* A PowerFVSession class provides a REPL interface. Functionality is
split into commands (e.g. add checks, build) which can be provided
interactively or from a file.
See cores/microwatt for an example of its integration.
* Instruction specifications are now separated from verification
testbenches.
An InsnSpec class provides a behavioral model using the same PowerFV
interface as a core. This interface is output-only for a core, but
bidirectional for the InsnSpec:
- fields related to context (e.g. read data) are inputs,
- fields related to side-effects (e.g. write strobes) are outputs.
The testbench is responsible for driving inputs to the same values
as the core, then check outputs for equivalence. This decoupling
provides a path towards using PowerFV in simulation.
* Instruction encodings are now defined by their fields, not their
format (which was problematic e.g. X-form has dozens of variants).
Field declarations can be preset to a value, or left undefined. In
the latter case, they are implicitly cast to AnyConst (which is
useful for arbitrary values like immediates).
* Use bitmasks to describe SPR accesses at the field granularity.
* Use separate checks for each SPR, instead of covering them all at
once. Users may run them in the same batch, and know which SPR passes
or fails its check.
Jean-François Nguyen