Software
Contents
Spim, pcspim, and xspim
Spim is a self-contained simulator that will run MIPS R2000/R3000 assembly language programs. It reads and immediately executes assembly language code for this processor (it does not execute binary programs). Spim provides a simple debugger and minimal set of operating system services.
Spim implements almost the entire MIPS assembler-extended instruction set for the R2000/R3000. It omits some complex floating point comparisons and rounding modes and details of the memory system page tables. The MIPS architecture has evolved considerably since then (in particular, from 32 to 64 bits), which means that spim will not run programs compiled for recent MIPS or SGI processors. MIPS compilers also generate a number of assembler directives that spim cannot process. These directives can be safely deleted.
Spim implements both a simple, terminal-style interface and a visual windowing interface. On Unix, the spim program provides the terminal interface and the xspim program provides the X window interface. On PCs, PCSpim provides the Windows interface. Macs are not explicitly supported, but the Unix/X window source will compile under Mac OS X.
You can download spim from the SPIM website.
This CD also contains SPIM tutorials.
MARS
MARS is a lightweight interactive development environment (IDE) for programming in MIPS assembly language, intended for educational-level use with Patterson and Hennessy's Computer Organization and Design. MARS features:
- GUI with point-and-click control and integrated editor
- Easy set/removal of breakpoints using check boxes
- Easily editable register and memory values, similar to a speadsheet
- Display values in hexadecimal or decimal
- Command line mode for instructors to test and evaluate many programs easily. Command-line arguments to specify registers and memory locations to be displayed after the program run, to examine for correct contents. Set up a "batch" to do many programs in succession.
- Floating point registers, coprocessor1 and coprocessor0
- Variable-speed execution
- "Tool" utility for MIPS control of simulated devices. A tool is a program running on a separate thread with access to MARS data. An assembly program can run in MARS and interact with the tool through memory-mapped IO. Any imaginable pseudo-device can be interfaced to MIPS assembly code, or extended to physical devices or hardware.
You can download MARS and find tutorial material at the MARS website.
MIPS SDE-Lite
MIPS® SDE (Software Development Environment) is a cross-development system for MIPS architecture processors. It produces loadable/rommable code for a variety of MIPS-based platforms and also simulator platforms. It is intended for building and debugging statically-linked applications to run in embedded environments on "bare-metal" CPUs or light-weight operating systems.
MIPS® SDE-Lite is a free version of MIPS® SDE; the difference is (a) you don't get re-usable source code for the proprietary libraries, and (b) you don't get user support from MIPS Technologies, Inc. You can get these extras by purchasing a full copy from MIPS Technologies.
You can download the software from the MIPS Technologies website. On the home page, choose Tools & Software from the Solutions drop-down list. Then choose MIPS® SDE Lite from the menu at the left. The MIPS® SDE Programmer’s Guide (available on the download page) contains detailed installation instructions.
Xilinx FPGA Design, Simulation and Synthesis Software
Xilinx offers a wide range of software tools to support design of Xilinx FGPAs. Tools include the Xilinx Integrated Software Enviroment (ISE), ChipScope Pro for real-time debug and verification, and the ModelSim Xilinx Edition III (MXE III) VHDL/Verilog simulator.
ISE and ChipScope Pro Evaluation versions are fully functioning versions of Xilinx design software with a 60-day time-limited license. ISE WebPACK offers free downloadable design tools with no time limit, limited to lower-density FPGA and CPLD design. All are ideal for the educational environment.
You can download the software tools from the Xilinx website.
On the home page, click on the Design Tools link under the Products and Services heading. On the Design Tools page, the left column contains links to ISE™ WebPACK™ Software and ModelSim Xilinx Edition-III (MXE-III). Follow these links to access the download pages.
To download the software, you will need a Xilinx account. If you have not previously registered, you can create an account from the Sign in page.
In order to use MXE III, you can either obtain a free Starter version license or purchase a full license. To obtain a free Starter license, you first need to install the software. Download and unpack the Zip file to a temporary folder, then launch Setup.exe in that folder. In the installer, select MXE III Starter as the version to install, then follow the instructions. Once the software is installed, see the License Request Instructions in the ModelSim XE III program group in the Start/All Programs menu on your computer.