 2 years ago
xilinx-mult.vhdl

README.md

Microwatt

Microwatt

A tiny Open POWER ISA softcore written in VHDL 2008. It aims to be simple and easy to understand.

Simulation using ghdl

MicroPython running on Microwatt

You can try out Microwatt/Micropython without hardware by using the ghdl simulator. If you want to build directly for a hardware target board, see below.

  • Build micropython. If you aren't building on a ppc64le box you will need a cross compiler. If it isn't available on your distro grab the powerpc64le-power8 toolchain from https://toolchains.bootlin.com. You may need to set the CROSS_COMPILE environment variable to the prefix used for your cross compilers. The default is powerpc64le-linux-gnu-.
git clone https://github.com/micropython/micropython.git
cd micropython
cd ports/powerpc
make -j$(nproc)
cd ../../../

A prebuilt micropython image is also available in the micropython/ directory.

  • Microwatt uses ghdl for simulation. Either install this from your distro or build it. Microwatt requires ghdl to be built with the LLVM or gcc backend, which not all distros do (Fedora does, Debian/Ubuntu appears not to). ghdl with the LLVM backend is likely easier to build.

    If building ghdl from scratch is too much for you, the microwatt Makefile supports using Docker or Podman.

  • Next build microwatt:

git clone https://github.com/antonblanchard/microwatt
cd microwatt
make

To build using Docker:

make DOCKER=1

and to build using Podman:

make PODMAN=1
  • Link in the micropython image:
ln -s ../micropython/ports/powerpc/build/firmware.bin main_ram.bin

Or if you were using the pre-built image:

ln -s micropython/firmware.bin main_ram.bin
  • Now run microwatt, sending debug output to /dev/null:
./core_tb > /dev/null

Synthesis on Xilinx FPGAs using Vivado

  • Install Vivado (I'm using the free 2019.1 webpack edition).

  • Setup Vivado paths:

source /opt/Xilinx/Vivado/2019.1/settings64.sh
  • Install FuseSoC:
pip3 install --user -U fusesoc

Fedora users can get FuseSoC package via

sudo dnf copr enable sharkcz/danny
sudo dnf install fusesoc
  • If this is your first time using fusesoc, initialize fusesoc. This is needed to be able to pull down fussoc library components referenced by microwatt. Run
fusesoc init
fusesoc fetch uart16550
fusesoc library add microwatt /path/to/microwatt
  • Build using FuseSoC. For hello world (Replace nexys_video with your FPGA board such as --target=arty_a7-100): You may wish to ensure you have installed Digilent Board files or appropriate files for your board first.
fusesoc run --target=nexys_video microwatt --memory_size=16384 --ram_init_file=/path/to/microwatt/fpga/hello_world.hex

You should then be able to see output via the serial port of the board (/dev/ttyUSB1, 115200 for example assuming standard clock speeds). There is a know bug where initial output may not be sent - try the reset (not programming button) on your board if you don't see anything.

  • To build micropython (currently requires 1MB of BRAM eg an Artix-7 A200):
fusesoc run --target=nexys_video microwatt

Linux on Microwatt

Mainline Linux supports Microwatt as of v5.14. The Arty A7 is the best tested platform, but it's also been tested on the OrangeCrab and ButterStick.

  1. Use buildroot to create a userspace

    A small change is required to glibc in order to support the VMX/AltiVec-less Microwatt, as float128 support is mandiatory and for this in GCC requires VSX/AltiVec. This change is included in Joel's buildroot fork, along with a defconfig:

    git clone -b microwatt https://github.com/shenki/buildroot
    cd buildroot
    make ppc64le_microwatt_defconfig
    make
    

    The output is output/images/rootfs.cpio.

  2. Build the Linux kernel

    git clone https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git
    cd linux
    make ARCH=powerpc microwatt_defconfig
    make ARCH=powerpc CROSS_COMPILE=powerpc64le-linux-gnu- \
      CONFIG_INITRAMFS_SOURCE=/buildroot/output/images/rootfs.cpio -j`nproc`
    

    The output is arch/powerpc/boot/dtbImage.microwatt.elf.

  3. Build gateware using FuseSoC

    First configure FuseSoC as above.

    fusesoc run --build --target=arty_a7-100 microwatt --no_bram --memory_size=0
    

    The output is build/microwatt_0/arty_a7-100-vivado/microwatt_0.bit.

  4. Program the flash

    This operation will overwrite the contents of your flash.

    For the Arty A7 A100, set FLASH_ADDRESS to 0x400000 and pass -f a100.

    For the Arty A7 A35, set FLASH_ADDRESS to 0x300000 and pass -f a35.

    microwatt/openocd/flash-arty -f a100 build/microwatt_0/arty_a7-100-vivado/microwatt_0.bit
    microwatt/openocd/flash-arty -f a100 dtbImage.microwatt.elf -t bin -a $FLASH_ADDRESS
    
  5. Connect to the second USB TTY device exposed by the FPGA

    minicom -D /dev/ttyUSB1
    

    The gateware has firmware that will look at FLASH_ADDRESS and attempt to parse an ELF there, loading it to the address specified in the ELF header and jumping to it.

Testing

  • A simple test suite containing random execution test cases and a couple of micropython test cases can be run with:
make -j$(nproc) check

Issues

  • There are a few instructions still to be implemented:
    • Vector/VMX/VSX