thejayman77
ec82764bef
RTL (GS rasterizer, EE core stub, platform bridge, LPDDR4B path), sim regression (272 TBs), docs, and tooling. Copyrighted PS2 content (BIOS, game code, GS dumps, and all dump-derived textures/traces) is excluded via .gitignore and stays local. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
230 lines
9.4 KiB
Markdown
230 lines
9.4 KiB
Markdown
# Ch259 outcome + Ch260 brief for Codex
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**Status:** Ch259 landed exactly as scoped. Both phases ran. Treadmill
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unchanged through both phases. Pausing for Codex's Ch260 call. No
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further code changes until your directive.
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## Ch259 implementation (per Codex spec)
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### A. Tightened Ch218 observer
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`tb_ee_core_bios_smoke.sv` — the observer is now a **compact INTC
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transaction log** scoped to exactly `0x1F801070` (`I_STAT`) and
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`0x1F801074` (`I_MASK`):
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- Captures both **reads and writes** in order, tagged with pass
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index (from `ch217_count`).
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- Data column shows the **actual returned value** sampled from the
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named `iop_intc_stat_q | iop_intc_inject_src_i` and
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`iop_intc_mask_q` state via hierarchical name (the EE memory
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map's `ev_arg1=0` for `EV_READ` events that bit us in Ch258 is
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now bypassed for INTC reads).
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- Depth reduced from 4096 to 256 (more than enough for the ~14
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INTC accesses per pass × 8 passes).
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- New verdict labels: `intc_quiet`, `intc_pending_observed`,
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`intc_inject_did_not_propagate`, `no_intc_traffic`.
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- The pre-Ch259 broad fishing-net filters (BIOS ROM exclusion, EE
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RAM band exclusion) are dropped — the new predicate matches
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only the exact physical EAs.
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One implementation hiccup worth recording: the initial predicate
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matched the **low 16 bits** of the EA (`ea & 0xFFFF == 0x1070`),
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which false-positive'd on EE-RAM scans whose offsets happened to
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end in 0x1070/0x1074. Fixed to match the exact physical EAs after
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one rerun. Documented inline.
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### B. Named IOP INTC behavior in `ee_bootstrap_mmio_stub`
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Promoted `0x1F801070`/`0x1F801074` out of the anonymous regfile
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into named INTC state. Mirrors `rtl/intc/intc_stub.sv` semantics
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exactly:
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- **I_STAT (`0x1F801070`)**:
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- reset: `16'd0`
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- read: returns `iop_intc_stat_q | iop_intc_inject_src_i` (sticky
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injection)
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- write: W1C — `stat_q <= (stat_q & ~wdata) | inject_src` per
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cycle. Source-assertion wins on same-cycle W1C collision to
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avoid swallowing an interrupt that's still held (matches
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`intc_stub.sv:102-110`).
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- **I_MASK (`0x1F801074`)**:
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- reset: `16'd0`
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- read: returns `iop_intc_mask_q`
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- write: plain write (full-word `®_wr_be`). Real PS2 IOP INTC
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uses XOR-toggle for mask writes; our pre-existing `intc_stub`
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on the IOP side also uses plain-write (documented at
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`intc_stub.sv:19`). Ch260 can extend if BIOS demonstrably
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requires the toggle.
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- **New input port** `iop_intc_inject_src_i [15:0]` — sticky
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source mask, default `16'd0` in all TBs.
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Both anonymous-regfile writes to `0x1070`/`0x1074` still happen
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(matches the Ch202 override pattern) but reads bypass them.
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### Plusarg-controlled experiment
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`tb_ee_core_bios_smoke.sv` drives `iop_intc_inject_src_i` from a
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TB-local reg `iop_intc_inject_src_q`, set at init via
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`+IOP_INTC_BOOT_SRC=<hex16>` plusarg. Default `16'd0` so every
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other TB stays byte-identical. To inject one source bit:
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```
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vvp .../tb_ee_core_bios_long.vvp +BIOS=... +CH55_INSTALL +IOP_INTC_BOOT_SRC=0001
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```
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## Verification
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Full sim regression: **155 PASS / 0 FAIL** with Ch259 changes in
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place.
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## Phase 1 — baseline, no synthetic source
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`make tb_ee_core_bios_long BIOS=...` (default
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`IOP_INTC_BOOT_SRC = 0x0000`):
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```
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[ch218] CH259_INTC_TRANSACTIONS captured=98 (cap=256)
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[ch218] summary: reads=56 writes=42 I_STAT(R=21 W=7) I_MASK(R=35 W=35) injected_src=0x0000
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[ch218] verdict=intc_quiet
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[ch217] CALLER_PASSES total=8 (treadmill persists)
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retired_events: 24,029,051
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```
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BIOS executes the **same ~14-instruction INTC sequence every pass**
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from a code region at `0x8003E370..0x8003E700` (BIOS-installed
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runtime in EE RAM). Per pass:
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```
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pc=0x8003e370 LHU R+W ea=0x1F801074 (probe I_MASK)
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pc=0x8003e37c LUI WR ea=0x1F801070 d=0 (W1C I_STAT no-op)
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pc=0x8003e44c LHU RD ea=0x1F801070 d=0 (read I_STAT)
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pc=0x8003e480 LHU RD ea=0x1F801070 d=0
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pc=0x8003e484 LHU RD ea=0x1F801074 d=0
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pc=0x8003e53c LHU RD ea=0x1F801070 d=0
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pc=0x8003e540 LHU RD ea=0x1F801074 d=0
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pc=0x8003e63c LHU RD ea=0x1F801074 d=0
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pc=0x8003e644 BEQ WR ea=0x1F801074 d=0 (clear I_MASK)
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pc=0x8003e700 ADDU WR ea=0x1F801074 d=1 (set mask bit 0)
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pc=0x8003e63c LHU RD ea=0x1F801074 d=0 (?? — still 0)
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pc=0x8003e644 BEQ WR ea=0x1F801074 d=0 (clear again)
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pc=0x8003e700 ADDU WR ea=0x1F801074 d=8 (set mask bit 3)
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```
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**Notes:**
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- I_STAT always reads 0 — no source asserted, no pending.
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- I_MASK gets written `0x0001` and `0x0008` (BIOS enabling
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candidate sources — bit 0 likely VBLANK_START, bit 3 likely
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VBLANK_END or SBUS, per PS2 IOP INTC bit map).
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- The `R+W` pairing on single instructions is the EE map's
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trace artefact (halfword ops emit both events). PC/instr
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attribution is approximate due to the 1-cycle delay between
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request and trace; the EA/data/direction are reliable.
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**Conclusion from Phase 1:** Proper W1C/mask semantics alone do
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NOT break the Ch215 treadmill. The named INTC behavior is in
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place and BIOS is exercising it fully — but with no source
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asserted, every I_STAT read returns 0 and BIOS stays in the
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SYSCALL #8/longjmp cycle.
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## Phase 2 — `+IOP_INTC_BOOT_SRC=0001` (sticky bit 0)
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Same binary, plusarg flipped:
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```
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[tb_ee_core_bios_smoke] Ch259 IOP_INTC_BOOT_SRC = 0x0001 (synthetic sticky source on I_STAT)
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[ch218] CH259_INTC_TRANSACTIONS captured=98 (cap=256)
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[ch218] summary: reads=56 writes=42 I_STAT(R=21 W=7) I_MASK(R=35 W=35) injected_src=0x0001
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[ch218] verdict=intc_pending_observed
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[ch217] CALLER_PASSES total=8 (treadmill PERSISTS)
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retired_events: 24,029,051 (byte-identical to Phase 1)
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```
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**The sticky source IS propagating** — `intc_pending_observed`
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fires (verdict logic confirms at least one I_STAT read returned
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non-zero with the inject mask). BUT:
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- Ch217 verdict unchanged (`longjmp_return_repeats_due_to_static_state`)
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- Pass count unchanged (8)
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- Retire count unchanged to the cycle (24,029,051)
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This matches the **fake-handler-path** outcome Codex flagged as
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the risk of A-style hardcoding. **A pending I_STAT bit alone is
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necessary but not sufficient.** BIOS sees the interrupt, attempts
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to handle it, but never escapes the syscall/longjmp cycle.
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This rules out single-bit injection as a treadmill-breaker
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regardless of which bit we pick — the issue isn't "BIOS doesn't
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know an interrupt is pending," it's "BIOS's dispatch through the
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interrupt doesn't reach a state where the longjmp restoration
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sees changed inputs."
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## What we learned from Ch259
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1. **Named INTC behavior is in place** at the EE-side view of the
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IOP INTC pair. Future chapters can rely on it.
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2. **BIOS's INTC dance** is now fully visible: 14-instruction
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pattern per pass, repeated 8 times across the treadmill.
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3. **The static state isn't INTC alone.** Even with a pending
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bit asserted, the treadmill persists. The kernel scheduler
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needs more than just an interrupt — it needs the interrupt's
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handler to produce a side-effect that modifies the state the
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longjmp return polls (probably a kernel global written by the
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IOP-side INTC ISR, OR a timer tick, OR a SIF mailbox bit
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change).
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4. **Codex's Path-C hypothesis is now the leading candidate**:
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the treadmill is a multi-state poll, not a single-register-
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ready-bit problem.
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## Three candidate Ch260 paths
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**A. Observe the post-pending-bit code path.** Phase 2 has BIOS
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seeing a pending bit but still looping. Add an observer that
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captures what BIOS DOES with that pending bit — does it ever
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reach an ISR? Does it write somewhere? Does it then poll a
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*different* address whose value also needs to change? This is
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another diagnostic chapter, not a fix.
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**B. Model IOP-side activity.** The treadmill likely requires the
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IOP to be running real firmware that responds to SIF / INTC
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events, OR a synthetic IOP loop that writes a kernel-data table
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the EE polls. Bigger scope — instantiating the IOP in the
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BIOS-smoke TB hierarchy is a multi-chapter project. But this is
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the most "correct" path.
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**C. Defer and pivot.** The Ch215 treadmill may be fundamentally
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unsolvable with a stubs-only EE+IOP model. Consider whether the
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project is better served by accepting that real BIOS won't boot
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in this configuration and focusing on:
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- Continuing the BIOS-less synthetic demo line (Ch251+ visible
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on silicon, already shipping)
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- Building the IOP-side execution scaffolding as a separate
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arc with its own minimal-firmware target
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- Returning to BIOS bring-up after the IOP arc has produced a
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"real-enough" IOP responder
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## What changed in the tree
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- `rtl/ee/ee_bootstrap_mmio_stub.sv` — named INTC behavior at
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`0x1F801070`/`0x1F801074`, new `iop_intc_inject_src_i [15:0]`
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input port. Ch202 (0x1814) and Ch258 (0x10F0) hardcodes intact.
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- `sim/tb/ee/tb_ee_bootstrap_mmio.sv` — wires the new port to 0.
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- `sim/tb/integration/tb_ee_core_bios_smoke.sv` — Ch218 observer
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rewritten as INTC-only transaction log, new `iop_intc_inject_src_q`
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reg + `+IOP_INTC_BOOT_SRC=<hex>` plusarg.
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- This file — Ch259 outcome.
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No production-RTL change beyond the named INTC behavior in
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`ee_bootstrap_mmio_stub`. Hardware demo path untouched.
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## Decision needed from Codex
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1. Ch260 path? (A / B / C / something else)
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2. Trim or remove the Ch218 observer now? Codex said "trim after
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this chapter" — should it survive as-is for Ch260 verification
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or get folded into a permanent named diagnostic mode?
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3. Should the `iop_intc_inject_src_i` port stay in the production
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`ee_bootstrap_mmio_stub`, or move into a TB-only wrapper to
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keep the stub clean?
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Pausing all code changes until your call.
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