acae - an arm cycle accounting emulator

Support

Host:

• ubuntu (24.04)
• archlinux (kernel: 7.0.3-arch1-2 (64-bit))

Guest:

• ARM Cortex M4 (ARMv7 Thumb/2) @100MHz

Setup

git clone --recurse https://github.com/cheater78/acae.git
cd acea/
chmod +x setup.sh
./setup.sh

Usage

Build and run a Benchmark manually:

make -C benchmark/<target_benchmark>/ clean build run

Automated Benchmark runs, with data export (to: eval/results//.csv):

# select your benchmark(s) in run.py
eval/run.py

Build plots (requires exported bench data, then found at: eval/plots/*)

# select your plot(s) in plot.py
eval/plot.py

Validation / Data

Our gathered data for validation is published alongside the project and can be found in [eval/results/][eval/results/].

Extend the project

Adding a new Benchmark:

• use/copy benchmark/template
• adjust Makefile to target your source, baremetal lib and boot will be linked automatically (baremetal/baremetal.mk, baremetal/boot/boot.mk)

WIP

Platform Native: USB CDC for UART

• baremetal/platform/native/usb
• baremetal/platform/native/platform.mk
• baremetal/platform/native/STM32CubeF4

Benchmark: embench

• benchmark/embench

Known Issues

Dhrystone:

• reports no score or score 0 and tells you to "Increase the number of runs"
• std/times - randomly returns zero
• dirty fix: uncomment the debug printf in baremetal/bmstdlib.c times(), clean, build and run, comment out again, clean, build and run

First time build and flash to native HW:

• flash fails, because the chip is not in DFU mode
• fix: hold the BOOT0 (pin BOOT0 = HIGH) button during RESET
• subsequent DFU context switches are automated through the chips exit() function - therefor only available after main() has finished!