An Introduction to OpenPiton
a Manycore Open Source Processor

Sunday Afternoon, October 15 2017, Boston, MA

OpenPiton is an open source framework designed to enable scalable architecture research prototypes from 1 core to 500 million cores. OpenPiton is the world’s first open source, general-purpose, multithreaded manycore processor and framework. OpenPiton leverages the industry hardened OpenSPARC T1 core with modifications and builds upon it with a scratch-built, scalable uncore creating a flexible, modern manycore design. In addition, OpenPiton provides synthesis and backend scripts for ASIC and FPGA to enable other researchers to bring their designs to implementation. On FPGA, OpenPiton provides a new high performance memory controller. OpenPiton provides a complete verification infrastructure of over 8000 tests, is supported by mature software tools, runs full-stack multiuser Debian Linux, and is written in industry standard Verilog. Multiple implementations of OpenPiton have been created including a taped-out 25-core implementation in IBM’s 32nm process and multiple Xilinx FPGA prototypes.

This tutorial will introduce the user to OpenPiton including how to use the framework to build different designs. The tutorial will introduce the verification framework (Verilog simulation), how to synthesize an OpenPiton processor for a Xilinx FPGA board, it will demonstrate booting Linux on an FPGA version of OpenPiton, it will familiarize users with how to use the OpenPiton framework to target an ASIC tapeout, and it will show users how to configure and extend the OpenPiton architecture to enable architecture research.

Researchers in academia or industry looking for a free, open-source, manycore hardware platform. Applicable uses include computer architecture research, EDA-tool exploration on a complex design, operating system research, and compiler research.

1. Introduction
2.      File Layout
3.      Familiarization with what capabilities exist
4.      Familiarization with documentation
5. Simulation
6.      How to simulate the RTL of OpenPiton
7.      Introduction to 8000 test cases
8.      How to add a test case
9.      Familiarization with different test benches
10.      Familiarization with test monitors
11.      Hands-on writing a test case
12. ASIC Synthesis and Backend
13.      Familiarization with the OpenPiton ASIC flow
14.      Synthesis
15.      Place and Route
16.      Timing Closure
17.      Design Rule Checking
18. FPGA
19.      Overview of different boards supported
20.      Overview of system-level hardware (I/O interfaces and memory interface)
21.      Hands-on FPGA synthesis
22.      Hands-on Booting Linux on OpenPiton on FPGA
23. Configuration and Extension
24.      Overview of configuration options
25.      Hands-on configuring number of cores
26.      Hands-on cache configuration
27.      Discussion of different possible extensions and protocols
28.           Interfacing to the NoC
29.           Interfacing to the coherence protocol
30. Operating System and System Software
31.      Different available operating systems
32.           Debian
33.           Ubuntu
34.      How to build Linux
35.      Openboot Overview
36.      Hypervisor Overview
37. Q&A Session
38. Closing Remarks

Attendees that wish to try out the hand-on tutorial should have a some experience with using Linux and a Linux-based text editor. Attendees should bring a laptop and charger for the tutorial. Each attendee will receive a USB flash drive containing: VirtualBox installers for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux; and a Linux virtual machine containing all of the code and tools for the tutorial, along with PDFs of the slides and handouts. Attendees will need approximately 15GB of free disk space to install and use the Virtual Box virtual machine.

• David Wentzlaff
• Princeton Parallel Group Members

• Opening
• Introduction
• Simulating OpenPiton RTL
• Configuration
• Extension Using NoCs
• FPGA Prototyping
• Operating System and System Software
• ASIC Synthesis and Backend