Exploring Pipes

Hi All,

 

After exploring pipes for several weeks, there is an idea that I would
like to get feedback from the group:

 

Instead of passing the Pipe ID as an argument to a function, why not
create a Pipe object instead?  Here is an example:  

 

// SystemVerilog 

 

module test;

      

   // parameter is pipe element size (32-bits)

   scemi_pipe #(32) pipe0 ();

 

   always @(posedge clk) 

      pipe0.receive(bus_data); 

 

   scemi_pipe #(36) pipe1 ();  // parameter is pipe element size
(36-bits)

   

   always @(posedge clk) begin

      pipe1.send(data_out);

      pipe1.flush();

   end

endmodule

 

/* C */

void thread0()

{

   svScope scope;

   

   scope = svGetScopeFromName("test.pipe0");

 

   while(1) {

      svBitVecVal message;

      /* fill in the message */

     

      svSetScope(scope);

      scemi_pipe_send(&message);   

   }

}

 

void thread1()

{

   svScope scope;

 

   scope = svGetScopeFromName("test.pipe1");

 

   while(1) {

      svBitVecVal message[2];

      

      svSetScope(scope);

      scemi_pipe_receive(message);

      /* do something with message */

   }

}

 

Doing this, the pipe module can export tasks/functions such as
try_send(), try_receive(), send(), receive(), flush().  To me this seems
more consistent with DPI, where you call a function/task associated with
the Pipe object, rather than passing an ID or handle.  Also, having
instances versus run-time function calls with Pipe ID, can make
inferring the buffer objects more efficient.  In addition to its ease of
use and ease of implementation, the approach seems more
"object-oriented", reduces the parameter list for function calls, and is
more TLM-like.

 

Looking forward to your feedback,

 

Jason