A tiny Open POWER ISA softcore written in VHDL 2008
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Paul Mackerras 6701e7346b core: Use a busy signal rather than a stall
This changes the instruction dependency tracking so that we can
generate a "busy" signal from execute1 and loadstore1 which comes
along one cycle later than the current "stall" signal.  This will
enable us to signal busy cycles only when we need to from loadstore1.

The "busy" signal from execute1/loadstore1 indicates "I didn't take
the thing you gave me on this cycle", as distinct from the previous
stall signal which meant "I took that but don't give me anything
next cycle".  That means that decode2 proactively gives execute1
a new instruction as soon as it has taken the previous one (assuming
there is a valid instruction available from decode1), and that then
sits in decode2's output until execute1 can take it.  So instructions
are issued by decode2 somewhat earlier than they used to be.

Decode2 now only signals a stall upstream when its output buffer is
full, meaning that we can fill up bubbles in the upstream pipe while a
long instruction is executing.  This gives a small boost in
performance.

This also adds dependency tracking for rA updates by update-form
load/store instructions.

The GPR and CR hazard detection machinery now has one extra stage,
which may not be strictly necessary.  Some of the code now really
only applies to PIPELINE_DEPTH=1.

Signed-off-by: Paul Mackerras <paulus@ozlabs.org>
4 years ago
.github/workflows Move from travis to github workflow 5 years ago
constraints
fpga uart: Remove combinational loops on ack and stall signal 4 years ago
hello_world
include spi: Add booting from flash to litedram init 4 years ago
lib sw: Properly mask syscon register fields 5 years ago
litedram spi: Add booting from flash to litedram init 4 years ago
media
micropython
openocd flash-arty: update error message (#203) 4 years ago
rust_lib_demo
scripts Add core logging 4 years ago
sim-unisim
tests tests/xics: Fix assumption that interrupts happen immediately 4 years ago
verilator
.gitignore gitignore: Add more exlusions 5 years ago
LICENSE
Makefile core: Remove fetch2 pipeline stage 4 years ago
README.md
cache_ram.vhdl
common.vhdl core: Use a busy signal rather than a stall 4 years ago
control.vhdl core: Use a busy signal rather than a stall 4 years ago
core.vhdl core: Use a busy signal rather than a stall 4 years ago
core_debug.vhdl Add core logging 4 years ago
core_dram_tb.vhdl spi: Add simulation support 4 years ago
core_flash_tb.vhdl spi: Add simulation support 4 years ago
core_tb.vhdl spi: Add SPI Flash controller 4 years ago
countzero.vhdl
countzero_tb.vhdl
cr_file.vhdl Add core logging 4 years ago
cr_hazard.vhdl core: Use a busy signal rather than a stall 4 years ago
crhelpers.vhdl
dcache.vhdl Add core logging 4 years ago
dcache_tb.vhdl
decode1.vhdl core: Remove fetch2 pipeline stage 4 years ago
decode2.vhdl core: Use a busy signal rather than a stall 4 years ago
decode_types.vhdl
divider.vhdl
divider_tb.vhdl
dmi_dtm_dummy.vhdl
dmi_dtm_tb.vhdl
dmi_dtm_xilinx.vhdl dmi: Add ASYNC_REG attribute on synchronizers (#200) 4 years ago
dram_tb.vhdl litedram: Improve dram_tb error output 4 years ago
execute1.vhdl core: Use a busy signal rather than a stall 4 years ago
fetch1.vhdl icache: Improve latencies when reloading cache lines 4 years ago
glibc_random.vhdl
glibc_random_helpers.vhdl
gpr_hazard.vhdl core: Use a busy signal rather than a stall 4 years ago
helpers.vhdl
icache.vhdl icache: Improve latencies when reloading cache lines 4 years ago
icache_tb.vhdl core: Remove fetch2 pipeline stage 4 years ago
icache_test.bin
insn_helpers.vhdl
loadstore1.vhdl core: Use a busy signal rather than a stall 4 years ago
logical.vhdl
microwatt.core multiply: Use DSP48 slices for multiplication on Xilinx FPGAs 4 years ago
mmu.vhdl
multiply.vhdl multiply: Move selection of result bits into execute1 4 years ago
multiply_tb.vhdl multiply: Move selection of result bits into execute1 4 years ago
plru.vhdl
plru_tb.vhdl
ppc_fx_insns.vhdl
register_file.vhdl Add core logging 4 years ago
rotator.vhdl
rotator_tb.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 spi: Add simulation support 4 years ago
sim_uart.vhdl
sim_vhpi_c.c
sim_vhpi_c.h
soc.vhdl bram: Remove combinational loop on stall 4 years ago
spi_flash_ctrl.vhdl spi: Add SPI Flash controller 4 years ago
spi_rxtx.vhdl spi: Add SPI Flash controller 4 years ago
sync_fifo.vhdl
syscon.vhdl syscon: Remove combinational loop on ack and stall 4 years ago
utils.vhdl
wishbone_arbiter.vhdl
wishbone_bram_tb.bin
wishbone_bram_tb.vhdl
wishbone_bram_wrapper.vhdl
wishbone_debug_master.vhdl
wishbone_types.vhdl
writeback.vhdl core: Use a busy signal rather than a stall 4 years ago
xics.vhdl
xilinx-mult.vhdl multiply: Use DSP48 slices for multiplication on Xilinx FPGAs 4 years ago

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
  • Create a working directory and point FuseSoC at microwatt:
mkdir microwatt-fusesoc
cd microwatt-fusesoc
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):
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

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

This is functional, but very simple. We still have quite a lot to do:

  • There are a few instructions still to be implemented
  • Need to add caches and bypassing (in progress)
  • Need to add supervisor state (in progress)