###### tags: `RISC-V` `spike` `simulator`

# Installiation of toolchain and Spike simulator for ARA VPU
Github source: https://github.com/pulp-platform/ara
Most of the installation instruction are in the readme and you can install toolchains, spike simulator, and example codes for testing.

git clone https://github.com/pulp-platform/ara.git
git submodule sync --recursive

 # Build the LLVM toolchain
make toolchain-llvm

# Build Spike
make riscv-isa-sim

Use latest LLVM to avoid RVV intrinsics conflict issues.

Follow the [get started](https://llvm.org/docs/GettingStarted.html#getting-the-source-code-and-building-llvm) to build LLVM toolchain.

git clone https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project.git

Download the RVV intrinsics to generate RVV intrinsics header files.

git clone https://github.com/riscv-non-isa/rvv-intrinsic-doc.git

With latest toolchain, **-march** needs to be modified from *rv64gcv_zfh_zvfh0p1* to *rv64gcv_zfh_zvfh1p0* in **apps/common/runtime.mk**.

from ` -march=rv64gcv_zfh_zvfh0p1 ` to ` -march=rv64gcv_zfh_zvfh1p0 `

After installation, go to apps folder and use

cd apps
make bin/hello_world

cd apps
make bin/softmax.spike
make spike-run-softmax

make spike-run-(test application folder) to run your test on spike.

# Running gdb with Spike

### Notes
1. the binary has to be **not-stripped** for gdb debugging.
2. openOCD needs to be installed as an intermediate between spike and gdb.
3. set -rbb-port:9428 for remote bit-banging and -h to halt CPU for openOCD connection.
4. add -g for executable compilation.
5. %f is not functional for printf. Convert to string before printf instead.
6. use latest LLVM toolchain plus RVV intrinsic function declarations.