picorv32/README.md

PicoRV32 - A Size-Optimized RISC-V CPU
======================================

PicoRV32 is a CPU core that implements the [RISC-V RV32I Instruction Set](http://riscv.org/).

Tools (gcc, binutils, etc..) can be obtained via the [RISC-V Website](http://riscv.org/download.html#tab_tools).

PicoRV32 is free and open hardware licensed under the [ISC license](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISC_license)
(a license that is similar in terms to the MIT license or the 2-clause BSD license).


Features and Typical Applications:
----------------------------------

- Small (~1000 LUTs in a 7-Series Xilinx FGPA)
- High fMAX (>250 MHz on 7-Series Xilinx FGPAs)
- Selectable native memory interface or AXI4-Lite master

This CPU is meant to be used as auxiliary processor in FPGA designs and ASICs. Due
to its high fMAX it can be integrated in most existing designs without crossing
clock domains. When operated on a lower frequency, it will have a lot of timing
slack and thus can be added to a design without compromising timing closure.

For even smaller size it is possible disable support for registers `x16`..`x31` as
well as `RDCYCLE[H]`, `RDTIME[H]`, and `RDINSTRET[H]` instructions, turning the
processor into an RV32E core.

Furthermore it is possible to choose between a single-port and a dual-port
register file implementation. The former provides better performance while
the latter results in a smaller core.

*Note: In architectures that implement the register file in dedicated memory
resources, such as many FPGAs, disabling the 16 upper registers and/or
disabling the dual-port register file may not further reduce the core size.*

The core exists in two variations: `picorv32` and `picorv32_axi`. The former
provides a simple native memory interface, that is easy to use in simple
environments, and the latter provides an AXI-4 Lite Master interface that can
easily be integrated with existing systems that are already using the AXI
standard.

A separate core `picorv32_axi_adapter` is provided to bridge between the native
memory interface and AXI4. This core can be used to create custom cores that
include one or more PicoRV32 cores together with local RAM, ROM, and
memory-mapped peripherals, communicating with each other using the native
interface, and communicating with the outside world via AXI4.


Parameters:
-----------

The following Verilog module parameters can be used to configure the PicoRV32
core.

### ENABLE_COUNTERS (default = 1)

This parameter enables support for the `RDCYCLE[H]`, `RDTIME[H]`, and
`RDINSTRET[H]` instructions. This instructions will cause a hardware
trap (like any other unsupported instruction) if `ENABLE_COUNTERS` is set to zero.

*Note: Strictly speaking the `RDCYCLE[H]`, `RDTIME[H]`, and `RDINSTRET[H]`
instructions are not optional for an RV32I core. But chances are they are not
going to be missed after the application code has been debugged and profiled.
This instructions are optional for an RV32E core.*

### ENABLE_REGS_16_31 (default = 1)

This parameter enables support for registers the `x16`..`x31`. The RV32E ISA
excludes this registers. However, the RV32E ISA spec requires a hardware trap
for when code tries to access this registers. This is not implemented in PicoRV32.

### ENABLE_REGS_DUALPORT (default = 1)

The register file can be implemented with two or one read ports. A dual ported
register file improves performance a bit, but can also increase the size of
the core.


Performance:
------------

*A short reminder: This core is optimized for size, not performance.*

Unless stated otherwise, the following numbers apply to a PicoRV32 with
ENABLE_REGS_DUALPORT active and connected to a memory that can accomodate
requests within one clock cycle.

The average Cycles per Instruction (CPI) is 4 to 5, depending on the mix of
instructions in the code. The CPI numbers for the individual instructions
can be found in the following table. (The column "CPI (SP)" contains the
CPI numbers for a core built without ENABLE_REGS_DUALPORT.)

| Instruction          |  CPI | CPI (SP) |
| ---------------------| ----:| --------:|
| direct jump (jal)    |    3 |        3 |
| ALU reg + immediate  |    3 |        3 |
| ALU reg + reg        |    3 |        4 |
| branch (not taken)   |    3 |        4 |
| memory load          |    5 |        5 |
| memory store         |    5 |        6 |
| branch (taken)       |    5 |        6 |
| indirect jump (jalr) |    6 |        6 |
| shift operations     | 4-14 |     4-15 |

Dhrystone benchmark results: 0.309 DMIPS/MHz (544 Dhrystones/Second/MHz)

For the Dryhstone benchmark the average CPI is 4.167.


Todos:
------

- Optional IRQ support
- Optional write-through cache
- Optional support for compressed ISA