Arm Cortex-A7 MPCore Software Design

This course is aimed at software developers writing low level and bare-metal code for Armv7-A processors, concentrating on the Cortex-A7 processor, and at operating system developers who need to understand the details of the Arm v7A processors' architecture.

Delegates should have some understanding of embedded programming in C and assembler. Knowledge of other processors is a benefit but is not strictly required for attending this class.

This class uses training materials developed by Arm® and is complemented by Doulos' own lecture and laboratory material. This offers the students a well rounded and practical view of the topics covering both the processor's features along with how to program it.

Introduction to the Arm Architecture

Architecture versions • Registers and instruction sets • Exception model • Memory model • Coprocessors • Architecture extensions • The Future

Cortex-A7 Overview

Introduction • New Features in Cortex-A7 • big/LITTLE Processing

ArmV7-A/R ISA Overview

Load/Store • Data Processing • Flow Control • Misc • DSP

Exception Handling

Introduction • Interrupts • Abort Handlers • SVC Handlers • Undef • Handlers • Reset Handlers

Caches and Branch Prediction

Caches basics • Arm Cache example • L1 and L2 Cache Interactions • Caching policies • Inner and Outer Caches • Cache Determinism • Maintenance and Coherency • Branch Prediction

Cortex-A7 Cache Coherency

L1 & L2 cache coherency and maintenance • MPCore • coherency

Synchronization

Introduction to atomicity • Load exclusive and store exclusive instructions • Code examples • Multi-core, coherency • Exclusive reservation granule

Memory Management

Short-descriptor Format • Long-descriptor Format • Memory Types and Attributes • Using the MMU

Understanding Barriers

Data barriers • Instruction barriers

Cortex-A Power Management

Arm core power modes • Power control • Arm multi-core processor power modes • Power state coordination

Booting a Cortex-A7 processor

Overview • Booting a single CPU • Booting a cluster

Embedded Software Development

Semihosting / retargeting • Mixing C/C++ and assembly • Application Startup • Tailoring image memory map to your target • Accessing memory mapped peripherals • Additional considerations

OS Support

Multi-Processing • Translation tables • Context switching • Timers

GICv1 & GICv2 Programming

Distributor and CPU Interfaces • How to enable and configure interrupts • How to handle interrupts • How to send software interrupts • Security Extensions

TrustZone

Why do we need a Secure environment? • Armv7-A Security Extensions • Software • Memory System • Debug

NEON Overview

Introduction • NEON Instruction Set Overview • NEON Software Support

Debug

Invasive Debug • Non-Invasive Debug • PMU • Trace

GNU Compiler Hints and Tips

Basic Compilation • Compiler Optimizations • Coding Considerations • Local and Global Data Issues

GNU Linker Hints and Tips

Linking Basics • System and User Libraries • Linker Script • Veneer and Interworking • Linker Optimizations and Diagnostics • GNU Embedded Development Libraries

 

Appendix

 

Cross-Cluster MP Programming

Introduction • Multi-Cluster Configurations • Miscellaneous Considerations

Virtualization

Overview of Virtualization Extensions • Memory Management • Exception handling

The learning is reinforced with practical exercises using the GCC software development tool-chain and covers advanced topics such as Arm/Thumb2 assembly, writing low level device drivers, exception handlers and linker scripts.