IP-XACT and Eclipse DSPD VPP launch meeting Anthony Berent ARM Ltd

What is IP-XACT? Developed by The SPIRIT Consortium (http://spiritconsortium.org). Originally developed for delivering IP descriptions of components to EDA tools, and for exchanging IP descriptions of designs between EDA tools: Now starting to be used in other contexts, including the description of debugger targets. An IP-XACT description of a design or component consists of a set of XML documents referring to one another: Main document types are: Design – A high level description of a design Component – A description of a component type, including interfaces, memory maps, and registers Bus Definition – A description of a bus type. References between IP-XACT document are by 4 element identifier (vendor, library, name and version; often abbreviated to VLNV). IP-XACT also defines an interface for generators, which are utilities called up from Design Environments to process IP-XACT data.

IP-XACT design descriptions Component X Instance Design Bus interface M Interconnection Bus interface MM Bus interface MS Component B (bus component) instance Bus interface MS Interconnection Interconnection Bus interface S Bus interface S Component Y Instance 1 Component Y Instance 2 Main elements of IP-XACT designs: Component instances referencing IP-XACT component documents Point to point interconnections between bus interfaces of component instances.

IP-XACT component descriptions Main elements of components are: Bus interfaces, referencing bus definitions to describe the bus type Memory maps, including register descriptions Physical signal descriptions Views, referencing non-IP-XACT data or lower level designs. Memory map map1 Bus interface B1 Bus type X Slave Bus interface B2 Bus type Y Master Register R0 Register R1 Component Signal map Signal Map Signals Physical signal Sig1 Physical signal Sig2 Physical signal Sig3 View A View B View C Reference to associated data (e.g. RTL model) Reference to associated data (e.g. drivers) Reference to Lower Level Design (IP-XACT Design Document)

IP-XACT bus definitions Bus definitions contain: A list logical bus signals: Includes signal direction, width, etc. mapped onto physical signals in components by the signal maps in bus interfaces Other connection restrictions: E.g. The maximum number of bus masters and slaves.

IP-XACT generators Generators are tool independent utilities that process IP-XACT component or design data Design rule checkers Documentation generators Sometimes distributed with IP-XACT components (and referenced by them) The Tight Generator Interface (TGI) defines remote procedure calls that run over SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol): Programming language independent Defined using WSDL Provides access to DE’s model No other communication allowed between generator and DE 2. DE invokes generator Design Environment Generator 4. Generator creates other output Other Output 1. User requests generator invocation 3. Generator makes TGI calls to read and modify DE’s model of the current design

The SPIRIT Consortium membership Contributing Members Board of Directors Associate Reviewing Moxon Design

IP-XACT versions Most widely implemented version is IP-XACT 1.2: Released Summer 2006 Only supports RTL component interfaces There is no IP-XACT 1.3! IP-XACT 1.4 was released in March 2008: Includes support of transactional component interfaces for ESL modeling Some significant enhancements to RTL support Uses Tight Generator Interface (TGI) for generators User guide rewritten as formal standard: Probably easier to follow than 1.2 user guide

IP-XACT and Eclipse DSPD What is IP-XACT? IP-XACT for debug, and the IP-XACT editor VPP and IP-XACT discussion

Using IP-XACT for embedded debug In the old days embedded systems were simple: One processor One bus (maybe two) A few peripherals The only debug hardware (if any) was a breakpoint unit on the processor. Hence easy to describe to debugger

Using IP-XACT for embedded debug Embedded systems are now much more complicated: Many processors (sometimes dozens!) Many buses Many peripherals (Sometimes) lots of debug hardware: E.g. ARM’s CoreSight debug peripherals and buses. Difficult to describe to debugger

Using IP-XACT for embedded debug We need a language for describing systems to debuggers. IP-XACT fits well: Already exists Describes most of what debuggers need to know Hardware and debugger neutral Can be created by hardware design tools. Can be converted to proprietary debugger formats, or used directly by debuggers as their format. The SPIRIT Consortium have created a Debug Working Group to support this activity Eclipse DSDP have chosen to use IP-XACT as their standard way of describing embedded targets.

Data-flow between Design Teams IP Components IP vendor ARM CPU DSP ETB DAP TRACE FUNNEL Other IP PERIPHERALS Component I/O and memory map information as a IP-XACT XML File System designer ARM CPU DAP Other tools: IP-XACT editor Proprietary tools Autodetect from SoC ROM, RAM EDA / ESL Tools ETM DSP CTI PERIPHERALS FUNNEL SoC PERIPHERALS Topology and System Memory Map Description as IP-XACT XML Software developer Debugger Emulator Reads programmer’s model from IP-XACT files Reads debug access descriptions from IP-XACT files

Why develop an editor for IP-XACT? IP-XACT was originally developed as a standard for exchanging data between EDA tools: Typically large expensive tools (~ $1,000s per seat) Often assume that IP-XACT component descriptions are supplied by IP suppliers, hence have no tools for component description creation. When IP-XACT used for debug target description: EDA tools may not be conveniently available. IP-XACT design flow may not be complete. New components and designs may need to be described (or descriptions enhanced). Hence an IP-XACT editor would be valuable. Also useful for other IP-XACT users: ARM and other IP vendors: for creating and editing component descriptions.

What does the IP-XACT editor do? Provides Enhanced and Customized XML editor Automatically uses IP-XACT schema Some context sensitive knowledge of IP-XACT semantics, used to give editing hints. Provides view of IP-XACT library: VLNVs of IP-XACT documents may not correspond to file name or folder structure. Library view sorts documents by vendor, library, name and version. Library objects can be dragged to the editor window to create new references to them: Components can be dragged into designs to create new component instances Bus definitions can be dragged into components to create new bus interfaces.

What does the IP-XACT editor do? Searches for and displays uses of and references to IP-XACT documents. Includes references window and search window. Provides Wizards for: Creating new IP-XACT documents Inserting new elements into IP-XACT documents Includes IP-XACT semantic checker to check (mainly cross document) rules that are not enforced by IP-XACT schema.

The IP-XACT Editor

The IP-XACT editor – current status Initial work contributed to DSDP/DD early 2007 Europa (Eclipse 3.3) includes early preview version: IP-XACT 1.2 only Other limitations Ganymede (Eclipse 3.4) includes late preview version: Functionality basically complete Support for IP-XACT 1.4 Full release (1.0) will be in DSDP/DD November release: Will tidy up and formalize APIs Intended to make reuse and extension easier. No significant functional changes from Ganymede version. All work to date contributed by ARM.

VPP and IP-XACT discussion What does VPP want to provide for IP-XACT support, and relationship to needs of DSDP/DD. Possibilities include: API providing some level of abstraction of IP-XACT (what level?) TGI server, or server framework TGI library for generator Improved (graphical?) editing or analysis tools for IP-XACT How does the IP-XACT work relates to other VPP work? How do DD's IP-XACT work and VPP's IP-XACT work relate? Offers of participation in the IP-XACT work.