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https://github.com/gorgonmeducer/perf_counter

A dedicated performance counter for Cortex-M systick. It shares the SysTick with users' original SysTick function without interfering it. This library will bring new functionalities, such as performance counter, delay_us and clock() service defined in time.h
https://github.com/gorgonmeducer/perf_counter

cortex-m delay microcontroller performance-analysis performance-counters systick

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A dedicated performance counter for Cortex-M systick. It shares the SysTick with users' original SysTick function without interfering it. This library will bring new functionalities, such as performance counter, delay_us and clock() service defined in time.h

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README

        

# perf_counter (v2.3.3)
A dedicated performance counter for Cortex-M Systick. It shares the SysTick with users' original SysTick function(s) without interfering with it. This library will bring new functionalities, such as performance counter,` delay_us` and `clock()` service defined in `time.h`.

### Features:

- **Measure CPU cycles for specified code segment**
- **Add Coremark 1.0**
- **Provide Timer Service for EventRecorder automatically.**
- **Enhanced measurement services for RTOS**
- Measures **RAW / True** cycles used for specified code segment inside a thread, **i.e. scheduling cost are removed**.
- Measure **RAW/True** cycles used for a data-process-path across multiple threads.
- **Easy to use**
- Helper macros: `__cycleof__()` , `__super_loop_monitor__()` , `__cpu_usage__()`, `__cpu_perf__()` etc.
- Helper functions: `start_cycle_counter()`, `stop_cycle_counter()` etc.
- Enable a broader processor architecture support
- **Support ALL Cortex-M processors**
- SysTick
- Performance Monitor Unit (PMU)

- Easy to port to a different architecture with a porting template

- **Provide Free Services**
- Do **NOT** interfer with existing SysTick based applications
- **Support most of the arm compilers**
- Arm Compiler 5 (armcc), Arm Compiler 6 (armclang)
- arm gcc
- LLVM
- IAR
- **Simplified Deployment**
- **Drag-and-Drop deployment for Arm Compiler 5 and Arm Compiler 6.**
- **CMSIS-Pack is available**
- **RT-Thread package is avaialble**
- **Time based services**
- `delay_us()` and `delay_ms()` with **64bit return value**.
- Provides Timestamp services via `get_system_ticks()`, `get_system_us` and `get_system_ms()`.
- **Support both RTOS and bare-metal environments**
- Support SysTick Reconfiguration
- Support changing System Frequency
- Support stack-overflow detection in RTOS environment via `perfc_check_task_stack_canary_safe()`
- **Utilities for C language enhancement**
- Macros to detect compilers, e.g. `__IS_COMPILER_ARM_COMPILER_6__`, `__IS_COMPILER_LLVM__` etc.
- Macro to create atomicity for specified code block, i.e. `__IRQ_SAFE{...}`
- Helper macros for C language extension:
- VB like `with()`
- `foreach()`, dimof(), `CONNECT()`
- C# like `using()`
- simple overload feature of OOPC made out of ANSI-C99, `__PLOOC_VA_NUM_ARGS()`
- ...
- **[new]** A dedicated macro `__perfc_sync_barrier__()` for code barrier.

## 1. How To Use

### 1.1 Measure CPU cycles for specified code segment

You can measure specified code segment with a macro helper `__cycleof__()`, it is a wrapper of `get_system_ticks()`.

**Syntax:**

```c
__cycleof__(, [User Code, see ref 1]) {
//! target code segment of measurement
...
}
```

Here, [**ref 1**] is a small user code to read the measurement result via a local variable `__cycle_count__` . This User Code is optional. If you don't put anything here, the measured result will be shown with a `__perf_counter_printf__`.

#### **Example 1:** Simple measurement with printf

```c
__cycleof__() {
foreach(example_lv0_t, s_tItem, ptItem) {
printf("Processing item with ID = %d\r\n", _->chID);
}
}
```

You will see the measured result in console:

![image-20220509004258020](./documents/pictures/__cycleof___output_simple)

#### **Example 2:** Read measured result via `__cycle_counter__`

```c
int32_t iCycleResult = 0;

/* measure cycles and store it in a dedicated variable without printf */
__cycleof__("delay_us(1000ul)",
/* insert code to __cycleof__ body, "{}" can be omitted */
{
iCycleResult = __cycle_count__; /*< "__cycle_count__" stores the result */
}) {
delay_us(1000ul);
}

printf("\r\n delay_us(1000ul) takes %d cycles\r\n", (int)iCycleResult);
```

The result is read out from `__cycle_count__`and used in other place:

![image-20220509004714845](./documents/pictures/__cycleof___output_non_printf)

### 1.2 Performance Analysis

#### 1.2.1 CPU Usage

For both bare-metal and OS environment, you can measure the CPU Usage with macro `__cpu_usage__()` for a given code segment as long as it is executed repeatedly.

**Syntax**

```c
__cycleof__(, [User Code, see ref 1]) {
//! target code segment of measurement
...
}
```

Here, [**ref 1**] is a small user code to read the measurement result via a local variable `__usage__`. This User Code is optional. If you don't put anything here, the measured result will be shown with a `__perf_counter_printf__`.

##### **Example 1: the following code will show 30% of CPU Usage:**

```c
void main(void)
{
...
while (1) {
__cpu_usage__(10) {
delay_us(30000);
}
delay_us(70000);
}
...
}
```

##### Example 2: Read measurement result via `__usage__`

```c
void main(void)
{
...
while (1) {

float fUsage = 0.0f;
__cpu_usage__(10, {
fUsage = __usage__; /*< "__usage__" stores the result */
}) {
delay_us(30000);
}
printf("task 1 cpu usage %3.2f %%\r\n", (double)fUsage);

delay_us(70000);
}
...
}
```

NOTE: The `__usage__` stores the percentage information.

#### 1.2.2 Cycle per Instruction and L1 DCache Miss Rate

For **Armv8.1-m** processors that implement the **PMU**, it is easy to measure the **CPI** (Cycle per Instruction) and **L1 DCache miss rate** with the macro `__cpu_perf__()`.

**Syntax**:

```c
__cpu_perf__(, [User Code, see ref 1]) {
//! target code segment of measurement
...
}
```

Here, [**ref 1**] is a small user code to read the measurement result via a local **struct** variable `__PERF_INFO__` . This User Code is optional. If you don't put anything here, the measured result will be shown with a `__perf_counter_printf__`. The prototype of the `__PERF_INFO__` is shown below:

```c
struct {
uint64_t dwNoInstr; /* number of instruction executed */
uint64_t dwNoMemAccess; /* number of memory access */
uint64_t dwNoL1DCacheRefill; /* number of L1 DCache Refill */
int64_t lCycles; /* number of CPU cycles */
uint32_t wInstrCalib;
uint32_t wMemAccessCalib;
float fCPI; /* Cycle per Instruction */
float fDCacheMissRate; /* L1 DCache miss rate in percentage */
} __PERF_INFO__;
```

For example, when insert user code, you can read CPI from `__PERF_INFO__.fCPI`.

**Example 1: measure the Coremark**

```c
void main(void)
{
init_cycle_counter(false);

printf("Run coremark\r\n");

#ifdef __PERF_COUNTER_COREMARK__
__cpu_perf__("Coremark") {
coremark_main();
}
#endif

while(1) {
__NOP();
}
}
```

The result might look like the following:

![](./documents/pictures/__cpu_perf__output.png)

### 1.3 Timestamp

You can get the system timestamp (since the initialization of perf_counter service) via function `get_system_ticks()` and `get_system_ms()`.

**NOTE**: The `get_system_ms()` is **NOT** a wrapper of the function `get_system_ticks()`.

There are various way to take advantage of those functions.

#### Example 3: Use `get_system_ms()` as random seed

```c
#include
#include
#include "perf_counter.h"

int main (void)
{
int i, n;

n = 5;

/* Intializes random number generator */
srand((unsigned) get_system_ticks());

/* Print 5 random numbers from 0 to 1024 */
for( i = 0 ; i < n ; i++ ) {
printf("%d\n", rand() & 0x3FF);
}

return(0);
}
```

#### Example 4: Measure CPU cycles

```c
do {
int64_t tStart = get_system_ticks();
__IRQ_SAFE {
printf("no interrupt \r\n");
}
printf("used clock cycle: %d", (int32_t)(get_system_ticks() - tStart));
} while(0);
```

This example shows how to use the delta value of `get_system_ticks()` to measure the CPU cycles used by specified code segment. In fact, the `__cycleof__()` is implemented in the same way:

```c
#define __cycleof__(__STR, ...) \
using(int64_t _ = get_system_ticks(), __cycle_count__ = _, \
_=_, { \
_ = get_system_ticks() - _; \
__cycle_count__ = _; \
if (__PLOOC_VA_NUM_ARGS(__VA_ARGS__) == 0) { \
printf("\r\n"); \
printf("-[Cycle Report]"); \
printf("--------------------------------------------\r\n"); \
printf(__STR " total cycle count: %d [%08x]\r\n", \
(int)_, (int)_); \
} else { \
__VA_ARGS__ \
}; \
})
```

### 1.4 Timer Services

perf_counter provides the basic timer services for delaying a given period of time and polling-for-timeout. For example:

```c
delay_ms(1000); /* block the program for 1000ms */
delay_us(50); /* block the program for 50us */

while(1) {
/* return true every 1000 ms */
if (perfc_is_time_out_ms(1000)) {
/* print hello world every 1000 ms */
printf("\r\nHello world\r\n");
}
}
```

### 1.5 Work with EventRecorder in MDK

If you are using EventRecorder in MDK, once you deployed the `perf_counter`, it will provide the timer service for EventRecorder by implenting the following functions: `EventRecorderTimerSetup()`, `EventRecorderTimerGetFreq()` and `EventRecorderTimerGetCount()`.

If you have not modify anything in `EventRecorderConf.h`, **you don't have to**, and please keep the default configuration. If you see warnings like this:

```
Invalid Time Stamp Source selected in EventRecorderConf.h!
```

Please set the macro `EVENT_TIMESTAMP_SOURCE` to `3` to suppress it.

**IMPORTANT**: Please always make sure the macro `EVENT_TIMESTAMP_FREQ` is `0`

**By using perf_counter as the reference clock, EventRecorder can have the highest clock resolution on the target system without worring about the presence of DWT or any conflicting usage of SysTick.**

### 1.6 On System Environment Changing

#### 1.6.1 System Frequency Changing

If you want to change the System Frequency, **after** the change, make sure:

1. The `SystemCoreClock` has been updated with the new system frequency. Usually, the HAL will update the `SystemCoreClock` automatically, but in some rare cases where `SystemCoreClock` is updated accordingly, you should do it yourself.

2. please call `update_perf_counter()` to notify perf_counter.

#### 1.6.2 Reconfigure the SysTick

Some systems (e.g. FreeRTOS) might reconfigure the systick timer to fulfil the requirement of their feature. To support this:

1. **Before the reconfiguration**, please call function `before_cycle_counter_reconfiguration()`.

**NOTE**: This function will stop the SysTick, clear the pending bit, and set the Load register and the Current Value registers to zero.

2. After the reconfiguration, please call `update_perf_counter()` to notify perf_counter the new changes.

## 2. How To Deploy

### 2.1 Generic(Default) method for all compilers

#### 2.1.1 For Bare-metal:

1. Clone the code to your local with following command lines:

```shell
git clone https://github.com/GorgonMeducer/perf_counter.git
```

2. Add including path for `perf_counter` folder
3. Add `perf_counter.c` to your compilation.

> **NOTE**: Please do **NOT** add any assembly source files of this `perf_counter` library to your compilation, i.e. `systick_wrapper_gcc.S`, `systick_wrapper_gnu.s` or `systick_wrapper_ual.s`.

4. Include `perf_counter.h` in corresponding c source file:

```c
#include "perf_counter.h"
```

5. Make sure your system contains the CMSIS (with a version 5.7.0 or above) as `perf_counter.h` includes `cmsis_compiler.h`.
6. Call the function `perfc_port_insert_to_system_timer_insert_ovf_handler()` in your `SysTick_Handler()`

```c
void SysTick_Handler(void)
{
...
perfc_port_insert_to_system_timer_insert_ovf_handler();
...
}
```

7. Make sure the `SystemCoreClock` is updated with the same value as CPU frequency.
8. **IMPORTANT**: Make sure the `SysTick_CTRL_CLKSOURCE_Msk` bit ( bit 2) of `SysTick->CTRL` register is `1` that means SysTick runs with the same clock source as the target Cortex-M processor.
9. Initialize the perf_counter with boolean value that indicates whether the user applications and/or RTOS have already occupied the SysTick.

```c
void main(void)
{
//! setup system clock

/*! \brief Update SystemCoreClock with the latest CPU frequency
*! If the function doesn't exist or doesn't work correctly,
*! Please update SystemCoreClock directly with the correct
*! system frequency in Hz.
*!
*! extern volatile uint32_t SystemCoreClock;
*/
SystemCoreClockUpdate();

/*! \brief initialize perf_counter() and pass true if SysTick is
*! occupied by user applications or RTOS, otherwise pass
*! false.
*/
init_cycle_counter(true);

...
while(1) {
...
}
}
```

10. **IMPORTANT**: Please enable GNU extension in your compiler. For **GCC** and **CLANG**, it is `--std=gnu99` or `--std=gnu11`, and for other compilers, please check the user manual first. Failed to do so, you will not only trigger the warning in `perf_counter.h`, but also lose the function correctness of `__cycleof__()` and `__super_loop_monitor__()`, because `__PLOOC_VA_NUM_ARGS()` isn't report `0` when passed with no argument.

```c
#if __PLOOC_VA_NUM_ARGS() != 0
#warning Please enable GNC extensions, it is required by __cycleof__() and \
__super_loop_monitor__()
#endif
```

11. It is nice to add macro definition `__PERF_COUNTER__` to your project GLOBALLY. It helps other module to detect the existence of perf_counter. For Example, LVGL [`lv_conf_cmsis.h`](https://github.com/lvgl/lvgl/blob/d367bb7cf17dc34863f4439bba9b66a820088951/env_support/cmsis-pack/lv_conf_cmsis.h#L81-L99) use this macro to detect perf_counter and uses `get_system_ms()` to implement `lv_tick_get()`.

**Enjoy !**

### 2.2 Use cmsis-pack in MDK

1. Download the cmsis-pack from the`cmsis-pack` folder. It is a file with name `GorgonMeducer.perf_counter..pack`, for example `GorgonMeducer.perf_counter.2.2.0.pack`

2. Double click it to install this cmsis-pack. Once finished, you can find it in your Pack-Installer:

![](./documents/pictures/pack_installer)
In the future, you can pull the latest version of perf_counter from the menu `Packs->Check For Updates` as shown below:

![image-20220509011327392](./documents/pictures/check_for_updates)

3. Open the RTE management window, find the **Utilities** and select the **Core** inside perf_counter as shown below:

![](./documents/pictures\RTE)

4. Include `perf_counter.h` in corresponding c source file:

```c
#include "perf_counter.h"
```

5. Make sure your system contains the CMSIS (with a version 5.7.0 or above) as `perf_counter.h` includes `cmsis_compiler.h`. Usually, you should do this with RTE as shown below:

![image-20220509012432408](./documents/pictures/RTE_cmsis_core)

6. Make sure the `SystemCoreClock` is updated with the same value as CPU frequency.
7. **IMPORTANT**: Make sure the `SysTick_CTRL_CLKSOURCE_Msk` bit ( bit 2) of `SysTick->CTRL` register is `1` that means SysTick runs with the same clock source as the target Cortex-M processor.
8. Initialize the perf_counter with boolean value that indicates whether the user applications and/or RTOS have already occupied the SysTick.

```c
void main(void)
{
//! setup system clock

/*! \brief Update SystemCoreClock with the latest CPU frequency
*! If the function doesn't exist or doesn't work correctly,
*! Please update SystemCoreClock directly with the correct
*! system frequency in Hz.
*!
*! extern volatile uint32_t SystemCoreClock;
*/
SystemCoreClockUpdate();

/*! \brief initialize perf_counter() and pass true if SysTick is
*! occupied by user applications or RTOS, otherwise pass
*! false.
*/
init_cycle_counter(true);

...
while(1) {
...
}
}
```

9. **IMPORTANT**: Please enable GNU extension in your compiler.

For Arm Compiler 5, please select both **C99 mode** and GNU extensions in the **Option for target dialog** as shown below:

![image-20220509012752097](./documents/pictures/GNU_in_AC5)

For Arm Compiler 6, please select **gnu99** or **gnu11** in Language C drop-list as shown below:

![image-20220509012944724](./documents/pictures/gnu_in_ac6)

Failed to do so, you will not only trigger the warning in `perf_counter.h`, but also lose the function correctness of `__cycleof__()` and `__super_loop_monitor__()`, because `__PLOOC_VA_NUM_ARGS()` isn't report `0` when passed with no argument.

```c
#if __PLOOC_VA_NUM_ARGS() != 0
#warning Please enable GNC extensions, it is required by __cycleof__() and \
__super_loop_monitor__()
#endif
```

### 2.3 Use perf_counter in RT-Thread RTOS

perf_counter has registered as one of the [RT-Thread software packages](https://packages.rt-thread.org/en/detail.html?package=perf_counter), which locats in `system` category. In [ENV](https://www.rt-thread.io/download.html?download=Env) or [RT-Thread Studio](https://www.rt-thread.io/download.html?download=Studio), you just need to simply enable cputime framework. RT-Thread will automatically enable perf_counter if you are using Cortex-M architecture.

![rt-thread-settings](./documents/pictures/rt-thread-settings.png)

**Enjoy !**

## 3. FAQ

### 3.1 Why I see `Undefined symbol $Super$$SysTick_Handler`

This error usually pops up in **Arm Compiler 5** and **Arm Compiler 6**. It is because you haven't implemented any non-weak `SysTick_Handler()`. Please provide an EMPTY one in any c source file to solve this problem:

```c
void SysTick_Handler(void)
{
}
```

**NOTE**: If you deploy perf_counter using cmsis-pack and encounter this issue, please **DO NOT** call function `user_code_insert_to_systick_handler()` in this **should-be-empty** `SysTick_Handler()`.

### 3.2 Why do I see perf_counter in red in the MDK project manager?

Since version v2.1.0 I removed the unnecessary bundle feature from the cmsis-pack. If you have used the older version, you will encounter this issue. To solve this problem:

1. please unselect ALL the performance components in RTE, press OK and close the uVision.
2. reopen the mdk project and select the perf_counter components in RTE

Sorry about this.

## 4. License

**Performance Counter for Cortex-M**, a.k.a. ***perf_counter*** is under Apache 2.0 license.