TLM CPU modeling

[ZhangRan]

Hi, 

I am a noob of systemC and tlm modeling. I just go through same example of systemC TLM modeling, such as “”simple_bus“”.

I am trying develop a TLM processor model. This processor is high performance out of oroder processor(more than 10 stages). At first, i am focusing on the performance affected by branch prediction. Is there any examples related to TLM processor modelling? 

Thank you very much.

[ZhangRan]

Can someone give me some idea of CPU TLM modeling. Thank you very much.

[Eyck]

There is no such thing as CPU TLM modeling. Usually you write a C/C++ processor model with the needed accuracy (instruction accurate, cycle approximate, cycle accurate) and wrap it in a way that you translate memory accesses into TLM socket accesses. Along with that you need to manage to syncronization of the time of your model and the SystemC time (to run e.g. in loosly timed mode). Another task is to take the returned execution time of the bus accesses into account for the execution of the CPU model. This involves also the selection and implementation of the accesses (DMI & blocking or non-blocking).

You can find a complete example of an instruction accurate VP at https://git.minres.com/DVCon2018/RISCV-VP (or https://git.minres.com/VP/RISCV-VP which is a newer version).  The wrapper for the C++ model in SystemC can be found at https://git.minres.com/DVCon2018/RISCV-VP/src/branch/develop/riscv.sc/incl/sysc/core_complex.h

To put it straight: doing this correctly is a non-trivial task as it is the implementation of a micro-architecture model of a CPU. One option is to build an instruction accurate ISS and add a microarchitecture model like it is done in the ESECS project (https://github.com/MIPS/esesc)

BR

[ZhangRan]

2 hours ago, Eyck said:

There is no such thing as CPU TLM modeling. Usually you write a C/C++ processor model with the needed accuracy (instruction accurate, cycle approximate, cycle accurate) and wrap it in a way that you translate memory accesses into TLM socket accesses. Along with that you need to manage to syncronization of the time of your model and the SystemC time (to run e.g. in loosly timed mode). Another task is to take the returned execution time of the bus accesses into account for the execution of the CPU model. This involves also the selection and implementation of the accesses (DMI & blocking or non-blocking).

You can find a complete example of an instruction accurate VP at https://git.minres.com/DVCon2018/RISCV-VP (or https://git.minres.com/VP/RISCV-VP which is a newer version).  The wrapper for the C++ model in SystemC can be found at https://git.minres.com/DVCon2018/RISCV-VP/src/branch/develop/riscv.sc/incl/sysc/core_complex.h

To put it straight: doing this correctly is a non-trivial task as it is the implementation of a micro-architecture model of a CPU. One option is to build an instruction accurate ISS and add a microarchitecture model like it is done in the ESECS project (https://github.com/MIPS/esesc)

BR

Thank you so much, I will working hard on your example.

[User 128]

On 12/5/2019 at 2:13 PM, Eyck said:

There is no such thing as CPU TLM modeling. Usually you write a C/C++ processor model with the needed accuracy (instruction accurate, cycle approximate, cycle accurate) and wrap it in a way that you translate memory accesses into TLM socket accesses. Along with that you need to manage to syncronization of the time of your model and the SystemC time (to run e.g. in loosly timed mode). Another task is to take the returned execution time of the bus accesses into account for the execution of the CPU model. This involves also the selection and implementation of the accesses (DMI & blocking or non-blocking).

You can find a complete example of an instruction accurate VP at https://git.minres.com/DVCon2018/RISCV-VP (or https://git.minres.com/VP/RISCV-VP which is a newer version).  The wrapper for the C++ model in SystemC can be found at https://git.minres.com/DVCon2018/RISCV-VP/src/branch/develop/riscv.sc/incl/sysc/core_complex.h

To put it straight: doing this correctly is a non-trivial task as it is the implementation of a micro-architecture model of a CPU. One option is to build an instruction accurate ISS and add a microarchitecture model like it is done in the ESECS project (https://github.com/MIPS/esesc)

BR

Hi BR, 

I noticed that the two paths at minres are 404 errored now. Is the github path the replicate of that? 

https://github.com/vherdt/riscv-vp/tree/master

Best Regards, 

User 128