This is release version 0.6.0 of Nuclei SDK.

[!NOTE]

• Please use Nuclei Studio 2024.06 with this Nuclei SDK 0.6.0.
• There are many changes in this release, so we decide to name it as 0.6.0, not 0.5.1
• This version introduced ThreadX and FreeRTOS-SMP support for Nuclei RISC-V Processors.
• This version introduced a profiling middleware and an example to show code coverage and profiling technology using gcov and gprof in Nuclei Studio 2024.06.
• This version introduced support for Nuclei 100 series RISC-V CPU, but in seperated Nuclei SDK branches called master_n100 or develop_n100, see https://github.com/Nuclei-Software/nuclei-sdk/tree/master_n100
• This version introduced support for gd32vw55x chip and Nuclei DLink Board.
• Better Terapines ZCC toolchain integrated in Nuclei SDK and Nuclei Studio, try ZStudio Lite version here https://www.terapines.com/products/, if you want to take a try, please use nuclei sdk develop branch code and import to Nuclei Studio, and take a try.
• Better IAR Workbench support in Nuclei SDK, with Baremetal SMP and FreeRTOS SMP supported.

• Application

  • Add ThreadX RTOS example to show how to use ThreadX in SDK.
  • Add Nuclei 1000 series benchmark flags for benchmark examples.
  • Add demo_vnice example to show how to use Nuclei Vector NICE feature.
  • Add demo_profiling example to how to use gprof and gcov in Nuclei Studio.
  • Add smphello, demo_cidu baremetal SMP examples in IAR workbench.
  • Add FreeRTOS smpdemo example to show how to use SMP version of FreeRTOS.
  • Optimize and fix cpuinfo example for better cpu feature dection.
  • Optimize benchmark gcc13 flags to provide better performance.
  • Fix wrong ipc calculating for benchmark examples.
  • Reset mcycle and minstret when read cycle or instret in benchmark examples.
  • Fix dhrystone strcmp_xlcz.S removed by make clean in windows.
  • Update benchmark flags for benchmark examples when compiled with Terapines ZCC Toolchain.
  • Fix lowpower example no need to use newlib_full library.

• NMSIS

  • Update many CSR structure defined in core_feature_base.h such as CSR_MCFGINFO_Type, CSR_MDLMCTL_Type and CSR_MCACHECTL_Type etc.
  • Add __set_rv_cycle and __set_rv_instret API to set cycle and instret csr registers.
  • Add CSR_MTLBCFGINFO_Type CSR structure in core_feature_base.h.
  • Fix protection type error in PMP/sPMP API.
  • Fix wrong CLIC_CLICINFO_VER_Msk and CLIC_CLICINFO_NUM_Msk macro value in core_feature_eclic.h
  • Add __ROR64 in core_compatiable.h.
  • Add and update DSP intrinsic APIs in core_feature_dsp.h.
  • Add and update Nuclei customized CSRs in riscv_encoding.h.
  • Sync NMSIS DSP/NN library 1.2.1

• SoC

  • Redesign evalsoc reference SoC support software for better evalsoc and nuclei cpu support, see https://doc.nucleisys.com/nuclei_sdk/design/soc/evalsoc.html#usage
  • Remove -msave-restore in npk.yml to fix dhrystone benchmark value is low in Nuclei Studio issue.
  • No need to get system clock using get_cpu_freq for gd32vf103.
  • In npk.yml, when pass -isystem= should be changed to -isystem = as a workaround for Nuclei Studio to pass correct system include header.
  • Update standard c library and arch ext prompt for soc npk.yml for better hints.
  • Add gd32vf103c_dlink board support for Nuclei DLink development.
  • Fix non-ABS relocation R_RISCV_JAL against symbol '_start' fail for nuclei_llvm toolchain
  • Add Nuclei ux1000fd support in both NPK and Makefile based Build System.
  • Add support for gd32vw55x SoC which is Gigadevice new Nuclei RISC-V N300 Processor based WiFi MCU.
  • Add SPLITMODE support for evalsoc when evaluate NA class Core.
  • Allow custom linker script if npk variable linker_script is not empty.
  • Explicit declare asm function in gcc asm code if that part of code is a function, which is required by gprof plugin in Nuclei Studio.
  • Clear zc bit for non zc elf in mmsic_ctl csr for cases when cpu is not reset but zc bit is set before.
  • Only print CSR value when CSR is present during __premain_init for evalsoc.
  • Fix undefined symbol when link cpp for clang __eh_frame_start/__eh_frame_hdr_start/__eh_frame_end/__eh_frame_hdr_end
  • Add LDSPEC_EN, L2_EN and BPU_EN for evalsoc in Makefile based build system to control load speculative, L2 cache and BPU enable or disable, which is only internally used.
  • Move eclic and interrupt and exception initialization from startup asm code into premain c code for evalsoc.
  • Optimize cpu startup when ECLIC not present it will not be initialized, which is helpful for CPU without ECLIC unit.
  • evalsoc SystemIRegionInfo variable is removed now, if you want to access to the base address of cpu internal device, you can use *_BASEADDR, such as __CIDU_BASEADDR.
  • Introduce an IAR startup asm code called IAR/startup.S for evalsoc to support SMP boot, and for SMP stack setup, different IAR linker script is required, see the iar linker script provided in smphello or freertos/smpdemo.

• Build System

  • Now disassemble elf will show no alias instructions
  • Add u600*/u900*/ux1000fd into support CORE list
  • Update and optimize toolchain support for Terapines ZCC Toolchain, which can provide better performance
  • In Build/toolchain/nuclei_gnu.mk, -mmemcpy-strategy=scalar option is replaced by -mstringop-strategy=scalar in official gcc 14, see https://gcc.gnu.org/git/?p=gcc.git;a=commit;h=4ae5a7336ac8e1ba57ee1e885b5b76ed86cdbfd5

• RTOS

  • Bump FreeRTOS Kernel to V11.1.0
  • Bump RTThread Nano to V3.1.5
  • Introduce FreeRTOS SMP support for Nuclei RISC-V CPU
  • Introduce Eclipse ThreadX v6.4.1 Support for Nuclei RISC-V CPU

• Misc

  • Add Zc/Zicond and 1000 series support in SDK CLI script used internally
  • Optimize gitlab ci jobs to speedup job execution time and better merge request pipeline check

Full Changelog: https://github.com/Nuclei-Software/nuclei-sdk/compare/0.5.0...0.6.0