@c @c COPYRIGHT (c) 1988-2002. @c On-Line Applications Research Corporation (OAR). @c All rights reserved. @c @c $Id$ @c @ifinfo @end ifinfo @chapter ARM Specific Information The Real Time Executive for Multiprocessor Systems (RTEMS) is designed to be portable across multiple processor architectures. However, the nature of real-time systems makes it essential that the application designer understand certain processor dependent implementation details. These processor dependencies include calling convention, board support package issues, interrupt processing, exact RTEMS memory requirements, performance data, header files, and the assembly language interface to the executive. This document discusses the ARM architecture dependencies in this port of RTEMS. The ARM family has a wide variety of implementations by a wide range of vendors. Consequently, there are 100's of CPU models within it. It is highly recommended that the ARM RTEMS application developer obtain and become familiar with the documentation for the processor being used as well as the documentation for the ARM architecture as a whole. @subheading Architecture Documents For information on the ARM architecture, refer to the following documents available from Arm, Limited (@file{http//www.arm.com/}). There does not appear to be an electronic version of a manual on the architecture in general on that site. The following book is a good resource: @itemize @bullet @item @cite{David Seal. "ARM Architecture Reference Manual." Addison-Wesley. @b{ISBN 0-201-73719-1}. 2001.} @end itemize @c @c COPYRIGHT (c) 1988-2002. @c On-Line Applications Research Corporation (OAR). @c All rights reserved. @c @c $Id$ @c @section CPU Model Dependent Features Microprocessors are generally classified into families with a variety of CPU models or implementations within that family. Within a processor family, there is a high level of binary compatibility. This family may be based on either an architectural specification or on maintaining compatibility with a popular processor. Recent microprocessor families such as the ARM, SPARC, and PowerPC are based on an architectural specification which is independent or any particular CPU model or implementation. Older families such as the M68xxx and the iX86 evolved as the manufacturer strived to produce higher performance processor models which maintained binary compatibility with older models. RTEMS takes advantage of the similarity of the various models within a CPU family. Although the models do vary in significant ways, the high level of compatibility makes it possible to share the bulk of the CPU dependent executive code across the entire family. Each processor family supported by RTEMS has a list of features which vary between CPU models within a family. For example, the most common model dependent feature regardless of CPU family is the presence or absence of a floating point unit or coprocessor. When defining the list of features present on a particular CPU model, one simply notes that floating point hardware is or is not present and defines a single constant appropriately. Conditional compilation is utilized to include the appropriate source code for this CPU model's feature set. It is important to note that this means that RTEMS is thus compiled using the appropriate feature set and compilation flags optimal for this CPU model used. The alternative would be to generate a binary which would execute on all family members using only the features which were always present. This chapter presents the set of features which vary across ARM implementations and are of importance to RTEMS. The set of CPU model feature macros are defined in the file cpukit/score/cpu/arm/rtems/score/arm.h based upon the particular CPU model defined on the compilation command line. @subsection CPU Model Name The macro @code{CPU_MODEL_NAME} is a string which designates the architectural level of this CPU model. The following is a list of the settings for this string based upon @code{gcc} CPU model predefines: @example __ARM_ARCH4__ "ARMv4" __ARM_ARCH4T__ "ARMv4T" __ARM_ARCH5__ "ARMv5" __ARM_ARCH5T__ "ARMv5T" __ARM_ARCH5E__ "ARMv5E" __ARM_ARCH5TE__ "ARMv5TE" @end example @subsection Count Leading Zeroes Instruction The ARMv5 and later has the count leading zeroes (@code{clz}) instruction which could be used to speed up the find first bit operation. The use of this instruction should significantly speed up the scheduling associated with a thread blocking. @subsection Floating Point Unit The macro ARM_HAS_FPU is set to 1 to indicate that this CPU model has a hardware floating point unit and 0 otherwise. It does not matter whether the hardware floating point support is incorporated on-chip or is an external coprocessor. @c @c COPYRIGHT (c) 1988-2002. @c On-Line Applications Research Corporation (OAR). @c All rights reserved. @c @c $Id$ @c @section Calling Conventions Each high-level language compiler generates subroutine entry and exit code based upon a set of rules known as the compiler's calling convention. These rules address the following issues: @itemize @bullet @item register preservation and usage @item parameter passing @item call and return mechanism @end itemize A compiler's calling convention is of importance when interfacing to subroutines written in another language either assembly or high-level. Even when the high-level language and target processor are the same, different compilers may use different calling conventions. As a result, calling conventions are both processor and compiler dependent. @subsection Processor Background The ARM architecture supports a simple yet effective call and return mechanism. A subroutine is invoked via the branch and link (@code{bl}) instruction. This instruction saves the return address in the @code{lr} register. Returning from a subroutine only requires that the return address be moved into the program counter (@code{pc}), possibly with an offset. It is is important to note that the @code{bl} instruction does not automatically save or restore any registers. It is the responsibility of the high-level language compiler to define the register preservation and usage convention. @subsection Calling Mechanism All RTEMS directives are invoked using the @code{bl} instruction and return to the user application via the mechanism described above. @subsection Register Usage As discussed above, the ARM's call and return mechanism dos not automatically save any registers. RTEMS uses the registers @code{r0}, @code{r1}, @code{r2}, and @code{r3} as scratch registers and per ARM calling convention, the @code{lr} register is altered as well. These registers are not preserved by RTEMS directives therefore, the contents of these registers should not be assumed upon return from any RTEMS directive. @subsection Parameter Passing RTEMS assumes that ARM calling conventions are followed and that the first four arguments are placed in registers @code{r0} through @code{r3}. If there are more arguments, than that, then they are place on the stack. @subsection User-Provided Routines All user-provided routines invoked by RTEMS, such as user extensions, device drivers, and MPCI routines, must also adhere to these calling conventions. @c @c COPYRIGHT (c) 1988-2002. @c On-Line Applications Research Corporation (OAR). @c All rights reserved. @c @c $Id$ @c @section Memory Model A processor may support any combination of memory models ranging from pure physical addressing to complex demand paged virtual memory systems. RTEMS supports a flat memory model which ranges contiguously over the processor's allowable address space. RTEMS does not support segmentation or virtual memory of any kind. The appropriate memory model for RTEMS provided by the targeted processor and related characteristics of that model are described in this chapter. @subsection Flat Memory Model Members of the ARM family newer than Version 3 support a flat 32-bit address space with addresses ranging from 0x00000000 to 0xFFFFFFFF (4 gigabytes). Each address is represented by a 32-bit value and is byte addressable. The address may be used to reference a single byte, word (2-bytes), or long word (4 bytes). Memory accesses within this address space are performed in the endian mode that the processor is configured for. In general, ARM processors are used in little endian mode. Some of the ARM family members such as the 920 and 720 include an MMU and thus support virtual memory and segmentation. RTEMS does not support virtual memory or segmentation on any of the ARM family members. @c @c Interrupt Stack Frame Picture @c @c COPYRIGHT (c) 1988-2002. @c On-Line Applications Research Corporation (OAR). @c All rights reserved. @c @c $Id$ @c @section Interrupt Processing Different types of processors respond to the occurrence of an interrupt in its own unique fashion. In addition, each processor type provides a control mechanism to allow for the proper handling of an interrupt. The processor dependent response to the interrupt modifies the current execution state and results in a change in the execution stream. Most processors require that an interrupt handler utilize some special control mechanisms to return to the normal processing stream. Although RTEMS hides many of the processor dependent details of interrupt processing, it is important to understand how the RTEMS interrupt manager is mapped onto the processor's unique architecture. Discussed in this chapter are the ARM's interrupt response and control mechanisms as they pertain to RTEMS. The ARM has 7 exception types: @itemize @bullet @item Reset @item Undefined instruction @item Software interrupt (SWI) @item Prefetch Abort @item Data Abort @item Interrupt (IRQ) @item Fast Interrupt (FIQ) @end itemize Of these types, only IRQ and FIQ are handled through RTEMS's interrupt vectoring. @subsection Vectoring of an Interrupt Handler Unlike many other architectures, the ARM has seperate stacks for each interrupt. When the CPU receives an interrupt, it: @itemize @bullet @item switches to the exception mode corresponding to the interrupt, @item saves the Current Processor Status Register (CPSR) to the exception mode's Saved Processor Status Register (SPSR), @item masks off the IRQ and if the interrupt source was FIQ, the FIQ is masked off as well, @item saves the Program Counter (PC) to the exception mode's Link Register (LR - same as R14), @item and sets the PC to the exception's vector address. @end itemize The vectors for both IRQ and FIQ point to the _ISR_Handler function. _ISR_Handler() calls the BSP specific handler, ExecuteITHandler(). Before calling ExecuteITHandler(), registers R0-R3, R12, and R14(LR) are saved so that it is safe to call C functions. Even ExecuteITHandler() can be written in C. @subsection Interrupt Levels The ARM architecture supports two external interrupts - IRQ and FIQ. FIQ has a higher priority than IRQ, and has its own version of register R8 - R14, however RTEMS does not take advantage of them. Both interrupts are enabled through the CPSR. The RTEMS interrupt level mapping scheme for the AEM is not a numeric level as on most RTEMS ports. It is a bit mapping that corresponds the enable bits's postions in the CPSR: @table @b @item FIQ Setting bit 6 (0 is least significant bit) disables the FIQ. @item IRQ Setting bit 7 (0 is least significant bit) disables the IRQ. @end table @subsection Disabling of Interrupts by RTEMS During the execution of directive calls, critical sections of code may be executed. When these sections are encountered, RTEMS disables interrupts to level seven (7) before the execution of this section and restores them to the previous level upon completion of the section. RTEMS has been optimized to insure that interrupts are disabled for less than RTEMS_MAXIMUM_DISABLE_PERIOD microseconds on a RTEMS_MAXIMUM_DISABLE_PERIOD_MHZ Mhz processor with zero wait states. These numbers will vary based the number of wait states and processor speed present on the target board. [NOTE: The maximum period with interrupts disabled is hand calculated. This calculation was last performed for Release RTEMS_RELEASE_FOR_MAXIMUM_DISABLE_PERIOD.] Non-maskable interrupts (NMI) cannot be disabled, and ISRs which execute at this level MUST NEVER issue RTEMS system calls. If a directive is invoked, unpredictable results may occur due to the inability of RTEMS to protect its critical sections. However, ISRs that make no system calls may safely execute as non-maskable interrupts. @subsection Interrupt Stack RTEMS expects the interrupt stacks to be set up in bsp_start(). The memory for the stacks is reserved in the linker script. @c @c COPYRIGHT (c) 1988-2002. @c On-Line Applications Research Corporation (OAR). @c All rights reserved. @c @c $Id$ @c @section Default Fatal Error Processing Upon detection of a fatal error by either the application or RTEMS the fatal error manager is invoked. The fatal error manager will invoke the user-supplied fatal error handlers. If no user-supplied handlers are configured, the RTEMS provided default fatal error handler is invoked. If the user-supplied fatal error handlers return to the executive the default fatal error handler is then invoked. This chapter describes the precise operations of the default fatal error handler. @subsection Default Fatal Error Handler Operations The default fatal error handler which is invoked by the @code{rtems_fatal_error_occurred} directive when there is no user handler configured or the user handler returns control to RTEMS. The default fatal error handler performs the following actions: @itemize @bullet @item disables processor interrupts, @item places the error code in @b{r0}, and @item executes an infinite loop (@code{while(0);} to simulate a halt processor instruction. @end itemize @c @c COPYRIGHT (c) 1988-2002. @c On-Line Applications Research Corporation (OAR). @c All rights reserved. @c @c $Id$ @c @section Board Support Packages An RTEMS Board Support Package (BSP) must be designed to support a particular processor and target board combination. This chapter presents a discussion of XXX specific BSP issues. For more information on developing a BSP, refer to the chapter titled Board Support Packages in the RTEMS Applications User's Guide. @subsection System Reset An RTEMS based application is initiated or re-initiated when the XXX processor is reset. When the XXX is reset, the processor performs the following actions: @itemize @bullet @item The tracing bits of the status register are cleared to disable tracing. @item The supervisor interrupt state is entered by setting the supervisor (S) bit and clearing the master/interrupt (M) bit of the status register. @item The interrupt mask of the status register is set to level 7 to effectively disable all maskable interrupts. @item The vector base register (VBR) is set to zero. @item The cache control register (CACR) is set to zero to disable and freeze the processor cache. @item The interrupt stack pointer (ISP) is set to the value stored at vector 0 (bytes 0-3) of the exception vector table (EVT). @item The program counter (PC) is set to the value stored at vector 1 (bytes 4-7) of the EVT. @item The processor begins execution at the address stored in the PC. @end itemize @subsection Processor Initialization The address of the application's initialization code should be stored in the first vector of the EVT which will allow the immediate vectoring to the application code. If the application requires that the VBR be some value besides zero, then it should be set to the required value at this point. All tasks share the same XXX's VBR value. Because interrupts are enabled automatically by RTEMS as part of the initialize executive directive, the VBR MUST be set before this directive is invoked to insure correct interrupt vectoring. If processor caching is to be utilized, then it should be enabled during the reset application initialization code. In addition to the requirements described in the Board Support Packages chapter of the Applications User's Manual for the reset code which is executed before the call to initialize executive, the XXX version has the following specific requirements: @itemize @bullet @item Must leave the S bit of the status register set so that the XXX remains in the supervisor state. @item Must set the M bit of the status register to remove the XXX from the interrupt state. @item Must set the master stack pointer (MSP) such that a minimum stack size of MINIMUM_STACK_SIZE bytes is provided for the initialize executive directive. @item Must initialize the XXX's vector table. @end itemize Note that the BSP is not responsible for allocating or installing the interrupt stack. RTEMS does this automatically as part of initialization. If the BSP does not install an interrupt stack and -- for whatever reason -- an interrupt occurs before initialize_executive is invoked, then the results are unpredictable. @c @c COPYRIGHT (c) 1988-2002. @c On-Line Applications Research Corporation (OAR). @c All rights reserved. @c @c $Id$ @c @section Processor Dependent Information Table Any highly processor dependent information required to describe a processor to RTEMS is provided in the CPU Dependent Information Table. This table is not required for all processors supported by RTEMS. This chapter describes the contents, if any, for a particular processor type. @subsection CPU Dependent Information Table The XXX version of the RTEMS CPU Dependent Information Table contains the information required to interface a Board Support Package and RTEMS on the XXX. This information is provided to allow RTEMS to interoperate effectively with the BSP. The C structure definition is given here: @example @group typedef struct @{ void (*pretasking_hook)( void ); void (*predriver_hook)( void ); void (*postdriver_hook)( void ); void (*idle_task)( void ); boolean do_zero_of_workspace; unsigned32 idle_task_stack_size; unsigned32 interrupt_stack_size; unsigned32 extra_mpci_receive_server_stack; void * (*stack_allocate_hook)( unsigned32 ); void (*stack_free_hook)( void* ); /* end of fields required on all CPUs */ /* XXX CPU family dependent stuff */ @} rtems_cpu_table; @end group @end example @table @code @item pretasking_hook is the address of the user provided routine which is invoked once RTEMS APIs are initialized. This routine will be invoked before any system tasks are created. Interrupts are disabled. This field may be NULL to indicate that the hook is not utilized. @item predriver_hook is the address of the user provided routine that is invoked immediately before the the device drivers and MPCI are initialized. RTEMS initialization is complete but interrupts and tasking are disabled. This field may be NULL to indicate that the hook is not utilized. @item postdriver_hook is the address of the user provided routine that is invoked immediately after the the device drivers and MPCI are initialized. RTEMS initialization is complete but interrupts and tasking are disabled. This field may be NULL to indicate that the hook is not utilized. @item idle_task is the address of the optional user provided routine which is used as the system's IDLE task. If this field is not NULL, then the RTEMS default IDLE task is not used. This field may be NULL to indicate that the default IDLE is to be used. @item do_zero_of_workspace indicates whether RTEMS should zero the Workspace as part of its initialization. If set to TRUE, the Workspace is zeroed. Otherwise, it is not. @item idle_task_stack_size is the size of the RTEMS idle task stack in bytes. If this number is less than MINIMUM_STACK_SIZE, then the idle task's stack will be MINIMUM_STACK_SIZE in byte. @item interrupt_stack_size is the size of the RTEMS allocated interrupt stack in bytes. This value must be at least as large as MINIMUM_STACK_SIZE. @item extra_mpci_receive_server_stack is the extra stack space allocated for the RTEMS MPCI receive server task in bytes. The MPCI receive server may invoke nearly all directives and may require extra stack space on some targets. @item stack_allocate_hook is the address of the optional user provided routine which allocates memory for task stacks. If this hook is not NULL, then a stack_free_hook must be provided as well. @item stack_free_hook is the address of the optional user provided routine which frees memory for task stacks. If this hook is not NULL, then a stack_allocate_hook must be provided as well. @item XXX is where the CPU family dependent stuff goes. @end table