关键词: 非对称多处理, 多核调试, OpenOCD, 单端口

Abstract: Multi-core architecture is a crucial means of enhancing processor performance, and its application in network processing is becoming increasingly widespread. Consequently, efficient multi-core debugging tools are also required to improve the development efficiency of multi-core network processors. Since there is not a strong correlation among multi-core processing network tasks, the service cores more often adopt the RTC processing mode rather than the Pipeline mode, and the complex cache coherence logic is not necessary among multiple service cores.  Therefore, by adopting a homogeneous AMP architecture, chip complexity and research and development costs can be effectively reduced. Currently, asymmetric multi-core debugging requires the simultaneous launching of multiple GDBs, which not only complicates the debugging process but also results in significant resource consumption. This paper optimizes the OpenOCD multi-port debugging solution for homogeneous asymmetric multi-core scenarios, enabling debugging of multiple asymmetric cores through a single GDB port while also supporting mixed scenarios of symmetric multi-processing core clusters and asymmetric multi-core. Finally, an asymmetric multi-core debugging environment is built based on the RISC-V hardware and software platform, and GDB debugging commands, such as thread operations, step execution, step over, continue running, stack viewing, and breakpoint setting are tested, verifying the feasibility and effectiveness of single-port OpenOCD for asymmetric multi-core debugging.

Key words: asymmetric multi-processing, multi-core debugging, OpenOCD, single port