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Re: [microblaze-uclinux] RE: Linux kernel instructions->gates
Hi Matt,
This is exactly what our group is in the process of doing.
Any OS service that bogs the processor can be removed from the SW build,
replaced with a VHDL model and accessed through stub APIs that retain
the original API calling conventions.
Synchronization and pipleining are the big bugaboos to be worked out.
This technique should vastly speed the processor and overall system
performance by making large OS services concurrent and by reducing the
CPU's executable instructions.
Regards,
Mike
Matthew Rubenstein wrote:
> That's an interesting resource. What I'm really looking for is an
>example of factoring out an "instructions" feature of uCL, like the
>ethernet kernel module, into a function implemented as gates in the
>FPGA. Then removing that module from the uCL - leaving just its stub
>that "calls" the gates.
>
> That *technique* could make something like MB/uCL a "migration
>platform" for the OS, selectively optimizing parts of the OS, perhaps
>even on an application demand basis. Start with "stock" uCL, factor a
>driver to gates, drop the factored module from the kernel. While a
>PPC/FPGA uCL is a good start, MB/uCL is ultimately even better, because
>the interface between the uCL code and the FPGA can be expanded beyond
>the bottleneck, just by adding registers etc to the MB config.
>
> It doesn't sound like anyone on this list has seen that technique yet.
>I'll keep filtering the traffic until I think I see its glint
>sometime :).
>
>
>On Wed, 2005-08-17 at 07:27 -0700, David Banas wrote:
>
>
>>There's a new TCP/IP stack co-processing IP core that Xilinx just released.
>>Supposedly, it's capable of 900 Mbps throughput.
>>
>>David Banas
>>Field Applications Engineer
>>Nu Horizons Electronics Corp.
>>2070 Ringwood Avenue
>>San Jose, CA 95131
>>(408)434-0800 - office
>>(415)846-5837 - cell
>>http://www.nuhorizons.com
>>
>>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: owner-microblaze-uclinux@itee.uq.edu.au [mailto:owner-microblaze-
>>>uclinux@itee.uq.edu.au] On Behalf Of Matthew Rubenstein
>>>Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 6:37 AM
>>>To: microblaze-uclinux@itee.uq.edu.au
>>>Subject: Linux kernel instructions->gates (was: Re: [microblaze-
>>>uclinux]Re: Welcome to microblaze-uclinux)
>>>
>>> Has anyone succeeded in converting any of the Linux kernel code that
>>>runs on the PPC core into gates, then factoring that PPC code out of the
>>>kernel (except for the stubs that interface to the gates)? Like an
>>>ethernet, USB, keyboard or other driver? I'd like to see a model for how
>>>to transform either uC/MB or full Linux into gates, where that can be
>>>done.
>>>
>>>
>>>On Wed, 2005-08-17 at 12:12 +1000, Alex Gibson wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>Todd Harless wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>Hello again, I was wondering if anyone has heard oh porting uClinux to
>>>>>the PowerPC cores yet? If anyone has please let me know. Thanks.
>>>>>
>>>>>Todd
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>Not on porting uclinux , but you can run full linux.
>>>>
>>>>Look for post on new digilentinc board on 29/4/2005 in the list
>>>>archive
>>>>
>>>>A quick cut and paste of the posts below.
>>>>
>>>>Alex
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>--------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>Hi Aurash, hi John,
>>>>
>>>>We are working with the PPC on virtex2p. You do not need Monta Vista
>>>>
>>>>
>>>Linux.
>>>
>>>
>>>>All you need is denx eldk: http://www.denx.de/twiki/bin/view/DULG/ELDK
>>>>And the penguin ppc linux distribution:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>http://www.penguinppc.org/kernel/#developers
>>>
>>>
>>>>(we are using the 2.4 Kernel)
>>>>To get started: http://www.klingauf.de/v2p/index.phtml might be helpful.
>>>>
>>>>On the other hand we are also using uClinux on spartan3.
>>>>It is really a question of what hardware you have and what you want to
>>>>
>>>>
>>>do ;-)
>>>
>>>
>>>>Have Fun
>>>>Jan
>>>>_--------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>The PPC (ML300 board) is support in the standard kernel.org kernel
>>>>since v2.6.10.
>>>>
>>>>--
>>>>Bye, Peter Korsgaard
>>>>---------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>Hi Aurash,
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>Aurash wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>Alex,
>>>>>>>that board is more prepared for Linux rather than uC-linux (2 x
>>>>>>>PowerPC processors)
>>>>>>>it's a waste to use uC-Linux in my opinion when the processors can
>>>>>>>run with 300Mhz and they have MMU
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Given the origins and objectives of this board - (hint XUP = Xilinx
>>>>>University Program) I think that uClinux on this thing makes as much
>>>>>sense, if not more, than on any other .edu oriented board. Showing
>>>>>students a spectrum of embedded Linux, from small soft-CPU (microblaze
>>>>>+ uClinux) to PPC + regular linux is potentially a very valuable
>>>>>teaching exercise.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>First off, John, Yashi and others I love the work you've been doing I've
>>>>been lurking for a long time and I'm waiting for the proper opportunity
>>>>to jump in. I'm an embedded sw/firmware guy.
>>>>
>>>>Many of those things are very valuable teaching and learning excercies.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>:)
>>>
>>>
>>>>>>Of course, maybe I'm just biased :) I'm also not inclined to
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>think it
>>>
>>>
>>>>>>reasonable for educational groups to pay the licensing fees demanded
>>>>>>by Montavista for an open-source linux kernel distro. I noticed
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>that
>>>
>>>
>>>>>>Mind have an eval CD in the latest EDK package - let's hope they
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>are
>>>
>>>
>>>>>>more willing to work with universities than MontaVista...
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>Properly biased :)
>>>>
>>>>I've been a core dev working with an open-source community that has
>>>>built an entire embedded distro, from the ground up utilizing
>>>>OpenEmbedded. Our build system creates 3rd-party firmware flashable
>>>>images for the Linksys NSLU2 network attached storage device. The
>>>>hardware is an IXP420. The wiki is at http://www.nslu2-linux.org.
>>>>
>>>>Another group is attempting to create OpenJTAG tool to be used for
>>>>debugging. We've been sytmied with Xilinx Spartan 3 development board
>>>>and our lack of FPGA experience. We need some really simple stuff, but
>>>>lack the FPGA skills.
>>>>
>>>>Please let me know what you want as far as a PPC development cross-build
>>>>environment. It propablly pretty easy for me to setup.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>>OK, that's enough opinion for now :P
>>>>>>
>>>>>>John
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>Tommy B
>>>>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>
>>>>
>>>-----------------------------
>>>
>>>
>>>>Or http://www.crhc.uiuc.edu/IMPACT/gsrc/hardwarelab/docs/kernel-
>>>>
>>>>
>>>HOWTO.html
>>>
>>>
>>>>I've already used these helpful references to get a Linux kernel running
>>>>
>>>>
>>>on
>>>
>>>
>>>>the PowerPC405 on the Digilent XUP-V2Pro board. I'm new to ucLinux but
>>>>
>>>>
>>>it
>>>
>>>
>>>>doesn't appear to be much more complicated than the ucLinux steps.
>>>>
>>>>Paul
>>>>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>
>>>>
>>>---------------------------------
>>>
>>>
>>>>X running on the ML300 w/PPC? Yes - it was quite a painful build
>>>>process, but I got it running. Obviously MontaVista has, too.
>>>>
>>>>Steve
>>>>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>
>>>>
>>>----------
>>>
>>>
>>>>--- Alex Gibson <alxx@tpg.com.au> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>That all looks pretty good.
>>>>>
>>>>>Thanks for the links.
>>>>>Any of you , have got X running ?
>>>>>
>>>>>Alex
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>--
>>>
>>>
>>>(C) Matthew Rubenstein
>>>
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>>
>>
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