Using-PCIe-Write-Combining example returns unexpected results

0

Hi,

I'm an F1 AWS user, and I'm trying to run the PCIE Write Combine example on a cl_dram_dma example design:

https://github.com/awslabs/aws-fpga-app-notes/tree/master/Using-PCIe-Write-Combining

In this example, I'm trying to experiment with the wc_perf.c example to write a single line (16 DWORDS) from the host to the DDRA. According to the above note, running the example with the below command:

**$ sudo ./wc_perf **Followed by:

**$ sudo fpga-describe-local-image -S 0 -C ** outputs the below:

DDR0
**   write-count=16
**   read-count=0

While running with "-w" option, **$ sudo ./wc_perf -w **Followed by:

**$ sudo fpga-describe-local-image -S 0 -C ** outputs the below:

DDR0
**   write-count=1
**   read-count=0

meaning, that the write_count when we use the -w (Write Combine option), should have a write count that is reduced from 16 to 1. Quoting from the notes: "The -w option tells wc_perf to use WC, and the number of write data beats was reduced from 16 to 1. This is the reason why writing a WC region with small operations is faster, because they are accumulated into larger chunks using a 64 byte buffer located in the CPU core bus interface (BIU). This is also the reason why it cannot be used for all accesses."

However, when I run the experiment I get different results than the ones described in the notes:

When I either run "sudo ./wc_perf -w" or "sudo ./wc_perf" followed by

"sudo fpga-describe-local-image -S 0 -C"

I get the same write_count of 1600:

DDR0
   write-count=1600
   read-count=0
DDR1

While I understand why the count is 1600 and not 16 (num_of_passes is 100 in wc_perf.c), the count expect to be when using "-w" option is 100 and not 1600, which means 16 times less than without "-w". Am I doing anything wrong in the experiment?

asked 2 years ago287 views
1 Answer
0

Hello, thank you for your post. I was unable to reproduce this issue due to issues configuring a test environment. In order to better address your concern, please open an issue in the aws-fpga Github:

https://github.com/aws/aws-fpga/issues

These issues are monitored by the FPGA development team, and the comments on resolved issues are visible to the public.

AWS
SUPPORT ENGINEER
answered 2 years ago

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