--profile Options - 2023.2 English

Vitis Unified Software Platform Documentation: Application Acceleration Development (UG1393)

Document ID
UG1393
Release Date
2023-12-13
Version
2023.2 English

As discussed in Enabling Profiling in Your Application, there are a number of --profile options that let you enable profiling of the application and kernel events during runtime execution. This option enables capturing transaction details for data traffic between the kernel and host, kernel stalls, the execution times of kernels and compute units (CUs), in addition to monitoring activity in Versal AI Engines.

Important: Using the --profile option in v++ also requires the addition of one of the profile or trace options in the xrt.ini file. Refer to xrt.ini File for more information.
The --profile commands can be specified in a configuration file under the [profile] section head using the following format, for example:
[profile]
data=all:all:all           # Monitor data on all kernels and CUs
data=k1:all:all            # Monitor data on all instances of kernel k1
data=k1:cu2:port3          # Specific CU master
data=k1:cu2:port3:counters # Specific CU master (counters only, no trace)
memory=all                 # Monitor transfers for all memories
memory=<sptag>             # Monitor transfers for the specified memory
stall=all:all              # Monitor stalls for all CUs of all kernels
stall=k1:cu2               # Stalls only for cu2
exec=all:all               # Monitor execution times for all CUs
exec=k1:cu2                # Execution tims only for cu2
aie=all                    # Monitor all AIE streams
aie=DataIn1                # Monitor the specific input stream in the SDF graph
aie=M02_AXIS               # Monitor specific stream interface

The various options of the command are described below:

--profile.aie:<arg>

Enables profiling of AI Engine streams in adaptive data flow (ADF) applications, where <arg> is:

<ADF_graph_argument|pin name|all>
  • <ADF_graph_argument>: Specifies an argument name from the ADF graph application.
  • <pin_name>: Indicates a port on an AI Engine kernel.
  • <all>: Indicates monitoring all stream connections in the ADF application.
For example, to monitor the DataIn1 input stream use the following command:
v++ --link --profile.aie:DataIn1

--profile.aie_trace_offload:<arg>

Enables profiling of AI Engine streams in adaptive data flow (ADF) applications, where <arg> is HSDP, or high-speed debug port.

v++ --link --profile.aie_trace_offload:HSDP

The use of the HSDP is described in Event Trace Offload using High Speed Debug Port in AI Engine Tools and Flows User Guide (UG1076).

--profile.data:<arg>

Enables monitoring of data ports through monitor IP that are added into the design. This option needs to be specified during linking.

Where <arg> is:

[<kernel_name>|all]:[<cu_name>|all]:[<interface_name>|all](:[counters|all])
  • [<kernel_name>|all] defines either a specific kernel to apply the command to. However, you can also specify the keyword all to apply the monitoring to all existing kernels, compute units, and interfaces with a single option.
  • [<cu_name>|all] when <kernel_name> has been specified, you can also define a specific CU to apply the command to, or indicate that it should be applied to all CUs for the kernel.
  • [<interface_name>|all] defines the specific interface on the kernel or CU to monitor for data activity, or monitor all interfaces.
  • [<counters|all] is an optional argument, as it defaults to all when not specified. It allows restricting the information gathering to only counters for larger designs, while all will include the collection of actual trace information.

For example, to assign the data profile to all CUs and interfaces of kernel k1 use the following command:

v++ --link --profile.data k1:all:all

--profile.exec:<arg>

This option records the execution times of the kernel and provides minimum port data collection during the system run. This option needs to be specified during linking.

Tip: The execution time of a kernel is collected by default when --profile.data or --profile.stall is specified. You can specify --profile.exec for any CUs not covered by data or stall.

The syntax for exec profiling is:

[<kernel_name>|all]:[<cu_name>|all](:[counters|all])

For example, to profile to execution of cu2 for kernel k1 use the following command:

v++ --link --profile.exec:k1:cu2

--profile.stall:<arg>

Important: This option must be specified during both v++ compilation and linking.

Adds stall monitoring logic to the device binary (.xclbin) which requires the addition of stall ports on the kernel interface. To facilitate this, the stall option must be specified during both compilation and linking.

The syntax for stall profiling is:

[<kernel_name>|all]:[<cu_name>|all](:[counters|all])

For example, to monitor stalls of cu2 for kernel k1 use the following command:

v++ --compile -k k1 --profile.stall ...
v++ --link --profile.stall:k1:cu2 ...

--profile.trace_memory:<arg>

Tip: This option applies to hardware build targets (-t=hw) only, and should not be used for software or hardware emulation flows.

When building the hardware target (-t=hw), use this option to specify the type and amount of memory to use for capturing trace data. You can specify the argument as follows:

<FIFO>:<size>|<MEMORY>[<n>][:<SLR>]

This argument specifies memory type to use for capturing trace data. Use the --profile.trace_memory command to define the type or memory to use, with the trace_buffer_size switch in the xrt.ini file to define the amount of memory to use as described in xrt.ini File. The default memory type used is the first memory defined in the platform, and the default buffer size is 1 MB.

When trace_memory is not specified but device_trace is enabled in the xrt.ini File, the profile data is captured to the default platform memory with 1 MB allocated for the trace buffer.

FIFO:<size>
Specified in KB. The maximum is 128K, although 64K is the maximum recommended.
Memory
Specifies the type and number of memory resource on the platform. Memory resources for the target platform can be identified with the platforminfo command. Supported memory types include HBM, DDR, PLRAM, HP, ACP, MIG, and MC_NOC. For example, DDR[1].
[:<SLR>]
Optionally indicates that CUs assigned to the specified <SLR> should use the DDR or HBM resources specified in the <MEMORY> field. Note that this syntax can only be used with DDR or HBM memory banks.

You can specify the --profile.trace_memory command with the memory size and unit such as FIFO:8k, or specify the memory bank such as DDR[0] or HBM[3]. In this case, the profile data for all CUs are captured in the specified memory.

Or you can specify the memory to use to capture profile data, and the SLR assignment for that memory. In this case, the SLR assignment indicates that any CUs assigned to the specified SLR should have profile data captured in the specified memory. This is shown in the following config file example:

[profile]
trace_memory=DDR[1]:SLR0
trace_memory=DDR[2]:SLR1

In the example above, profile data for CUs assigned to SLR0 are captured in DDR bank 1, and CUs assigned to SLR1 are captured in DDR bank 2. CUs are assigned to SLRs using the --connectivity.slr command as described in Assigning Compute Units to SLRs on Alveo Accelerator Cards.

Important: You cannot mix DDR and HBM memory banks in a single design, and when you specify the <SLR> syntax you must use that syntax for all trace_memory commands in the design.