DLXview v0.9 is an interactive pipeline simulator using the DLX instruction set, described in Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach by John Hennessy and David Patterson. The main goal of dlxview is to provide a visual, interactive environment where the operation of a pipelined processor is easier to understand correctly than by trying to imagine the operation from a text description. DLXview also serves as a handy tool for DLX instruction set understanding, debugging, and processor performance evaluation. Initial development of dlxview was supported by the National Science Foundation via award 9312649-CDA.
DLXview is modified and extended from DLXsim, a non-graphical DLX pipeline simulator, which in turn was modified from a MIPS simulator. This is not surprising given the similarities between the DLX and MIPS instruction sets. The simple pipelining model in dlxsim has been greatly enhanced to support the modeling of the basic DLX pipeline, DLX with scoreboarding, and DLX with the Tomasulo algorithm. In addition, memory access latency, numbers of function units, and function unit latencies are variable so that different pipeline implementations can be studied.
The current version of dlxview is a component of the CASLE (Compiler/Architecture Simulation for Learning and Experimenting) project at Purdue University's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, which aims to provide a comprehensive pedagogical tool for learning architectural concepts, compiler technology, and the interactions between them. Based on the experience in the course of developing dlxview, we plan to build a more powerful simulator which will cover the general microparallel execution models such as superscalar and VLIW, with various configurations. This future tool will also target some popular commercial RISC processors, such as the Alpha and PowerPC processors.
DLXview is a project in progress. To report bugs, make comments, or for further information, please contact George Adams at gba@ecn.purdue.edu.
DLXview includes the following abilities (click on the highlighted text to view a window snapshot).
The main configuration and control window.
Configure the simulator to 3 scheduling models.
Configuration options for the Tomasulo algorithm.
Basic DLX pipeline visualization.
DLX Tomasulo algorithm visualization.
DLX Scoreboard visualization.
The dlxview user's manual may be previewed by clicking here. An interactive dlxview session may be previewed by clicking here. Click on the outlined buttons below the figure to interact with the simulation.
DLXview requires a system running Unix and X11, with Tcl7.4/Tk4.0 (or later) installed. In addition, using the GNU gcc compiler is strongly recommended. DLXview is known to run on Solaris 2.3, Solaris 2.5, and Linux kernels 1.2.13 and 2.0.29. See README for compiling instructions.
To download the dlxview distribution, click here.
The Tcl/Tk libraries are distributed freely in source form. They may be downloaded from the Tcl/Tk homepage.
DLXview will continue to develop. Check this section periodically to see what enhancements have been made.
"(dlxview)" prompt bug fixed. [Thanks SQ.] (8/14/97)
DLXview updated to be compatible with newer Tcl/Tk libraries.
[Thanks, DA.] (6/23/97)
DISC is renamed to dlxview. (1/13/97)
DISC executable for Linux elf available. (1/7/97)
DISC no longer supports the older Tcl7.3/Tk3.6 libraries. (9/27/96)
Source and executable distributions now include the html
help file. (9/27/96)
Fixed reported bugs to the DISC source and the html help
file. (9/27/96)
DISC executable for Solaris 2.3 available. (7/19/96)
DISC now supports Tcl7.4/Tk4.0. (7/19/96)
A minor bug reported by a user has been fixed. (7/19/96)
DISC version 0.88 is released for comments and review. (10/19/95)
Some relevant pointers.
Welcome to the Linux Home Page
Tcl/Tk Project At Sun Microsystems Laboratories.
GNU's Not Unix!
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