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ac6 >> ac6-training >> Processors >> ARM Cores >> CORTEX-A73 implementation, ARM Architecture V8 Download Catalog Download as PDF Write us Printable version

RA9 CORTEX-A73 implementation, ARM Architecture V8

This course covers the Cortex-A73 and AARCH64

formateur
Objectifs
  • This course aims to highlight the new features offered by the V8 architecture.
  • It has been developed for engineers developing low level software and engineers in charge of IP hardening.
  • First, an overview of Cortex-A73 is provided, to highlight the differences between a Cortex-A15/Cortex-A7 hardware platform based on CCI-400 and a Cortex-A73/Cortex-A53 hardware platform based on CCN-504.
  • The new exception mechanism is described.
  • The enhancements regarding the LPAE are detailed.
  • New A64 assembler instructions are explained through practical examples.
  • The AAPCS64 is also covered.
  • The course also details the new debug ARM V8 features.
  • Cortex-A73 hardware implementation is explained, particularly the low power states.
Prerequisites and related courses

First Day
Overview of Cortex-A73
  • Cortex-A73 architecture
  • Intra-cluster cache coherency
  • Inter-cluster cache coherency through AXI4 ACE
  • ACP port
  • Programmer’s model
Introduction to ARM Architecture V8
  • Enhancement with regard to AArchv7
  • Register mapping between A32/T32 and A64
  • Mapping of AArch64 System registers to the AArch32 System registers
ARMv8 Exceptions
  • Four exception levels
  • Exception Link Registers
  • Register banking by exception level based on a new exception model
  • Nesting on the same exception level
  • Exception type and exception origin
  • Syndrome registers used to provide a status information to the exception handler
  • Exception return instruction
The ARMV8-A Security Model
  • Security model when EL3 is using AArch64
  • Trapping to EL3 using AArch64
Interprocessing
  • Managing two types of processes: 64-bit and 32-bit, switching on an exception
  • Non secure space organization
Second Day
Virtualization
  • New hypervisor privilege level on non-secure side
  • Re-entrant mode
  • Hypervisor exception management, trapping
  • Asynchronous exception routing and control
Instruction Pipeline
  • Superscalar operation
  • Predicted and non-predicted instructions
  • Branch accelerators
  • Invalidation and context switches
  • Highlighting differences with Cortex-A57
Multicore
  • Synchronization and semaphores
  • Shareability memory attributes
  • Operation of the global monitor
  • Load acquire / Store release instruction pair
  • Use of WFE and SEV instructions by spin-locks
  • CLREXMON request and acknowledge signaling
Memory Accesses
  • Mixed-endian support
  • Program counter and stack pointer alignment
  • Ordering requirements
  • Page attributes : Normal or Device
  • Shareability and access limitations on the data barrier operations
  • Memory barriers
ARMv8 MMU Support
  • LPAE enhancements to adapt to AArch64
  • Supporting up to 48 bits of VA per TTBR
  • Access permission checking
  • Supporting up to 48 bits of IPA and PA spaces
  • VMSAv8-64 address translation system
  • Memory translation granule size
  • Descriptor page table organization, descriptor format
  • Hierarchical control of Secure or Non-secure memory accesses
  • TLB preload instructions
  • TLB maintenance instructions in A64
  • Cortex-A73 TLB implementation
Third Day
Caches
  • Cache hierarchy, Point of Unification, Point of Coherency
  • Load non temporal instruction
  • Instruction and Data cache maintenance instructions in A64
  • Cortex-A73 L1 and L2 memory system
  • L2 hardware cache flush
  • L2 replacement algorithm selection
A64 New Instruction Set
  • A64 assembly language, regular bit encoding structure
  • Instruction aliases
  • Branches, function call and return
  • Conditional select instructions, avoiding branches
  • Load Store instructions, addressing modes
  • Arithmetic and logical instructions, CRC calculation instructions
  • Instructions for accessing AArch32 Execution environment registers
ARM Architecture Procedure Call Standard 64-bit
  • General register usage convention
  • Stack pointer and frame pointer
  • NEON / VFP register usage convention
NEON, VFP and Cryptographic Units
  • New register banking for NEON and VFP
  • Mapping of the SIMD and floating-point registers between the Execution states
  • Vector formats in AArch64 state
  • New SIMD instructions
  • Cryptography software support through a new family of instructions
GICv4
  • Generic Interrupt Controller CPU interface registers
  • Interrupt virtualization
  • Interrupt handling to support nesting
Fourth Day
Generic Timer
  • System counter clock frequency
  • Physical and virtual timer count registers
  • Physical up-count comparison, down-count value and timer control registers
  • Virtual up-count comparison, down-count value and timer control registers
Low Power States
  • Wait for Interrupt and Wait for Event
  • Cortex-A73 low power modes
  • L2 Wait for Interrupt
  • Processor dynamic retention
  • Support for power management with multiple power domains
  • Dormant mode
  • Processor dynamic retention
  • L2 RAMs dynamic retention
  • Core Q-channel interface
ARMv8 Debug
  • Self-hosted debug
  • Debug state instructions
  • Linked comparisons for Breakpoint/Watchpoint exception generation
  • Software Step exceptions
  • Routing debug exceptions
  • External debug, cross-triggering
  • Embedded Trace Macrocell architecture
Performance Monitor
  • Per-function performance monitoring at EL0 level
  • Effect of EL3 and EL2 on Performance Monitor
  • Event filtering
Cortex-A73 Hardware Implementation
  • Clocking
  • Resets