Intel® Simics® Simulator for Intel® FPGAs: User Guide

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ID 784383
Date 4/01/2024
Public
Document Table of Contents
Document Table of Contents x
1. About This Document 2. Intel® Simics® Simulator and Virtual Platforms 3. Intel® Simics® Simulator for Intel® FPGAs Device Portfolio 4. Installing the Intel® Simics® Simulator for Intel® FPGAs 5. Getting Started with Intel® Simics® Simulator 6. Debugging Target Software 7. Networking with the Simulated Target System 8. Intel® Simics® Scripting 9. Software Debug Examples with Intel® Simics® Simulator 10. Document Revision History for Intel® Simics® Simulator for Intel FPGAs User Guide A. Intel® Simics® Simulator Command Reference
1. About This Document x
1.1. Documentation Conventions for Examples 1.2. Terminology 1.3. List of Acronyms
2. Intel® Simics® Simulator and Virtual Platforms x
2.1. Device Model and Virtual Platforms 2.2. Intel® Simics® Simulator 2.3. Intel® Simics® Simulator Architecture
2.2. Intel® Simics® Simulator x
2.2.1. Intel® Simics® Simulator for Intel FPGAs Capabilities
4. Installing the Intel® Simics® Simulator for Intel® FPGAs x
4.1. Installing the Intel® Simics® Simulator for Intel® FPGAs on Linux* Systems 4.2. Installing the Intel® Simics® Simulator for Intel® FPGAs on Microsoft Windows* Systems 4.3. Installing Ashling* RiscFree* IDE for Intel® FPGAs 4.4. Intel® Simics® Simulator for Intel® FPGAs Support
5. Getting Started with Intel® Simics® Simulator x
5.1. Simulation Set Up 5.2. Starting the Simulation 5.3. Intel® Simics® Simulator Command-Line Interface (CLI) 5.4. Hardware Inspection 5.5. Intel® Simics® Simulator Timing
5.1. Simulation Set Up x
5.1.1. Initializing an Intel® Simics® Project and Deploying a Virtual Platform 5.1.2. Understanding Target Scripts
5.2. Starting the Simulation x
5.2.1. Starting a Simulation from a Command Prompt 5.2.2. Starting a Simulation with Ashling* RiscFree* IDE
5.3. Intel® Simics® Simulator Command-Line Interface (CLI) x
5.3.1. Version of the Intel® Simics® Simulator for Intel FPGAs Software 5.3.2. Simulation Run Control from CLI 5.3.3. Intel® Simics® Simulator Command Scope 5.3.4. Intel® Simics® Simulator CLI Variables and Operations 5.3.5. Intel® Simics® Simulator CLI Command Completion and Command History 5.3.6. Intel® Simics® Command-Line Interface Help 5.3.7. Capture of CLI Session to a File 5.3.8. Intel® Simics® Simulator File Location and Intel® Simics® Search Path
5.4. Hardware Inspection x
5.4.1. Listing Objects in the Target System 5.4.2. Processor (CPU) Inspection 5.4.3. Device Inspection 5.4.4. Memory Mapping and Memory Inspection 5.4.5. Logging
5.4.2. Processor (CPU) Inspection x
5.4.2.1. Listing Processors 5.4.2.2. Inspect Processor Registers
5.4.3. Device Inspection x
5.4.3.1. Retrieve List of Devices 5.4.3.2. Inspecting Device Registers
5.4.4. Memory Mapping and Memory Inspection x
5.4.4.1. Memory Mapping Inspection 5.4.4.2. Memory Inspection
5.4.5. Logging x
5.4.5.1. Breakpoints on CLI Log Messages
5.5. Intel® Simics® Simulator Timing x
5.5.1. CPU Frequency 5.5.2. CPU Cycles and Steps 5.5.3. Events 5.5.4. Enable Real Time
6. Debugging Target Software x
6.1. Intel® Simics® Debugger and Debug Context 6.2. Capturing Serial Console Output 6.3. Breakpoints 6.4. Debugging Target Software with Symbol Files 6.5. Debugging Target Software with Ashling* RiscFree* Debugger 6.6. Capturing CPU Instruction Execution Trace
6.3. Breakpoints x
6.3.1. Memory Breakpoints 6.3.2. Temporal Breakpoints 6.3.3. CPU Control Register Breakpoints 6.3.4. Hardware Access Breakpoints 6.3.5. CPU Register Breakpoints 6.3.6. Tracing Breakpoints 6.3.7. Text Console Activity Breakpoints
6.4. Debugging Target Software with Symbol Files x
6.4.1. Loading Symbol Files in a Simulation
6.5. Debugging Target Software with Ashling* RiscFree* Debugger x
6.5.1. Remote Debugging with RiscFree* IDE
6.5.1. Remote Debugging with RiscFree* IDE x
6.5.1.1. Remote Debugging With Intel® Simics® Simulation and RiscFree* IDE on the Same System 6.5.1.2. Remote Debugging With Intel® Simics® Simulation and RiscFree* IDE on Different Systems 6.5.1.3. Remote Access to the Target System Serial Console
7. Networking with the Simulated Target System x
7.1. Network Simulation and Service Node 7.2. Connectivity Between Host PC and Target System
7.2. Connectivity Between Host PC and Target System x
7.2.1. Port Forwarding 7.2.2. Transferring Files Between Host PC and Target System 7.2.3. Accessing Target System from Host PC Through HTTP 7.2.4. Networking Commands Reference Table
7.2.1. Port Forwarding x
7.2.1.1. Incoming Port Forwarding 7.2.1.2. Outgoing Port Forwarding
7.2.1.1. Incoming Port Forwarding x
7.2.1.1.1. Example of an SSH Connection with Incoming Port Forwarding
7.2.1.2. Outgoing Port Forwarding x
7.2.1.2.1. Example of SSH Connection With Outgoing Port Forwarding 7.2.1.2.2. Example of SSH Connection via NAPT
7.2.2. Transferring Files Between Host PC and Target System x
7.2.2.1. Transferring Files with SCP service 7.2.2.2. Transferring Files with TFTP service
7.2.2.1. Transferring Files with SCP service x
7.2.2.1.1. Transferring Files With SCP Service via Forwarding Ports 7.2.2.1.2. Transferring Files with SCP from Target System to Host PC via NAPT
7.2.2.2. Transferring Files with TFTP service x
7.2.2.2.1. TFTP Using Forwarding Port 7.2.2.2.2. TFTP via NAPT 7.2.2.2.3. TFTP Using TFTP Server in Intel® Simics® Service Node
8. Intel® Simics® Scripting x
8.1. Scripts in CLI
8.1. Scripts in CLI x
8.1.1. Variables 8.1.2. Command Return Values 8.1.3. Control Flow Commands 8.1.4. Local Variables 8.1.5. Integer Conversion 8.1.6. Accessing Configuration Parameters 8.1.7. Error Handling in Scripts 8.1.8. Script Branches
8.1.8. Script Branches x
8.1.8.1. Script Branches Commands 8.1.8.2. Variables in Script Branches 8.1.8.3. Branch Synchronization 8.1.8.4. Canceling Script Branches 8.1.8.5. Script Branches Restrictions
9. Software Debug Examples with Intel® Simics® Simulator x
9.1. Debugging Linux* User-Mode Application
9.1. Debugging Linux* User-Mode Application x
9.1.1. Debugging a Linux Application with GDB 9.1.2. Debugging a Linux Application with RiscFree* IDE
9.1.1. Debugging a Linux Application with GDB x
9.1.1.1. Debugging with GDB Debug from Host PC Using Forwarding Ports 9.1.1.2. Debugging with GDB from Host PC with Intel® Simics® Simulator GDB Server
1. About This Document
2. Intel® Simics® Simulator and Virtual Platforms
3. Intel® Simics® Simulator for Intel® FPGAs Device Portfolio
4. Installing the Intel® Simics® Simulator for Intel® FPGAs
5. Getting Started with Intel® Simics® Simulator
6. Debugging Target Software
7. Networking with the Simulated Target System
8. Intel® Simics® Scripting
9. Software Debug Examples with Intel® Simics® Simulator
10. Document Revision History for Intel® Simics® Simulator for Intel FPGAs User Guide
A. Intel® Simics® Simulator Command Reference

9.1.1.2. Debugging with GDB from Host PC with Intel® Simics® Simulator GDB Server

This method consists of using the internal GDB Server in the Intel® Simics® simulator to debug the software running in the target system from the Host PC. You can use this method for any source code for which you have an ELF file that contains the debug information.

This method debugs code on the processor in "bare metal" form, while the earlier method was limited to debugging a user-mode application.

For debugging with GDB from host PC with Intel® Simics® Simulator GDB server, you must have the following items:

  • A Linux Host PC with GDB application installed.
  • Intel® Simics® simulator includes the GDB server that allows you to connect from the host PC.
  • ELF (binary with debug information) of the software application to be debugged is available in host PC along with the source code of the application.

The chart below depicts the relationship and sequence of using GDB for debugging in the method.

The following section details the steps to debug a Test Application Binary testGdb by using this method.

In the Intel® Simics® simulator CLI, the Test Application Binary is transferred to the target system using the Intel® Simics® simulator internal TFTP server. Subsequently, the establish the GDB connection using the new-gdb-remote command, this connection is used by the Linux Host to debug the Test Application in the Target System. 

# Intel Simics simulator CLI 

# Step 1. Setup Intel Simics tftp dir: /home/simicsUser/gdbDir directory
simics> service_node_cmp0.set-tftp-directory “/home/simicsUser/gdbDir”

# Step 2. Add symbol file of testGdb and add a breakpoint at main.
simics> enable-debugger 
Debugger enabled.

simics> add-symbol-file "/home/simicsUser/gdbDir/testGdb" 

simics> bp.source_location.break main
Breakpoint 1: 0x1 (planted)
Setting new inspection object: system...agilex_hps.core[0]
[tcf] Breakpoint 1 on execution in context system...agilex_hps.core[0]

# Step 3. Start GDB session
simics> new-gdb-remote
[gdb0 info] Attached to CPU: system...agilex_hps.core[0]
[gdb0 info] Awaiting GDB connections on port 9123.
[gdb0 info] Connect from GDB using: "target remote localhost:9123"
[gdb0 info] Attached to system...agilex_hps.core[0]
simics> run

# Step 4a. After step 4 the simulation stops and this is seen
[tcf] Breakpoint 1 on execution in context system...agilex_hps.core[0]
Now debugging the arm-cortex-a55 system...agilex_hps.core[0]
main() at /home/simicsUser/gdbDir/testGdb/testGdb.c:28
28	    int x = 1000;

In the Target Serial Console, you import the Test Application Binary testGdb and execute it, the internal GDB Server in Intel® Simics® simulator is enabled automatically. After the new-gdb-remote command, you can start the debug session in the Linux Host System. 

# Target Serial Console

# Step 4. Bring the testGdb binary to the target system using TFTP, change the file permission to allow execution.
root@psgdevice:~# tftp –gr testGdb 10.10.0.1
root@psgdevice:~# chmod +x testGdb
root@psgdevice:~# ./testGdb

# Breakpoint at main() function is hit and Intel Simics simulation stops
# Next message is observed after step 6.
=== My Debug example on Core 0 ===
# Next messages are observed after step 7.
2000
  core[0]: 1 times
  core[1]: 0 times
  core[2]: 0 times
  core[3]: 0 times
 
root@psgdevice:~#

In the Linux Host System, the GDB debug session is started by using the GDB software (pre-installed in system) and the test application binary that contains the debug information.

In the GDB session, the debugger is connected to the target system using the target remote localhost:9123 command. When the connection is ready, you can start adding breakpoints or set values.

To modify the values of variable in the test application to change the program’s behavior, use the set Variable=[new value] command. In this example, setting the volatile variable exitVar to 1 sets the breaking condition to exit the infinite while loop, thus ending the program. 

# Linux Host Terminal
# Step 5. Create a GDB debug session.
/home/simicsUser/gdbDir $ aarch64-none-linux-gnu-gdb testGdb
GNU gdb (GNU Toolchain for the A-profile Architecture 10.2-2020.11 
(arm-10.16)) 10.1.90.20201028-git
Copyright (C) 2020 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
(gdb)

# Step 6. Connect from the host PC to the Target System. (Use the port number 
provided by new-gdb-remote)
(gdb) target remote localhost:9123
Reading symbols from /home/simicsUser/gdbDir/testGdb/testGdb
main () at testGdb.c:26
26	    int x = 1000; 

(gdb) continue
# Type Ctrl-c to interrupt program. 
Continuing.
^C
Program received signal SIGINT, Interrupt.
getCore () at testGdb.c:9

# Step 7. The application debug starts here. Setting a breakpoint in 
getcore() function.
(gdb) break getCore
Breakpoint 2 at 0x40060c: file testGdb.c, line 13.

(gdb) continue
Continuing.
Breakpoint 2, getCore () at testGdb.c:13
13	    core = sched_getcpu();

# Go to exit point of the getCore() function.
(gdb) finish
Run till exit from #0  getCore () at testGdb.c:13
0x00000000004006a0 in main () at testGdb.c:40
40	        core = getCore();        
Value returned is $1 = 0

# Print value of exitVar variable and change it to 1 to exit loop.

(gdb) print exitVar
$2 = 0

(gdb) set exitVar=1

(gdb) print exitVar
$3 = 1

# Continue execution to finish the application.
(gdb) continue
Continuing.
[Inferior 1 (process 432) exited normally]

# Type Ctrl-c to interrupt program.
(gdb) quit
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