Michael Neuling
b90a0a2139
Make the core go faster Several major improvements in here: - Simple branch predictor - Reduced latency for mispredicted branches and interrupts by removing fetch2 stage - Cache improvements o Request critical dword first on refill o Handle hits while refilling, including on line being refilled o Sizes doubled for both D and I - Loadstore improvements: can now do one load or store every two cycles in most cases - Optimized 2-cycle multiplier for Xilinx 7-series parts using DSP slices - Timing improvements, including: o Stash buffer in decode1 o Reduced width of execute1 result mux o Improved SPR decode in decode1 o Some non-critical operation take a cycle longer so we can break some long combinatorial chains - Core logging: logs 256 bits of info every cycle into a ring buffer, to help with debugging and performance analysis This increases the LUT usage for the "synth" + A35 target from 9182 to 10297 = 12%. |
4 years ago | |
---|---|---|
.github/workflows | 4 years ago | |
constraints | 5 years ago | |
fpga | 4 years ago | |
hello_world | 5 years ago | |
include | 4 years ago | |
lib | 4 years ago | |
litedram | 4 years ago | |
media | 5 years ago | |
micropython | 5 years ago | |
openocd | 4 years ago | |
rust_lib_demo | 5 years ago | |
scripts | 4 years ago | |
sim-unisim | 5 years ago | |
tests | 4 years ago | |
verilator | 5 years ago | |
.gitignore | 4 years ago | |
LICENSE | 5 years ago | |
Makefile | 4 years ago | |
README.md | 5 years ago | |
cache_ram.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
common.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
control.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
core.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
core_debug.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
core_dram_tb.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
core_flash_tb.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
core_tb.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
countzero.vhdl | 5 years ago | |
countzero_tb.vhdl | 5 years ago | |
cr_file.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
cr_hazard.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
crhelpers.vhdl | 5 years ago | |
dcache.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
dcache_tb.vhdl | 5 years ago | |
decode1.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
decode2.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
decode_types.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
divider.vhdl | 5 years ago | |
divider_tb.vhdl | 5 years ago | |
dmi_dtm_dummy.vhdl | 5 years ago | |
dmi_dtm_tb.vhdl | 5 years ago | |
dmi_dtm_xilinx.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
dram_tb.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
execute1.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
fetch1.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
glibc_random.vhdl | 5 years ago | |
glibc_random_helpers.vhdl | 5 years ago | |
gpr_hazard.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
helpers.vhdl | 5 years ago | |
icache.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
icache_tb.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
icache_test.bin | 5 years ago | |
insn_helpers.vhdl | 5 years ago | |
loadstore1.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
logical.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
microwatt.core | 4 years ago | |
mmu.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
multiply.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
multiply_tb.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
plru.vhdl | 5 years ago | |
plru_tb.vhdl | 5 years ago | |
ppc_fx_insns.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
register_file.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
rotator.vhdl | 5 years ago | |
rotator_tb.vhdl | 5 years ago | |
sim_bram.vhdl | 5 years ago | |
sim_bram_helpers.vhdl | 5 years ago | |
sim_bram_helpers_c.c | 5 years ago | |
sim_console.vhdl | 5 years ago | |
sim_console_c.c | 5 years ago | |
sim_jtag.vhdl | 5 years ago | |
sim_jtag_socket.vhdl | 5 years ago | |
sim_jtag_socket_c.c | 5 years ago | |
sim_no_flash.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
sim_uart.vhdl | 5 years ago | |
sim_vhpi_c.c | 5 years ago | |
sim_vhpi_c.h | 5 years ago | |
soc.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
spi_flash_ctrl.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
spi_rxtx.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
sync_fifo.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
syscon.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
utils.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
wishbone_arbiter.vhdl | 5 years ago | |
wishbone_bram_tb.bin | 5 years ago | |
wishbone_bram_tb.vhdl | 5 years ago | |
wishbone_bram_wrapper.vhdl | 5 years ago | |
wishbone_debug_master.vhdl | 5 years ago | |
wishbone_types.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
writeback.vhdl | 4 years ago | |
xics.vhdl | 5 years ago | |
xilinx-mult.vhdl | 4 years ago |
README.md
Microwatt
A tiny Open POWER ISA softcore written in VHDL 2008. It aims to be simple and easy to understand.
Simulation using ghdl
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)