面向基于x86处理器和AMBA的系统芯片的全系统模拟器PKUsim-86

PKUsim-86:A Cycle Level Full System Simulator for x86 Processor and AMBA-Based SoC

基于周期级全系统模拟器对微体系结构进行系统性能评估成为芯片设计必不可少的环节.虽然x86处理器是当前商业和科学计算领域最广泛采用的处理器,很少有开源的x86模拟器能够满足研究需要.本文面向基于Geode GX x86处理器和AMBA总线的PKUnity-86系统芯片,设计并实现了周期级全系统模拟器PKUsim-86.它可以启动Microsoft DOS、Windows 98、Windows XP等操作系统,运行典型的x86应用程序.PKUsim-86支持功能模拟和性能模拟的在线切换,其指令模拟速度为0.86MIPS,与真实硬件的对比表明,PKUsim-86具有较高的相对准确度.

Cycle level full system simulator based performance evaluation has been indispensable to increasingly complex System-on-Chip designs.Although x86 processors have been the most ubiquitous processors in both commercial and science computing world,there is a scarcity of open source simulators that enable academic researchers to experiment with new x86 microprocessor based designs.This paper presents a cycle level full system simulator for PKUnity-86 System-on-Chip platform,which is based on Geode GX x86 processor and AMBA bus architecture.PKUsim-86 can boot up Microsoft DOS,Windows 98,Windows XP and run common x86 applications.On-the-fly switching between the functional simulation and performance simulation mode is supported.PKUsim-86 executes 0.86 million simulated instructions per second on average.Compared with real machines,the relative accuracy of PKUsim86 is acceptable.