Formation - PowerPC 755(reference 002582A)
 
    Partners
  • Do not hesitate to request the detailed course description by contacting training@mvd-fpga.com
  • This training course is approved by Freescale
  • Practical exercices are built with Diab Data compiler, downloaded to a 755 target board through the Vision probe
  • VisionClick debugger is used to control code execution
  • A full generic CSP [CPU Software Package] developed by MVD is provided to attendees in source code
    
           
    Related Trainings
  • The training called "C language for real-time & embedded applications" is recommended for persons in charge of low level software development.
    Its reference is 002603A
  • The training called "Tsi107 PCI bridge" may be complementary to this course, since this Tundra device acts as a host bridge for PowerPC processors having a 60X bus interface. Its reference is 002605A.
  • MVD also delivers training courses around embeded OS which can be useful : Embeded Linux, OSEK
    
           
    Prerequisites
  • Experience of a 32 bit processor or DSP is mandatory
    
             
  Course Objectives
  • The training aims to understand the PowerPC programming environment through the MPC755 processor
  • A focus is done on the PowerPC EABI which is fundamental when C programs are to be interfaced with assembly routines
  • The pipeline is viewed in detail in order to infer instructions scheduling guidelines
  • Many Diab Data PowerPC specific compiler options are studied
  • A flush routine is used to explain data flows between L1 data cache, L2 cache and SDRAM main memory
  • The course details the segmentation / pagination mechanism used to protect process
  • A generic exception handler is described
  • The hardware implementation and particularly the analysis of the L2 bus timings are handled with great care
    
           
    Duration
  • 5-day course
    
           
    Topics

(The full description of this course can be provided on request)

THE INSTRUCTION PIPELINE

  • 755 implementation : superscalar operation, out-of-order execution, register renaming, serializations, isync instruction
  • Branch processing unit : BTIC, static prediction vs dynamic prediction, speculative loads, guarded memory
  • Branch instructions
  • Coding guidelines

DATA PATHS

  • Load / store buffers
  • Sync and eieio instructions
  • Store gathering mechanism

CACHES

  • Cache basics
  • L1 caches: PLRU algorithm
  • Shared resource management
  • Cache coherency mechanism
  • The MEI state machine
  • Management of cache enabled pages shared with PCI DMAs
  • Reservation coherency, management of Boolean semaphores in a multi-processor system
  • Cache related instructions
  • Cache flush routine
  • The L2 cache, organization, replacement algorithm
  • Implementation of a private memory

SOFTWARE IMPLEMENTATION

  • PowerPC architecture specification, the 3 books UISA, VEA and OEA
  • 7XX registers
  • Addressing modes
  • Integer instructions
  • IEEE754 basics
  • Floating point load / store instructions
  • Floating point arithmetical instructions
  • The PowerPC EABI
  • Linking an application with Diab Data

THE MMU

  • Thread vs process
  • Introduction to real, block and segmentation / pagination translations
  • Memory attributes and access rights definition
  • Virtual space benefit, page protection through segmentation
  • TLBs organization
  • Segmentation : process ID definition
  • Pagination : PTE table organization, tablesearch algorithm
  • Benefits of the software tablewalk in comparison with the hardware tablewalk
  • MMU implementation in real-time sensitive applications

THE EXCEPTION MECHANISM

  • Save / restore registers SRR0/SRR1, rfi instruction
  • Exception management mechanism
  • Registers updating according to the exception cause
  • Requirements to allow exception nesting

HARDWARE IMPLEMENTATION

  • Hreset vs Sreset
  • Bus operation
  • Address phase
  • Data phase
  • Address decode logic design
  • Minimal implementation
  • The L2 bus, supported synchronous SRAM technologies
  • Objectives of the DLL
  • Timing analysis, AN1794/D
  • Low power modes
  • Discrete signals

THE PERFORMANCE MONITOR

  • Objectives of the performance monitor
  • Event counting
  • Programming interface

THE DEBUG PORT

  • JTAG emulation
  • Real time trace requirements
  • Code instrumentation
  • Hardware breakpoints
    
           
    Documentation

Training manuals will be given to participants during training. Precise and easy of use, those notes can be used as a reference afterwards. 		   
           
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