wfjm.w11/doc/README_known_issues.md

Known issues

The issues of the w11 CPU are listed in a separate document w11a_known_issues.md.

This file descibes general issues.

The case id indicates the release when the issue was first recognized.

V0.50-10 {issue #20} -- DL11: output chars lost when device polling used

Part of the console output can be lost when xxdp test eqkce1 is run on FPGA, also some kernel messages during the 2.11bsd boot sequence. In both cases very simple polling output routines are used. Most likely cause is that device ready polls timeout before the rlink interface can serve the output request.

Will be overcome by a DL11 controller with more buffering and improved interrupt rate control.

V0.76-3 {issue #18} -- w11 clock rate limited by CACHE-to-CACHE false path

So far all Series-7 w11a systems ran with 80 MHz clock. The sys_w11_arty design (with DDR memory support via MIG) also achieves timing closure under Vivado 2017.2, but fails (with a small negative slack) under Vivado 2018.3.

The failing data path has

  Source:      SYS70/CACHE/CMEM_DAT1/sv_ram_reg_0/DOADO[1]
  Destination: SYS70/CACHE/CMEM_DAT3/sv_ram_reg_0/DIADI[1]
  via            VMBOX->SEQ->OUNIT->SEQ->DPATH->SEQ->VMBOX

The connectivity of the multiplexers in pdp_dpath in principle allows such a data flow, but pdp11_sequencer will never configure the multiplexers in such a way. So technically this is a false path.

It seems that the placer strategy changed from Vivado 2017.2 to 2018.3 and that 2018.3 is less tolerant to the sub-optimal w11a design.

This will be fixed in a future release, either by setting up an appropriate false_path constraint, or by changing the data path structure.

V0.76-2 {issue #17} -- Help wanted: Testing with Arty S7 appreciated

The w11a design for Arty S7 (50 die size), see rtl/sys_gen/w11a/artys7, was provided to support also an up-to-date Spartan-7 based board. Turned out that speed is equivalent to Artix-7. It is so far only simulation tested.

Testing done with a real Arty S7, would be highly appreciated. Please double check the pin assignments (see mig_a.prj and artys7*.xdc) with the documentation of your board to avoid potential damage.

Looking forward to receive test reports.

V0.76-1 {issue #16} -- Help wanted: Testing with Nexys4 DDR appreciated

The w11a design for Nexys4 DDR, see rtl/sys_gen/w11a/nexys4d, was provided to support also an up-to-date Nexys4 board. It is so far only simulation tested.

Testing done with a real Nexyx4 DDR, or a newer Nexys A7-100T, would be highly appreciated. Please double check the pin assignments (see mig_a.prj and nexys4d*.xdc) with the documentation of your board to avoid potential damage.

Looking forward to receive test reports.

V0.742-1 {issue #14} -- SEGFAULT core dump after detach

The detach of a tcp type virtual terminal or a tap type virtual ethernet device can lead to a SEGFAULT core dump, e.g. after a cpu0ttb0 det command. This is caused by a race condition between the detach run-down and the implementation of ReventLoop::RemovePollHandler().

V0.73-2 {issue #10} -- Many post-synthesis simulations fail

Many post-synthesis functional and especially post-routing timing simulations currently fail due to startup and initialization problems. Cause is MMCM/PLL startup, which is not properly reflected in the test bench. Will be resolved in an upcoming release.

V0.73-1 {issue #9} -- Vivado xelab sometimes extremely slow

as of vivado 2016.2 xelab shows sometimes extremely long build times, especially for generated post-synthesis vhdl models. But also building a behavioral simulation for a w11a design can take 25 min. Even though post-synthesis or post-routing models are now generated in verilog working with xsim is cumbersome and time consuming.

V0.66-1 {issue #8} -- TM11 controller doesn't support odd transfer size

the TM11 controller transfers data byte wise (all disk do it 16bit word wise) and allows for odd byte length transfers. Odd length transfers are currently not supported and rejected as invalid command. Odd byte length records aren't used by OS, so in practice this limitation isn't relevant.

V0.65-2 {issue #7} -- Some exotic RH70/RP/RM features not implemented

some exotic RH70/RP/RM features and conditions not implemented yet

• last block transfered flag (in DS)
• CS2.BAI currently ignored and not handled
• read or write 'with header' gives currently ILF

All this isn't used by any OS, so in practice not relevant.

V0.65-1 {issue #6} -- ti_rri crashes in normal rundown in very rare cases

ti_rri sometimes crashes in normal rundown (exit or ^D) when a cuff: type rlink is active. One gets

      terminate called after throwing an instance of 'Retro::Rexception'
        what():  RlinkPortCuff::Cleanup(): driver thread failed to stop

Doesn't affect normal operation, will be fixed in upcoming release.

V0.64-6 {issue #5} -- IO delays still unconstraint in Vivado

IO delays still unconstraint in Vivado. All critical IOs use explicitly IOB flops, thus timing well defined.

V0.64-2 {issue #4} -- rlink throughput on basys3/nexys4 limited by serial port stack round trip times

rlink throughput on basys3/nexys4 limited by serial port stack round trip times. Will be overcome by libusb based custom driver.

V0.64-1 {issue #3} -- Bad throughput for DL11 emulation for low speed links

The large default transfer size for disk accesses leads to bad throughput in the DL11 emulation for low speed links, like the 460kBaud the S3board is limited to. Will be overcome by a DL11 controller with more buffering.

V0.62-2 {issue #2} -- rlink v4 error recovery not yet implemented, will crash on error

rlink v4 error recovery not yet implemented, will crash on error.

V0.62-1 {issue #1} -- rlink command lists aren't split to fit in retransmit buffer size

rlink command lists aren't split to fit in retransmit buffer size.

{the last two issues are not relevant for w11 backend over USB usage because the backend produces proper command lists and the USB channel is usually error free}

Resolved Issues

V0.77-1 {issue #19} -- tcl getters accessing a const reference crash with a SIGSEGV

Original Issue

tcl commands like

  cpu0 get type
  cpu0rka get class
  rlc get timeout

crash with a SIGSEGV. Apparently all getters which internally return a const reference are affected. Observed with gcc 5.4.0. Unclear whether this is a coding bug introduced when boost::bind was replaced by lambdas (in commit 1620ee3) or a compiler issue.

Fix

The culprit was that automatic return type determination for the getter lambdas was used. This fails when the called method returns a reference of an object. The deduced lambda return type will the object, not a reference. Unfortunately this doesn't lead to a compile time error but to a run time error.

Bottom lime is

• automatic return type detection for lambda's can be error prone
• it is safer and also more compact to use std:bind as method forwarder

Fixed with commit 6024dce.

V0.73-3 {issue #11} -- dmscnt and dmcmon disabled in Vivado based flows

Original Issue

The 'state number generator' code in pdp11_sequencer causes in vivado 2016.1 (and .2) that the main FSM isn't re-coded anymore, which has high impact on achievable clock rate. The two optional debug units depending on the state number, dmscnt and dmcmon, are therefore currently deactivated in all Artix based systems (but are available on all Spartan based systems).

Fix

At least mitigated with d14626c which allows to use dmcmon without the full state number generation logic in pdp11_sequencer. Reintroduced dmcmon in sys_w11a_n4 again. dmscnt is still deconfigured for vivado designs, but this has much less practical impact.