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Re: Stack analysis tool that really work?

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On 8/5/2021 3:43 AM, Niklas Holsti wrote:
> On 2021-08-05 1:46, Don Y wrote:

>>> The source code is downloadable; see http://bound-t.com/download/src. The 
>>> copyright text is of my own writing, but I'm open to switching to some 
>>> better-known copyright such as GPL or even some non-viral version.
>>
>> Ah, OK.  I may have a look at it to see how well it works and
>> how much work to port to ARM objects.  Given that you've not
>> done so, already (despite your familiarity with the codebase),
>> I suspect that's not a trivial task?
> 
> There is an ARM TDMI port (32-bit ARM code and THUMB, pre Cortex), but of 
> course that architecture is out of date. I started a port to ARM Cortex-M, but 
> did not (yet) finish it for the reasons described on the status page.
> 
> Note that the tool is implemented in Ada.

OK.  It's been ~20 years since I wrote a line of Ada code but I doubt it
will take much to "refresh" those memory cells.  Esp as this likely doesn't
have synchronization issues, RT constraints, etc.

> Porting to a new target processor means writing procedures to decode the 
> machine instructions and translate them to the internal representation used by 
> the analysis.

That shouldn't be hard -- except for the "timing uncertainties" in the
processor.  (Did you rely on some blanket generalization -- like all
caches cold -- as you are looking for WORST case timing?   OTOH, a
loop known to fit in a cache line *should* expect that speedup...  :< )

> Sometimes it is also necessary to modify or extend the tool parts 
> that read the executable files and especially the debugging information -- some 
> of that may be compiler-specific, unfortunately. It is a fair amount of work 
> and requires a good understanding both of the target processor and of the 
> Bound-T internal representation.

The latter will likely be the bigger effort.  It requires trying to infer
your mindset when you began the design.

[I now include "rationales" in my documentation for exactly this purpose;
to let those "following" understand why particular choices were made
instead of choices that may (in hindsight) appear better]

> And Ada, of course, but every programmer 
> should know Ada, IMO :-)
> 
>>> However, you may want to read about the state of the tool at 
>>> http://bound-t.com/status.html.
>>
>> Hmmm... that sounds ominous!  :>  (or, am I just too much of a Cynic?)
> 
> The problems described on the status page are more relevant to WCET analysis 
> than to stack analysis, but can affect stack analysis too, in some cases.

OK.  I'll try to make some time to look through it.  Sadly, a neighbor was
admitted to hospital with congestive heart failure, last night.  So, I've
some added responsibilities cutting into my time (meal prep, chores around
his house, etc.) until he's got a firmer prognosis...

[I don't *need* to sleep, do I?  :< ]

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Stack analysis tool that really work? pozz <pozzugno@gmail.com> - 2021-07-29 18:22 +0200
  Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Niklas Holsti <niklas.holsti@tidorum.invalid> - 2021-07-29 19:36 +0300
  Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2021-08-02 17:56 -0700
    Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Niklas Holsti <niklas.holsti@tidorum.invalid> - 2021-08-03 11:43 +0300
      Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2021-08-03 02:28 -0700
        Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Niklas Holsti <niklas.holsti@tidorum.invalid> - 2021-08-04 22:14 +0300
          Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2021-08-04 15:43 -0700
    Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? pozz <pozzugno@gmail.com> - 2021-08-03 11:49 +0200
      Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2021-08-03 20:17 -0700
        Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? pozz <pozzugno@gmail.com> - 2021-08-04 16:43 +0200
          Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2021-08-04 11:06 -0700
            Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Niklas Holsti <niklas.holsti@tidorum.invalid> - 2021-08-05 12:00 +0300
              Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2021-08-05 04:54 -0700
      Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Niklas Holsti <niklas.holsti@tidorum.invalid> - 2021-08-04 20:00 +0300
        Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2021-08-04 10:50 -0700
          Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Niklas Holsti <niklas.holsti@tidorum.invalid> - 2021-08-04 21:50 +0300
            Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2021-08-04 15:46 -0700
              Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Niklas Holsti <niklas.holsti@tidorum.invalid> - 2021-08-05 13:43 +0300
                Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2021-08-05 06:16 -0700
                Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Niklas Holsti <niklas.holsti@tidorum.invalid> - 2021-08-05 18:39 +0300
                Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2021-08-06 01:09 -0700
                Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Niklas Holsti <niklas.holsti@tidorum.invalid> - 2021-08-06 22:58 +0300
                Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2021-08-06 16:04 -0700
                Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2021-08-06 16:06 -0700
                Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Niklas Holsti <niklas.holsti@tidorum.invalid> - 2021-08-07 14:20 +0300
                Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2021-08-07 10:26 -0700
                Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Niklas Holsti <niklas.holsti@tidorum.invalid> - 2021-08-07 20:46 +0300
                Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2021-08-07 15:14 -0700
                Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Niklas Holsti <niklas.holsti@tidorum.invalid> - 2021-08-07 14:09 +0300
                Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2021-08-07 08:09 -0700
                Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Niklas Holsti <niklas.holsti@tidorum.invalid> - 2021-08-07 19:50 +0300
                Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Niklas Holsti <niklas.holsti@tidorum.invalid> - 2021-08-07 20:02 +0300
                Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2021-08-07 10:34 -0700
                Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Niklas Holsti <niklas.holsti@tidorum.invalid> - 2021-08-07 21:10 +0300
                Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2021-08-06 22:55 -0400
                Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Niklas Holsti <niklas.holsti@tidorum.invalid> - 2021-08-07 13:40 +0300
                Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2021-08-08 18:34 -0400
                Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Niklas Holsti <niklas.holsti@tidorum.invalid> - 2021-08-09 10:50 +0300
                Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Paul Rubin <no.email@nospam.invalid> - 2021-08-09 11:26 -0700
                Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Niklas Holsti <niklas.holsti@tidorum.invalid> - 2021-08-09 22:59 +0300
                Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2021-08-09 12:04 -0700
          Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Niklas Holsti <niklas.holsti@tidorum.invalid> - 2021-08-05 13:18 +0300
            Re: Stack analysis tool that really work? Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2021-08-05 04:59 -0700

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