At present, all software is compiled using a custom GCC compiler backed by binutils and newlib. However, as the AEMB processor is sufficiently different from the original architecture, it may be time to start porting a new compiler to it. At the moment, the regular GCC compiler is used (with Read more…
I have been thinking about implementing some sort of OS on the AEMB. At the moment, the OMRP people have had some success with running a uCLinux OS on the AEMB. However, using uClinux may be a bit excessive for simple projects. Therefore, I have thought of implementing some form Read more…
While thinking about the idea of using a micro-kernel, the idea of introducing a special 'kernel mode' came about. However, unlike other processors, this kernel mode does not expose any special instructions. The idea is to switch the instruction execution from external code to internal code. When the processor first Read more…
As mentioned earlier, the idea of virtual peripherals is quite tempting on the AEMB core. The two independent hardware threads can be used to implement a single threaded application along with a second thread performing maintenance functions such as interrupt handling. It is therefore possible to implement some hardware peripherals Read more…
While this may not be implemented in the EDK63 version of the AEMB, it is an idea that has been on my mind for quite a while. Software floating-point emulation is expensive in terms of time while hardware FPU is expensive in terms of resources. So, a hybrid method might Read more…
There are several methods that can be employed to enable/disable special operating modes of the AEMB. The most obvious method would be to set/clear special bits within the MSR register using the standard instructions. However, there is another method of doing it that may be employed. Firstly, it is possible Read more…