Trace Snippet Reconstruction for Cyclic Program Profiling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Deeply embedded control systems, such as those in automobiles, face challenges in comprehensive analysis and profiling due to the high cost and feasibility issues of high-speed connection for trace data export, especially when they exhibit cyclic behavior, as existing methods provide only task-level information and lack insight into task behavior.
Innovation Solution
A trace unit in an integrated circuit captures trace snippets during hyper-periods of cyclic program execution and stores them in a buffer, allowing a processor to reconstruct the hyper-period by combining overlapping portions, enabling detailed profiling without expensive setups or complex designs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If high-speed connection is implemented for trace data export, then comprehensive analysis and profiling capability is improved, but cost and system complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the continuous trace data stream into discrete trace snippets captured at different time delays. Each snippet represents a partial view of the hyper-period execution, allowing comprehensive profiling through aggregation of multiple segmented pieces rather than requiring continuous high-speed data transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic capture of trace snippets at predetermined time delays during hyper-period occurrences. This periodic sampling approach enables comprehensive analysis through multiple discrete measurements rather than continuous high-speed monitoring, reducing bandwidth requirements while maintaining profiling accuracy.
2Duration of action of moving object
If continuous off-chip trace output is implemented, then extended trace capability is improved, but bandwidth requirement and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent captures only partial trace information (specific trace snippets at predetermined time delays) rather than continuous complete trace data. This partial action approach provides sufficient information for comprehensive profiling while significantly reducing the quantity of data that needs to be transferred off-chip.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates multiple copies of trace snippets at different time delays and combines them to reconstruct the complete hyper-period execution. This copying strategy allows extended trace duration through aggregation of multiple partial views rather than requiring continuous high-bandwidth data transfer.
3Productivity
If task-level trace information is captured, then data rate is reduced for easier transmission, but insight into task behavior is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary capture of detailed trace snippets at predetermined time delays during hyper-period occurrences. By capturing this detailed information in advance at the source, the system preserves task behavior insights while enabling efficient later reconstruction and analysis through combination of the pre-captured snippets.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for tracing a cyclic program execution of a processing circuit of an integrated circuit. A trace unit of the integrated circuit captures trace snippets during respective occurrences of a hyper-period of the cyclic program execution of the processing circuit. A trace buffer of the integrated circuit stores the trace snippets. A processor, which is coupled to the integrated circuit, reconstructs the hyper-period by combining overlapping portions of the trace snippets from the trace buffer.