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authorAndrew Bardsley <Andrew.Bardsley@arm.com>2014-07-23 16:09:04 -0500
committerAndrew Bardsley <Andrew.Bardsley@arm.com>2014-07-23 16:09:04 -0500
commit0e8a90f06bd3db00f700891a33458353478cce76 (patch)
tree50742efcc18254a36e80029b522139e8bd601dc2 /src/doc
parent040fa23d01109c68d194d2517df777844e4e2f13 (diff)
downloadgem5-0e8a90f06bd3db00f700891a33458353478cce76.tar.xz
cpu: `Minor' in-order CPU model
This patch contains a new CPU model named `Minor'. Minor models a four stage in-order execution pipeline (fetch lines, decompose into macroops, decompose macroops into microops, execute). The model was developed to support the ARM ISA but should be fixable to support all the remaining gem5 ISAs. It currently also works for Alpha, and regressions are included for ARM and Alpha (including Linux boot). Documentation for the model can be found in src/doc/inside-minor.doxygen and its internal operations can be visualised using the Minorview tool utils/minorview.py. Minor was designed to be fairly simple and not to engage in a lot of instruction annotation. As such, it currently has very few gathered stats and may lack other gem5 features. Minor is faster than the o3 model. Sample results: Benchmark | Stat host_seconds (s) ---------------+--------v--------v-------- (on ARM, opt) | simple | o3 | minor | timing | timing | timing ---------------+--------+--------+-------- 10.linux-boot | 169 | 1883 | 1075 10.mcf | 117 | 967 | 491 20.parser | 668 | 6315 | 3146 30.eon | 542 | 3413 | 2414 40.perlbmk | 2339 | 20905 | 11532 50.vortex | 122 | 1094 | 588 60.bzip2 | 2045 | 18061 | 9662 70.twolf | 207 | 2736 | 1036
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+# Copyright (c) 2014 ARM Limited
+# All rights reserved
+#
+# The license below extends only to copyright in the software and shall
+# not be construed as granting a license to any other intellectual
+# property including but not limited to intellectual property relating
+# to a hardware implementation of the functionality of the software
+# licensed hereunder. You may use the software subject to the license
+# terms below provided that you ensure that this notice is replicated
+# unmodified and in its entirety in all distributions of the software,
+# modified or unmodified, in source code or in binary form.
+#
+# Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+# modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are
+# met: redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
+# notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer;
+# redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
+# notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
+# documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution;
+# neither the name of the copyright holders nor the names of its
+# contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from
+# this software without specific prior written permission.
+#
+# THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
+# "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
+# LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR
+# A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT
+# OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
+# SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT
+# LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE,
+# DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY
+# THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
+# (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
+# OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
+#
+# Authors: Andrew Bardsley
+
+namespace Minor
+{
+
+/*!
+
+\page minor Inside the Minor CPU model
+
+\tableofcontents
+
+This document contains a description of the structure and function of the
+Minor gem5 in-order processor model. It is recommended reading for anyone who
+wants to understand Minor's internal organisation, design decisions, C++
+implementation and Python configuration. A familiarity with gem5 and some of
+its internal structures is assumed. This document is meant to be read
+alongside the Minor source code and to explain its general structure without
+being too slavish about naming every function and data type.
+
+\section whatis What is Minor?
+
+Minor is an in-order processor model with a fixed pipeline but configurable
+data structures and execute behaviour. It is intended to be used to model
+processors with strict in-order execution behaviour and allows visualisation
+of an instruction's position in the pipeline through the
+MinorTrace/minorview.py format/tool. The intention is to provide a framework
+for micro-architecturally correlating the model with a particular, chosen
+processor with similar capabilities.
+
+\section philo Design philosophy
+
+\subsection mt Multithreading
+
+The model isn't currently capable of multithreading but there are THREAD
+comments in key places where stage data needs to be arrayed to support
+multithreading.
+
+\subsection structs Data structures
+
+Decorating data structures with large amounts of life-cycle information is
+avoided. Only instructions (MinorDynInst) contain a significant proportion of
+their data content whose values are not set at construction.
+
+All internal structures have fixed sizes on construction. Data held in queues
+and FIFOs (MinorBuffer, FUPipeline) should have a BubbleIF interface to
+allow a distinct 'bubble'/no data value option for each type.
+
+Inter-stage 'struct' data is packaged in structures which are passed by value.
+Only MinorDynInst, the line data in ForwardLineData and the memory-interfacing
+objects Fetch1::FetchRequest and LSQ::LSQRequest are '::new' allocated while
+running the model.
+
+\section model Model structure
+
+Objects of class MinorCPU are provided by the model to gem5. MinorCPU
+implements the interfaces of (cpu.hh) and can provide data and
+instruction interfaces for connection to a cache system. The model is
+configured in a similar way to other gem5 models through Python. That
+configuration is passed on to MinorCPU::pipeline (of class Pipeline) which
+actually implements the processor pipeline.
+
+The hierarchy of major unit ownership from MinorCPU down looks like this:
+
+<ul>
+<li>MinorCPU</li>
+<ul>
+ <li>Pipeline - container for the pipeline, owns the cyclic 'tick'
+ event mechanism and the idling (cycle skipping) mechanism.</li>
+ <ul>
+ <li>Fetch1 - instruction fetch unit responsible for fetching cache
+ lines (or parts of lines from the I-cache interface)</li>
+ <ul>
+ <li>Fetch1::IcachePort - interface to the I-cache from
+ Fetch1</li>
+ </ul>
+ <li>Fetch2 - line to instruction decomposition</li>
+ <li>Decode - instruction to micro-op decomposition</li>
+ <li>Execute - instruction execution and data memory
+ interface</li>
+ <ul>
+ <li>LSQ - load store queue for memory ref. instructions</li>
+ <li>LSQ::DcachePort - interface to the D-cache from
+ Execute</li>
+ </ul>
+ </ul>
+ </ul>
+</ul>
+
+\section keystruct Key data structures
+
+\subsection ids Instruction and line identity: InstId (dyn_inst.hh)
+
+An InstId contains the sequence numbers and thread numbers that describe the
+life cycle and instruction stream affiliations of individual fetched cache
+lines and instructions.
+
+An InstId is printed in one of the following forms:
+
+ - T/S.P/L - for fetched cache lines
+ - T/S.P/L/F - for instructions before Decode
+ - T/S.P/L/F.E - for instructions from Decode onwards
+
+for example:
+
+ - 0/10.12/5/6.7
+
+InstId's fields are:
+
+<table>
+<tr>
+ <td><b>Field</b></td>
+ <td><b>Symbol</b></td>
+ <td><b>Generated by</b></td>
+ <td><b>Checked by</b></td>
+ <td><b>Function</b></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+ <td>InstId::threadId</td>
+ <td>T</td>
+ <td>Fetch1</td>
+ <td>Everywhere the thread number is needed</td>
+ <td>Thread number (currently always 0).</td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+ <td>InstId::streamSeqNum</td>
+ <td>S</td>
+ <td>Execute</td>
+ <td>Fetch1, Fetch2, Execute (to discard lines/insts)</td>
+ <td>Stream sequence number as chosen by Execute. Stream
+ sequence numbers change after changes of PC (branches, exceptions) in
+ Execute and are used to separate pre and post branch instruction
+ streams.</td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+ <td>InstId::predictionSeqNum</td>
+ <td>P</td>
+ <td>Fetch2</td>
+ <td>Fetch2 (while discarding lines after prediction)</td>
+ <td>Prediction sequence numbers represent branch prediction decisions.
+ This is used by Fetch2 to mark lines/instructions according to the last
+ followed branch prediction made by Fetch2. Fetch2 can signal to Fetch1
+ that it should change its fetch address and mark lines with a new
+ prediction sequence number (which it will only do if the stream sequence
+ number Fetch1 expects matches that of the request). </td> </tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td>InstId::lineSeqNum</td>
+<td>L</td>
+<td>Fetch1</td>
+<td>(Just for debugging)</td>
+<td>Line fetch sequence number of this cache line or the line
+ this instruction was extracted from.
+ </td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td>InstId::fetchSeqNum</td>
+<td>F</td>
+<td>Fetch2</td>
+<td>Fetch2 (as the inst. sequence number for branches)</td>
+<td>Instruction fetch order assigned by Fetch2 when lines
+ are decomposed into instructions.
+ </td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td>InstId::execSeqNum</td>
+<td>E</td>
+<td>Decode</td>
+<td>Execute (to check instruction identity in queues/FUs/LSQ)</td>
+<td>Instruction order after micro-op decomposition.</td>
+</tr>
+
+</table>
+
+The sequence number fields are all independent of each other and although, for
+instance, InstId::execSeqNum for an instruction will always be >=
+InstId::fetchSeqNum, the comparison is not useful.
+
+The originating stage of each sequence number field keeps a counter for that
+field which can be incremented in order to generate new, unique numbers.
+
+\subsection insts Instructions: MinorDynInst (dyn_inst.hh)
+
+MinorDynInst represents an instruction's progression through the pipeline. An
+instruction can be three things:
+
+<table>
+<tr>
+ <td><b>Thing</b></td>
+ <td><b>Predicate</b></td>
+ <td><b>Explanation</b></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>A bubble</td>
+ <td>MinorDynInst::isBubble()</td>
+ <td>no instruction at all, just a space-filler</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>A fault</td>
+ <td>MinorDynInst::isFault()</td>
+ <td>a fault to pass down the pipeline in an instruction's clothing</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>A decoded instruction</td>
+ <td>MinorDynInst::isInst()</td>
+ <td>instructions are actually passed to the gem5 decoder in Fetch2 and so
+ are created fully decoded. MinorDynInst::staticInst is the decoded
+ instruction form.</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+
+Instructions are reference counted using the gem5 RefCountingPtr
+(base/refcnt.hh) wrapper. They therefore usually appear as MinorDynInstPtr in
+code. Note that as RefCountingPtr initialises as nullptr rather than an
+object that supports BubbleIF::isBubble, passing raw MinorDynInstPtrs to
+Queue%s and other similar structures from stage.hh without boxing is
+dangerous.
+
+\subsection fld ForwardLineData (pipe_data.hh)
+
+ForwardLineData is used to pass cache lines from Fetch1 to Fetch2. Like
+MinorDynInst%s, they can be bubbles (ForwardLineData::isBubble()),
+fault-carrying or can contain a line (partial line) fetched by Fetch1. The
+data carried by ForwardLineData is owned by a Packet object returned from
+memory and is explicitly memory managed and do must be deleted once processed
+(by Fetch2 deleting the Packet).
+
+\subsection fid ForwardInstData (pipe_data.hh)
+
+ForwardInstData can contain up to ForwardInstData::width() instructions in its
+ForwardInstData::insts vector. This structure is used to carry instructions
+between Fetch2, Decode and Execute and to store input buffer vectors in Decode
+and Execute.
+
+\subsection fr Fetch1::FetchRequest (fetch1.hh)
+
+FetchRequests represent I-cache line fetch requests. The are used in the
+memory queues of Fetch1 and are pushed into/popped from Packet::senderState
+while traversing the memory system.
+
+FetchRequests contain a memory system Request (mem/request.hh) for that fetch
+access, a packet (Packet, mem/packet.hh), if the request gets to memory, and a
+fault field that can be populated with a TLB-sourced prefetch fault (if any).
+
+\subsection lsqr LSQ::LSQRequest (execute.hh)
+
+LSQRequests are similar to FetchRequests but for D-cache accesses. They carry
+the instruction associated with a memory access.
+
+\section pipeline The pipeline
+
+\verbatim
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ Key:
+
+ [] : inter-stage BufferBuffer
+ ,--.
+ | | : pipeline stage
+ `--'
+ ---> : forward communication
+ <--- : backward communication
+
+ rv : reservation information for input buffers
+
+ ,------. ,------. ,------. ,-------.
+ (from --[]-v->|Fetch1|-[]->|Fetch2|-[]->|Decode|-[]->|Execute|--> (to Fetch1
+ Execute) | | |<-[]-| |<-rv-| |<-rv-| | & Fetch2)
+ | `------'<-rv-| | | | | |
+ `-------------->| | | | | |
+ `------' `------' `-------'
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+\endverbatim
+
+The four pipeline stages are connected together by MinorBuffer FIFO
+(stage.hh, derived ultimately from TimeBuffer) structures which allow
+inter-stage delays to be modelled. There is a MinorBuffer%s between adjacent
+stages in the forward direction (for example: passing lines from Fetch1 to
+Fetch2) and, between Fetch2 and Fetch1, a buffer in the backwards direction
+carrying branch predictions.
+
+Stages Fetch2, Decode and Execute have input buffers which, each cycle, can
+accept input data from the previous stage and can hold that data if the stage
+is not ready to process it. Input buffers store data in the same form as it
+is received and so Decode and Execute's input buffers contain the output
+instruction vector (ForwardInstData (pipe_data.hh)) from their previous stages
+with the instructions and bubbles in the same positions as a single buffer
+entry.
+
+Stage input buffers provide a Reservable (stage.hh) interface to their
+previous stages, to allow slots to be reserved in their input buffers, and
+communicate their input buffer occupancy backwards to allow the previous stage
+to plan whether it should make an output in a given cycle.
+
+\subsection events Event handling: MinorActivityRecorder (activity.hh,
+pipeline.hh)
+
+Minor is essentially a cycle-callable model with some ability to skip cycles
+based on pipeline activity. External events are mostly received by callbacks
+(e.g. Fetch1::IcachePort::recvTimingResp) and cause the pipeline to be woken
+up to service advancing request queues.
+
+Ticked (sim/ticked.hh) is a base class bringing together an evaluate
+member function and a provided SimObject. It provides a Ticked::start/stop
+interface to start and pause clock events from being periodically issued.
+Pipeline is a derived class of Ticked.
+
+During evaluate calls, stages can signal that they still have work to do in
+the next cycle by calling either MinorCPU::activityRecorder->activity() (for
+non-callable related activity) or MinorCPU::wakeupOnEvent(<stageId>) (for
+stage callback-related 'wakeup' activity).
+
+Pipeline::evaluate contains calls to evaluate for each unit and a test for
+pipeline idling which can turns off the clock tick if no unit has signalled
+that it may become active next cycle.
+
+Within Pipeline (pipeline.hh), the stages are evaluated in reverse order (and
+so will ::evaluate in reverse order) and their backwards data can be
+read immediately after being written in each cycle allowing output decisions
+to be 'perfect' (allowing synchronous stalling of the whole pipeline). Branch
+predictions from Fetch2 to Fetch1 can also be transported in 0 cycles making
+fetch1ToFetch2BackwardDelay the only configurable delay which can be set as
+low as 0 cycles.
+
+The MinorCPU::activateContext and MinorCPU::suspendContext interface can be
+called to start and pause threads (threads in the MT sense) and to start and
+pause the pipeline. Executing instructions can call this interface
+(indirectly through the ThreadContext) to idle the CPU/their threads.
+
+\subsection stages Each pipeline stage
+
+In general, the behaviour of a stage (each cycle) is:
+
+\verbatim
+ evaluate:
+ push input to inputBuffer
+ setup references to input/output data slots
+
+ do 'every cycle' 'step' tasks
+
+ if there is input and there is space in the next stage:
+ process and generate a new output
+ maybe re-activate the stage
+
+ send backwards data
+
+ if the stage generated output to the following FIFO:
+ signal pipe activity
+
+ if the stage has more processable input and space in the next stage:
+ re-activate the stage for the next cycle
+
+ commit the push to the inputBuffer if that data hasn't all been used
+\endverbatim
+
+The Execute stage differs from this model as its forward output (branch) data
+is unconditionally sent to Fetch1 and Fetch2. To allow this behaviour, Fetch1
+and Fetch2 must be unconditionally receptive to that data.
+
+\subsection fetch1 Fetch1 stage
+
+Fetch1 is responsible for fetching cache lines or partial cache lines from the
+I-cache and passing them on to Fetch2 to be decomposed into instructions. It
+can receive 'change of stream' indications from both Execute and Fetch2 to
+signal that it should change its internal fetch address and tag newly fetched
+lines with new stream or prediction sequence numbers. When both Execute and
+Fetch2 signal changes of stream at the same time, Fetch1 takes Execute's
+change.
+
+Every line issued by Fetch1 will bear a unique line sequence number which can
+be used for debugging stream changes.
+
+When fetching from the I-cache, Fetch1 will ask for data from the current
+fetch address (Fetch1::pc) up to the end of the 'data snap' size set in the
+parameter fetch1LineSnapWidth. Subsequent autonomous line fetches will fetch
+whole lines at a snap boundary and of size fetch1LineWidth.
+
+Fetch1 will only initiate a memory fetch if it can reserve space in Fetch2
+input buffer. That input buffer serves an the fetch queue/LFL for the system.
+
+Fetch1 contains two queues: requests and transfers to handle the stages of
+translating the address of a line fetch (via the TLB) and accommodating the
+request/response of fetches to/from memory.
+
+Fetch requests from Fetch1 are pushed into the requests queue as newly
+allocated FetchRequest objects once they have been sent to the ITLB with a
+call to itb->translateTiming.
+
+A response from the TLB moves the request from the requests queue to the
+transfers queue. If there is more than one entry in each queue, it is
+possible to get a TLB response for request which is not at the head of the
+requests queue. In that case, the TLB response is marked up as a state change
+to Translated in the request object, and advancing the request to transfers
+(and the memory system) is left to calls to Fetch1::stepQueues which is called
+in the cycle following any event is received.
+
+Fetch1::tryToSendToTransfers is responsible for moving requests between the
+two queues and issuing requests to memory. Failed TLB lookups (prefetch
+aborts) continue to occupy space in the queues until they are recovered at the
+head of transfers.
+
+Responses from memory change the request object state to Complete and
+Fetch1::evaluate can pick up response data, package it in the ForwardLineData
+object, and forward it to Fetch2%'s input buffer.
+
+As space is always reserved in Fetch2::inputBuffer, setting the input buffer's
+size to 1 results in non-prefetching behaviour.
+
+When a change of stream occurs, translated requests queue members and
+completed transfers queue members can be unconditionally discarded to make way
+for new transfers.
+
+\subsection fetch2 Fetch2 stage
+
+Fetch2 receives a line from Fetch1 into its input buffer. The data in the
+head line in that buffer is iterated over and separated into individual
+instructions which are packed into a vector of instructions which can be
+passed to Decode. Packing instructions can be aborted early if a fault is
+found in either the input line as a whole or a decomposed instruction.
+
+\subsubsection bp Branch prediction
+
+Fetch2 contains the branch prediction mechanism. This is a wrapper around the
+branch predictor interface provided by gem5 (cpu/pred/...).
+
+Branches are predicted for any control instructions found. If prediction is
+attempted for an instruction, the MinorDynInst::triedToPredict flag is set on
+that instruction.
+
+When a branch is predicted to take, the MinorDynInst::predictedTaken flag is
+set and MinorDynInst::predictedTarget is set to the predicted target PC value.
+The predicted branch instruction is then packed into Fetch2%'s output vector,
+the prediction sequence number is incremented, and the branch is communicated
+to Fetch1.
+
+After signalling a prediction, Fetch2 will discard its input buffer contents
+and will reject any new lines which have the same stream sequence number as
+that branch but have a different prediction sequence number. This allows
+following sequentially fetched lines to be rejected without ignoring new lines
+generated by a change of stream indicated from a 'real' branch from Execute
+(which will have a new stream sequence number).
+
+The program counter value provided to Fetch2 by Fetch1 packets is only updated
+when there is a change of stream. Fetch2::havePC indicates whether the PC
+will be picked up from the next processed input line. Fetch2::havePC is
+necessary to allow line-wrapping instructions to be tracked through decode.
+
+Branches (and instructions predicted to branch) which are processed by Execute
+will generate BranchData (pipe_data.hh) data explaining the outcome of the
+branch which is sent forwards to Fetch1 and Fetch2. Fetch1 uses this data to
+change stream (and update its stream sequence number and address for new
+lines). Fetch2 uses it to update the branch predictor. Minor does not
+communicate branch data to the branch predictor for instructions which are
+discarded on the way to commit.
+
+BranchData::BranchReason (pipe_data.hh) encodes the possible branch scenarios:
+
+<table>
+<tr>
+ <td>Branch enum val.</td>
+ <td>In Execute</td>
+ <td>Fetch1 reaction</td>
+ <td>Fetch2 reaction</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>NoBranch</td>
+ <td>(output bubble data)</td>
+ <td>-</td>
+ <td>-</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>CorrectlyPredictedBranch</td>
+ <td>Predicted, taken</td>
+ <td>-</td>
+ <td>Update BP as taken branch</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>UnpredictedBranch</td>
+ <td>Not predicted, taken and was taken</td>
+ <td>New stream</td>
+ <td>Update BP as taken branch</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>BadlyPredictedBranch</td>
+ <td>Predicted, not taken</td>
+ <td>New stream to restore to old inst. source</td>
+ <td>Update BP as not taken branch</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>BadlyPredictedBranchTarget</td>
+ <td>Predicted, taken, but to a different target than predicted one</td>
+ <td>New stream</td>
+ <td>Update BTB to new target</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>SuspendThread</td>
+ <td>Hint to suspend fetching</td>
+ <td>Suspend fetch for this thread (branch to next inst. as wakeup
+ fetch addr)</td>
+ <td>-</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>Interrupt</td>
+ <td>Interrupt detected</td>
+ <td>New stream</td>
+ <td>-</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+
+The parameter decodeInputWidth sets the number of instructions which can be
+packed into the output per cycle. If the parameter fetch2CycleInput is true,
+Decode can try to take instructions from more than one entry in its input
+buffer per cycle.
+
+\subsection decode Decode stage
+
+Decode takes a vector of instructions from Fetch2 (via its input buffer) and
+decomposes those instructions into micro-ops (if necessary) and packs them
+into its output instruction vector.
+
+The parameter executeInputWidth sets the number of instructions which can be
+packed into the output per cycle. If the parameter decodeCycleInput is true,
+Decode can try to take instructions from more than one entry in its input
+buffer per cycle.
+
+\subsection execute Execute stage
+
+Execute provides all the instruction execution and memory access mechanisms.
+An instructions passage through Execute can take multiple cycles with its
+precise timing modelled by a functional unit pipeline FIFO.
+
+A vector of instructions (possibly including fault 'instructions') is provided
+to Execute by Decode and can be queued in the Execute input buffer before
+being issued. Setting the parameter executeCycleInput allows execute to
+examine more than one input buffer entry (more than one instruction vector).
+The number of instructions in the input vector can be set with
+executeInputWidth and the depth of the input buffer can be set with parameter
+executeInputBufferSize.
+
+\subsubsection fus Functional units
+
+The Execute stage contains pipelines for each functional unit comprising the
+computational core of the CPU. Functional units are configured via the
+executeFuncUnits parameter. Each functional unit has a number of instruction
+classes it supports, a stated delay between instruction issues, and a delay
+from instruction issue to (possible) commit and an optional timing annotation
+capable of more complicated timing.
+
+Each active cycle, Execute::evaluate performs this action:
+
+\verbatim
+ Execute::evaluate:
+ push input to inputBuffer
+ setup references to input/output data slots and branch output slot
+
+ step D-cache interface queues (similar to Fetch1)
+
+ if interrupt posted:
+ take interrupt (signalling branch to Fetch1/Fetch2)
+ else
+ commit instructions
+ issue new instructions
+
+ advance functional unit pipelines
+
+ reactivate Execute if the unit is still active
+
+ commit the push to the inputBuffer if that data hasn't all been used
+\endverbatim
+
+\subsubsection fifos Functional unit FIFOs
+
+Functional units are implemented as SelfStallingPipelines (stage.hh). These
+are TimeBuffer FIFOs with two distinct 'push' and 'pop' wires. They respond
+to SelfStallingPipeline::advance in the same way as TimeBuffers <b>unless</b>
+there is data at the far, 'pop', end of the FIFO. A 'stalled' flag is
+provided for signalling stalling and to allow a stall to be cleared. The
+intention is to provide a pipeline for each functional unit which will never
+advance an instruction out of that pipeline until it has been processed and
+the pipeline is explicitly unstalled.
+
+The actions 'issue', 'commit', and 'advance' act on the functional units.
+
+\subsubsection issue Issue
+
+Issuing instructions involves iterating over both the input buffer
+instructions and the heads of the functional units to try and issue
+instructions in order. The number of instructions which can be issued each
+cycle is limited by the parameter executeIssueLimit, how executeCycleInput is
+set, the availability of pipeline space and the policy used to choose a
+pipeline in which the instruction can be issued.
+
+At present, the only issue policy is strict round-robin visiting of each
+pipeline with the given instructions in sequence. For greater flexibility,
+better (and more specific policies) will need to be possible.
+
+Memory operation instructions traverse their functional units to perform their
+EA calculations. On 'commit', the ExecContext::initiateAcc execution phase is
+performed and any memory access is issued (via. ExecContext::{read,write}Mem
+calling LSQ::pushRequest) to the LSQ.
+
+Note that faults are issued as if they are instructions and can (currently) be
+issued to *any* functional unit.
+
+Every issued instruction is also pushed into the Execute::inFlightInsts queue.
+Memory ref. instructions are pushing into Execute::inFUMemInsts queue.
+
+\subsubsection commit Commit
+
+Instructions are committed by examining the head of the Execute::inFlightInsts
+queue (which is decorated with the functional unit number to which the
+instruction was issued). Instructions which can then be found in their
+functional units are executed and popped from Execute::inFlightInsts.
+
+Memory operation instructions are committed into the memory queues (as
+described above) and exit their functional unit pipeline but are not popped
+from the Execute::inFlightInsts queue. The Execute::inFUMemInsts queue
+provides ordering to memory operations as they pass through the functional
+units (maintaining issue order). On entering the LSQ, instructions are popped
+from Execute::inFUMemInsts.
+
+If the parameter executeAllowEarlyMemoryIssue is set, memory operations can be
+sent from their FU to the LSQ before reaching the head of
+Execute::inFlightInsts but after their dependencies are met.
+MinorDynInst::instToWaitFor is marked up with the latest dependent instruction
+execSeqNum required to be committed for a memory operation to progress to the
+LSQ.
+
+Once a memory response is available (by testing the head of
+Execute::inFlightInsts against LSQ::findResponse), commit will process that
+response (ExecContext::completeAcc) and pop the instruction from
+Execute::inFlightInsts.
+
+Any branch, fault or interrupt will cause a stream sequence number change and
+signal a branch to Fetch1/Fetch2. Only instructions with the current stream
+sequence number will be issued and/or committed.
+
+\subsubsection advance Advance
+
+All non-stalled pipeline are advanced and may, thereafter, become stalled.
+Potential activity in the next cycle is signalled if there are any
+instructions remaining in any pipeline.
+
+\subsubsection sb Scoreboard
+
+The scoreboard (Scoreboard) is used to control instruction issue. It contains
+a count of the number of in flight instructions which will write each general
+purpose CPU integer or float register. Instructions will only be issued where
+the scoreboard contains a count of 0 instructions which will write to one of
+the instructions source registers.
+
+Once an instruction is issued, the scoreboard counts for each destination
+register for an instruction will be incremented.
+
+The estimated delivery time of the instruction's result is marked up in the
+scoreboard by adding the length of the issued-to FU to the current time. The
+timings parameter on each FU provides a list of additional rules for
+calculating the delivery time. These are documented in the parameter comments
+in MinorCPU.py.
+
+On commit, (for memory operations, memory response commit) the scoreboard
+counters for an instruction's source registers are decremented. will be
+decremented.
+
+\subsubsection ifi Execute::inFlightInsts
+
+The Execute::inFlightInsts queue will always contain all instructions in
+flight in Execute in the correct issue order. Execute::issue is the only
+process which will push an instruction into the queue. Execute::commit is the
+only process that can pop an instruction.
+
+\subsubsection lsq LSQ
+
+The LSQ can support multiple outstanding transactions to memory in a number of
+conservative cases.
+
+There are three queues to contain requests: requests, transfers and the store
+buffer. The requests and transfers queue operate in a similar manner to the
+queues in Fetch1. The store buffer is used to decouple the delay of
+completing store operations from following loads.
+
+Requests are issued to the DTLB as their instructions leave their functional
+unit. At the head of requests, cacheable load requests can be sent to memory
+and on to the transfers queue. Cacheable stores will be passed to transfers
+unprocessed and progress that queue maintaining order with other transactions.
+
+The conditions in LSQ::tryToSendToTransfers dictate when requests can
+be sent to memory.
+
+All uncacheable transactions, split transactions and locked transactions are
+processed in order at the head of requests. Additionally, store results
+residing in the store buffer can have their data forwarded to cacheable loads
+(removing the need to perform a read from memory) but no cacheable load can be
+issue to the transfers queue until that queue's stores have drained into the
+store buffer.
+
+At the end of transfers, requests which are LSQ::LSQRequest::Complete (are
+faulting, are cacheable stores, or have been sent to memory and received a
+response) can be picked off by Execute and either committed
+(ExecContext::completeAcc) and, for stores, be sent to the store buffer.
+
+Barrier instructions do not prevent cacheable loads from progressing to memory
+but do cause a stream change which will discard that load. Stores will not be
+committed to the store buffer if they are in the shadow of the barrier but
+before the new instruction stream has arrived at Execute. As all other memory
+transactions are delayed at the end of the requests queue until they are at
+the head of Execute::inFlightInsts, they will be discarded by any barrier
+stream change.
+
+After commit, LSQ::BarrierDataRequest requests are inserted into the
+store buffer to track each barrier until all preceding memory transactions
+have drained from the store buffer. No further memory transactions will be
+issued from the ends of FUs until after the barrier has drained.
+
+\subsubsection drain Draining
+
+Draining is mostly handled by the Execute stage. When initiated by calling
+MinorCPU::drain, Pipeline::evaluate checks the draining status of each unit
+each cycle and keeps the pipeline active until draining is complete. It is
+Pipeline that signals the completion of draining. Execute is triggered by
+MinorCPU::drain and starts stepping through its Execute::DrainState state
+machine, starting from state Execute::NotDraining, in this order:
+
+<table>
+<tr>
+ <td><b>State</b></td>
+ <td><b>Meaning</b></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>Execute::NotDraining</td>
+ <td>Not trying to drain, normal execution</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>Execute::DrainCurrentInst</td>
+ <td>Draining micro-ops to complete inst.</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>Execute::DrainHaltFetch</td>
+ <td>Halt fetching instructions</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>Execute::DrainAllInsts</td>
+ <td>Discarding all instructions presented</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+
+When complete, a drained Execute unit will be in the Execute::DrainAllInsts
+state where it will continue to discard instructions but has no knowledge of
+the drained state of the rest of the model.
+
+\section debug Debug options
+
+The model provides a number of debug flags which can be passed to gem5 with
+the --debug-flags option.
+
+The available flags are:
+
+<table>
+<tr>
+ <td><b>Debug flag</b></td>
+ <td><b>Unit which will generate debugging output</b></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>Activity</td>
+ <td>Debug ActivityMonitor actions</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>Branch</td>
+ <td>Fetch2 and Execute branch prediction decisions</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>MinorCPU</td>
+ <td>CPU global actions such as wakeup/thread suspension</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>Decode</td>
+ <td>Decode</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>MinorExec</td>
+ <td>Execute behaviour</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>Fetch</td>
+ <td>Fetch1 and Fetch2</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>MinorInterrupt</td>
+ <td>Execute interrupt handling</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>MinorMem</td>
+ <td>Execute memory interactions</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>MinorScoreboard</td>
+ <td>Execute scoreboard activity</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>MinorTrace</td>
+ <td>Generate MinorTrace cyclic state trace output (see below)</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>MinorTiming</td>
+ <td>MinorTiming instruction timing modification operations</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+
+The group flag Minor enables all of the flags beginning with Minor.
+
+\section trace MinorTrace and minorview.py
+
+The debug flag MinorTrace causes cycle-by-cycle state data to be printed which
+can then be processed and viewed by the minorview.py tool. This output is
+very verbose and so it is recommended it only be used for small examples.
+
+\subsection traceformat MinorTrace format
+
+There are three types of line outputted by MinorTrace:
+
+\subsubsection state MinorTrace - Ticked unit cycle state
+
+For example:
+
+\verbatim
+ 110000: system.cpu.dcachePort: MinorTrace: state=MemoryRunning in_tlb_mem=0/0
+\endverbatim
+
+For each time step, the MinorTrace flag will cause one MinorTrace line to be
+printed for every named element in the model.
+
+\subsubsection traceunit MinorInst - summaries of instructions issued by \
+ Decode
+
+For example:
+
+\verbatim
+ 140000: system.cpu.execute: MinorInst: id=0/1.1/1/1.1 addr=0x5c \
+ inst=" mov r0, #0" class=IntAlu
+\endverbatim
+
+MinorInst lines are currently only generated for instructions which are
+committed.
+
+\subsubsection tracefetch1 MinorLine - summaries of line fetches issued by \
+ Fetch1
+
+For example:
+
+\verbatim
+ 92000: system.cpu.icachePort: MinorLine: id=0/1.1/1 size=36 \
+ vaddr=0x5c paddr=0x5c
+\endverbatim
+
+\subsection minorview minorview.py
+
+Minorview (util/minorview.py) can be used to visualise the data created by
+MinorTrace.
+
+\verbatim
+usage: minorview.py [-h] [--picture picture-file] [--prefix name]
+ [--start-time time] [--end-time time] [--mini-views]
+ event-file
+
+Minor visualiser
+
+positional arguments:
+ event-file
+
+optional arguments:
+ -h, --help show this help message and exit
+ --picture picture-file
+ markup file containing blob information (default:
+ <minorview-path>/minor.pic)
+ --prefix name name prefix in trace for CPU to be visualised
+ (default: system.cpu)
+ --start-time time time of first event to load from file
+ --end-time time time of last event to load from file
+ --mini-views show tiny views of the next 10 time steps
+\endverbatim
+
+Raw debugging output can be passed to minorview.py as the event-file. It will
+pick out the MinorTrace lines and use other lines where units in the
+simulation are named (such as system.cpu.dcachePort in the above example) will
+appear as 'comments' when units are clicked on the visualiser.
+
+Clicking on a unit which contains instructions or lines will bring up a speech
+bubble giving extra information derived from the MinorInst/MinorLine lines.
+
+--start-time and --end-time allow only sections of debug files to be loaded.
+
+--prefix allows the name prefix of the CPU to be inspected to be supplied.
+This defaults to 'system.cpu'.
+
+In the visualiser, The buttons Start, End, Back, Forward, Play and Stop can be
+used to control the displayed simulation time.
+
+The diagonally striped coloured blocks are showing the InstId of the
+instruction or line they represent. Note that lines in Fetch1 and f1ToF2.F
+only show the id fields of a line and that instructions in Fetch2, f2ToD, and
+decode.inputBuffer do not yet have execute sequence numbers. The T/S.P/L/F.E
+buttons can be used to toggle parts of InstId on and off to make it easier to
+understand the display. Useful combinations are:
+
+<table>
+<tr>
+ <td><b>Combination</b></td>
+ <td><b>Reason</b></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>E</td>
+ <td>just show the final execute sequence number</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>F/E</td>
+ <td>show the instruction-related numbers</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>S/P</td>
+ <td>show just the stream-related numbers (watch the stream sequence
+ change with branches and not change with predicted branches)</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>S/E</td>
+ <td>show instructions and their stream</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+
+The key to the right shows all the displayable colours (some of the colour
+choices are quite bad!):
+
+<table>
+<tr>
+ <td><b>Symbol</b></td>
+ <td><b>Meaning</b></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>U</td>
+ <td>Unknown data</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>B</td>
+ <td>Blocked stage</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>-</td>
+ <td>Bubble</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>E</td>
+ <td>Empty queue slot</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>R</td>
+ <td>Reserved queue slot</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>F</td>
+ <td>Fault</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>r</td>
+ <td>Read (used as the leftmost stripe on data in the dcachePort)</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>w</td>
+ <td>Write " "</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+ <td>0 to 9</td>
+ <td>last decimal digit of the corresponding data</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+
+\verbatim
+
+ ,---------------. .--------------. *U
+ | |=|->|=|->|=| | ||=|||->||->|| | *- <- Fetch queues/LSQ
+ `---------------' `--------------' *R
+ === ====== *w <- Activity/Stage activity
+ ,--------------. *1
+ ,--. ,. ,. | ============ | *3 <- Scoreboard
+ | |-\[]-\||-\[]-\||-\[]-\| ============ | *5 <- Execute::inFlightInsts
+ | | :[] :||-/[]-/||-/[]-/| -. -------- | *7
+ | |-/[]-/|| ^ || | | --------- | *9
+ | | || | || | | ------ |
+[]->| | ->|| | || | | ---- |
+ | |<-[]<-||<-+-<-||<-[]<-| | ------ |->[] <- Execute to Fetch1,
+ '--` `' ^ `' | -' ------ | Fetch2 branch data
+ ---. | ---. `--------------'
+ ---' | ---' ^ ^
+ | ^ | `------------ Execute
+ MinorBuffer ----' input `-------------------- Execute input buffer
+ buffer
+\endverbatim
+
+Stages show the colours of the instructions currently being
+generated/processed.
+
+Forward FIFOs between stages show the data being pushed into them at the
+current tick (to the left), the data in transit, and the data available at
+their outputs (to the right).
+
+The backwards FIFO between Fetch2 and Fetch1 shows branch prediction data.
+
+In general, all displayed data is correct at the end of a cycle's activity at
+the time indicated but before the inter-stage FIFOs are ticked. Each FIFO
+has, therefore an extra slot to show the asserted new input data, and all the
+data currently within the FIFO.
+
+Input buffers for each stage are shown below the corresponding stage and show
+the contents of those buffers as horizontal strips. Strips marked as reserved
+(cyan by default) are reserved to be filled by the previous stage. An input
+buffer with all reserved or occupied slots will, therefore, block the previous
+stage from generating output.
+
+Fetch queues and LSQ show the lines/instructions in the queues of each
+interface and show the number of lines/instructions in TLB and memory in the
+two striped colours of the top of their frames.
+
+Inside Execute, the horizontal bars represent the individual FU pipelines.
+The vertical bar to the left is the input buffer and the bar to the right, the
+instructions committed this cycle. The background of Execute shows
+instructions which are being committed this cycle in their original FU
+pipeline positions.
+
+The strip at the top of the Execute block shows the current streamSeqNum that
+Execute is committing. A similar stripe at the top of Fetch1 shows that
+stage's expected streamSeqNum and the stripe at the top of Fetch2 shows its
+issuing predictionSeqNum.
+
+The scoreboard shows the number of instructions in flight which will commit a
+result to the register in the position shown. The scoreboard contains slots
+for each integer and floating point register.
+
+The Execute::inFlightInsts queue shows all the instructions in flight in
+Execute with the oldest instruction (the next instruction to be committed) to
+the right.
+
+'Stage activity' shows the signalled activity (as E/1) for each stage (with
+CPU miscellaneous activity to the left)
+
+'Activity' show a count of stage and pipe activity.
+
+\subsection picformat minor.pic format
+
+The minor.pic file (src/minor/minor.pic) describes the layout of the
+models blocks on the visualiser. Its format is described in the supplied
+minor.pic file.
+
+*/
+
+}