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feat: N=16 real timing CLOSED via extra MAC pipeline stage (EXP-0097, branch n16-timing-closure)

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neural_processor_packed.v: split the original single "Stage 1" (packed
DSP48E1 multiply + INT8 unpack + register) into two real stages --
Stage 1a registers the raw DSP48E1 product with zero logic in between,
Stage 1b does the carry-heavy unpack (the real critical path EXP-0094
traced) from that already-registered value. Adds exactly one real
clock cycle of latency; throughput unaffected (real valid/ready
handshaking throughout, no fixed-latency assumption downstream).

Real verification: isolated bit-exact vs 2x real neural_processor.v
(18/18 PASS, testbench fixed to latch each core's result independently
since result_valid is a one-shot pulse and the DUT is now one cycle
deeper -- not an RTL bug). Full-system functional xsim on real DDR3:
32/32 PASS. Real, full P&R: WNS=+0.269ns, WHS=+0.026ns, 0 failing
setup or hold endpoints -- N=16 TIMING CLOSES.

Also root-caused (not an RTL bug, folded into CLAUDE.md): a real
Vivado incremental-synthesis quirk silently carried forward a
N_GROUPS=2 parameter binding from an earlier sweep run despite no
-generic override and an intervening reset_run -- fixed by always
passing -generic explicitly and confirming the real elaborated value
via a post-synth DSP48E1 count.

Isolated on this branch -- does not touch the physical board already
in fabrication on v3-artix7 (N=8, unmodified).

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01MUG92aM9m68TRc4rG55BcC
This commit is contained in:
michele
2026-09-22 00:17:18 +02:00
co-authored by Claude Sonnet 5
parent 4c59b7e7c8
commit f9b366d747
4 changed files with 271 additions and 40 deletions
Download Patch File Download Diff File Expand all files Collapse all files
hardware/v3/rtl/neural_processor_packed.v
+85 -24
View File
@@ -12,12 +12,20 @@
// to keep this module's own pipeline depth/stage count identical to
// the V2 original for a direct structural comparison).
//
// Pipeline stages match V2's neural_processor.v exactly, just doubled
// on the accumulator side (one accumulate/bias/activation/saturation
// path per job, A and B, sharing the SAME multiply/adder-tree stages
// since they consume the SAME weight stream):
// Stage 0 input alignment (x0_a, x0_b, w0 -- ONE shared weight)
// Stage 1 P_IN packed-MAC lanes: p0[i]=x0_a[i]*w0[i], p1[i]=x0_b[i]*w0[i]
// Pipeline stages, originally matched V2's neural_processor.v exactly
// (one accumulate/bias/activation/saturation path per job, A and B,
// sharing the SAME multiply/adder-tree stages since they consume the
// SAME weight stream). EXTENDED BY ONE REAL STAGE on the
// n16-timing-closure branch (real fix for EXP-0094's own real, traced
// N=16 P&R timing failure -- see Stage 1a/1b's own header comments for
// the full real root-cause story):
// Stage 0 input alignment (x0_a, x0_b, w0 -- ONE shared weight)
// Stage 1a P_IN real DSP48E1 packed multiplies, registered raw
// (product_reg) -- NEW real stage
// Stage 1b unpack the two packed INT8 products from product_reg:
// p0[i]=x0_a[i]*w0[i], p1[i]=x0_b[i]*w0[i] -- same real
// math as the original single "Stage 1", now one real
// cycle later
// Stage 2..(1+TREE_LEVELS) TWO balanced adder trees (A and B)
// Stage (2+TREE_LEVELS) TWO accumulators
// Stage (3+TREE_LEVELS) bias add (shared bias/activation -- same
@@ -25,6 +33,14 @@
// + activation, per job
// Stage (4+TREE_LEVELS) INT8 saturation / output register, per job
//
// Real, deliberate consequence: end-to-end per-tile latency grows by
// exactly ONE real clock cycle versus the original design (throughput
// is unaffected -- the pipeline still accepts one new operand per
// cycle in steady state). Functional behavior (the actual packed-MAC
// arithmetic) is byte-for-byte unchanged -- verified bit-exact against
// the same real reference used since EXP-0059 (2x real
// hardware/v2/rtl/neural_processor.v), `tb_neural_processor_packed.v`.
//
// job_bias/job_activation are SHARED between A and B (same resident
// neuron), matching this project's own weight-reuse semantics (a
// neuron/filter's bias and activation type don't vary by spatial
@@ -116,17 +132,28 @@ module neural_processor_packed #(
end
// ============================================================
// STAGE 1 -- P_IN packed-MAC lanes (mac2_dsp_packed.v's own
// verified combinational formula, inlined per lane)
// STAGE 1a -- P_IN real DSP48E1 packed multiplies, registered RAW
// (n16-timing-closure branch, real fix for EXP-0094's own real,
// traced N=16 critical path). EXP-0093/0094's own real post-route
// reports found the worst violated path running from a DSP48E1's
// own (Vivado-auto-retimed) product register straight through the
// pb_comb unpack logic below (a real, CARRY4-heavy shift + carry-
// propagate add) into proda1/prodb1 in a SINGLE cycle -- already
// razor-thin at N=2 (WNS=+0.0999962ns, EXP-0088) and pushed
// negative by N=16's own extra real placement congestion (EXP-
// 0093/0094). This stage makes the DSP's own real output register
// explicit in RTL (captures the WHOLE raw packed product, zero
// logic in between) instead of relying on the tool to retime one
// in automatically -- the actual, additional real pipeline stage
// this fix needs is STAGE 1b below, which now has its own full
// real clock period to do the unpack work in.
// ============================================================
reg valid1, last1;
reg signed [ACC_WIDTH-1:0] proda1 [0:P_IN-1];
reg signed [ACC_WIDTH-1:0] prodb1 [0:P_IN-1];
localparam A_WIDTH = 3*DATA_WIDTH + 1;
localparam PRODUCT_WIDTH = A_WIDTH + DATA_WIDTH;
wire signed [PROD_WIDTH-1:0] pa_comb [0:P_IN-1];
wire signed [PROD_WIDTH-1:0] pb_comb [0:P_IN-1];
wire signed [PRODUCT_WIDTH-1:0] product_comb [0:P_IN-1];
reg signed [PRODUCT_WIDTH-1:0] product_reg [0:P_IN-1];
genvar gm;
generate
@@ -134,12 +161,7 @@ module neural_processor_packed #(
wire signed [A_WIDTH-1:0] x0_sext25 = {{(A_WIDTH-DATA_WIDTH){xa0[gm][DATA_WIDTH-1]}}, xa0[gm]};
wire signed [A_WIDTH-1:0] x1_shifted = $signed(xb0[gm]) <<< (2*DATA_WIDTH);
wire signed [A_WIDTH-1:0] packed_a = x1_shifted + x0_sext25;
wire signed [A_WIDTH+DATA_WIDTH-1:0] product = packed_a * w0[gm];
assign pa_comb[gm] = product[PROD_WIDTH-1:0];
wire signed [A_WIDTH+DATA_WIDTH-2*DATA_WIDTH-1:0] pb_raw =
$signed(product) >>> (2*DATA_WIDTH);
assign pb_comb[gm] = pb_raw[PROD_WIDTH-1:0] + (pa_comb[gm][PROD_WIDTH-1] ? 1'b1 : 1'b0);
assign product_comb[gm] = packed_a * w0[gm];
end
endgenerate
@@ -150,6 +172,45 @@ module neural_processor_packed #(
end else begin
valid1 <= valid0;
last1 <= last0;
for (gi = 0; gi < P_IN; gi = gi + 1)
product_reg[gi] <= product_comb[gi];
end
end
// ============================================================
// STAGE 1b -- unpack the two packed INT8 products from the
// ALREADY-REGISTERED product_reg (real, added pipeline stage --
// the actual timing fix). pa_comb/pb_comb's own math is byte-for-
// byte IDENTICAL to the original single-stage version, only the
// source (product_reg, a real register) and the register that
// captures the result (proda1/prodb1, now one real cycle later)
// changed -- functional behavior is unchanged, only latency grows
// by exactly one real clock cycle.
// ============================================================
reg valid1b, last1b;
reg signed [ACC_WIDTH-1:0] proda1 [0:P_IN-1];
reg signed [ACC_WIDTH-1:0] prodb1 [0:P_IN-1];
wire signed [PROD_WIDTH-1:0] pa_comb [0:P_IN-1];
wire signed [PROD_WIDTH-1:0] pb_comb [0:P_IN-1];
genvar gp;
generate
for (gp = 0; gp < P_IN; gp = gp + 1) begin : GEN_UNPACK
assign pa_comb[gp] = product_reg[gp][PROD_WIDTH-1:0];
wire signed [A_WIDTH+DATA_WIDTH-2*DATA_WIDTH-1:0] pb_raw =
$signed(product_reg[gp]) >>> (2*DATA_WIDTH);
assign pb_comb[gp] = pb_raw[PROD_WIDTH-1:0] + (pa_comb[gp][PROD_WIDTH-1] ? 1'b1 : 1'b0);
end
endgenerate
always @(posedge clk) begin
if (rst) begin
valid1b <= 1'b0;
last1b <= 1'b0;
end else begin
valid1b <= valid1;
last1b <= last1;
for (gi = 0; gi < P_IN; gi = gi + 1) begin
proda1[gi] <= {{(ACC_WIDTH-PROD_WIDTH){pa_comb[gi][PROD_WIDTH-1]}}, pa_comb[gi]};
prodb1[gi] <= {{(ACC_WIDTH-PROD_WIDTH){pb_comb[gi][PROD_WIDTH-1]}}, pb_comb[gi]};
@@ -183,8 +244,8 @@ module neural_processor_packed #(
valid_tree[gl] <= 1'b0;
last_tree[gl] <= 1'b0;
end else begin
valid_tree[gl] <= (gl == 0) ? valid1 : valid_tree[gl-1];
last_tree[gl] <= (gl == 0) ? last1 : last_tree[gl-1];
valid_tree[gl] <= (gl == 0) ? valid1b : valid_tree[gl-1];
last_tree[gl] <= (gl == 0) ? last1b : last_tree[gl-1];
end
end
for (gn = 0; gn < (P_IN >> (gl+1)); gn = gn + 1) begin : GEN_TREE_NODE
@@ -203,8 +264,8 @@ module neural_processor_packed #(
end
endgenerate
wire valid_tree_out = (TREE_LEVELS == 0) ? valid1 : valid_tree[TREE_LEVELS-1];
wire last_tree_out = (TREE_LEVELS == 0) ? last1 : last_tree[TREE_LEVELS-1];
wire valid_tree_out = (TREE_LEVELS == 0) ? valid1b : valid_tree[TREE_LEVELS-1];
wire last_tree_out = (TREE_LEVELS == 0) ? last1b : last_tree[TREE_LEVELS-1];
wire signed [ACC_WIDTH-1:0] tile_sum_a = (TREE_LEVELS == 0) ? proda1[0] : treea[TREE_LEVELS][0];
wire signed [ACC_WIDTH-1:0] tile_sum_b = (TREE_LEVELS == 0) ? prodb1[0] : treeb[TREE_LEVELS][0];
@@ -294,7 +355,7 @@ module neural_processor_packed #(
end
end
wire pipeline_busy = valid0 || valid1 || (|valid_tree) || valid5 || valid6 || valid7;
wire pipeline_busy = valid0 || valid1 || valid1b || (|valid_tree) || valid5 || valid6 || valid7;
assign job_ready = (np_state == NP_IDLE) && !pipeline_busy;
// ============================================================
hardware/v3/sim/tb_neural_processor_packed.v
+44 -16
View File
@@ -148,29 +148,57 @@ module tb;
v2_tile_last = 0;
tile_last = 0;
// real fix (n16-timing-closure branch): result_valid is a
// real ONE-SHOT pulse in every one of these FSMs (`NP_
// WRITE_RESULT: if (result_valid && result_ready)
// result_valid<=0`, identical in neural_processor.v and
// neural_processor_packed.v) -- with result_ready already
// held high before this wait begins, each core's own
// result_valid self-clears the very next cycle after it
// first asserts, independent of whether the OTHER cores
// have caught up yet. The original three-way simultaneous
// AND assumed all three cores share the exact same real
// pipeline depth -- true before this branch's own real
// extra pipeline stage in neural_processor_packed.v (added
// to fix EXP-0094's own real N=16 timing failure), no
// longer true now that the DUT is deliberately one real
// cycle deeper than the reference cores. Real fix: latch
// each core's own result independently the cycle its own
// result_valid pulses, then compare the three LATCHED
// values once all three have arrived -- correct regardless
// of real relative pipeline depth between DUT and
// reference.
v2_result_ready = 1;
result_ready = 1;
watchdog = 0;
while (!(v2a_result_valid && v2b_result_valid && result_valid) && watchdog < 300) begin
@(posedge clk);
watchdog = watchdog + 1;
end
begin : capture
reg v2a_got, v2b_got, dut_got;
reg signed [DATA_WIDTH-1:0] v2a_val, v2b_val, dut_val_a, dut_val_b;
v2a_got = 0; v2b_got = 0; dut_got = 0;
watchdog = 0;
while (!(v2a_got && v2b_got && dut_got) && watchdog < 300) begin
@(posedge clk);
if (!v2a_got && v2a_result_valid) begin v2a_got = 1; v2a_val = v2a_result_data; end
if (!v2b_got && v2b_result_valid) begin v2b_got = 1; v2b_val = v2b_result_data; end
if (!dut_got && result_valid) begin dut_got = 1; dut_val_a = result_data_a; dut_val_b = result_data_b; end
watchdog = watchdog + 1;
end
if (!v2a_result_valid || !v2b_result_valid || !result_valid) begin
$display("FAIL n=%0d: watchdog timeout waiting for results (v2a=%b v2b=%b dut=%b)",
n, v2a_result_valid, v2b_result_valid, result_valid);
errors = errors + 1;
end else begin
if (result_data_a !== v2a_result_data || result_data_b !== v2b_result_data) begin
$display("FAIL n=%0d bias=%0d act=%0d: v2a=%0d v2b=%0d dut_a=%0d dut_b=%0d MISMATCH",
n, bias, activation, v2a_result_data, v2b_result_data, result_data_a, result_data_b);
if (!v2a_got || !v2b_got || !dut_got) begin
$display("FAIL n=%0d: watchdog timeout waiting for results (v2a_got=%b v2b_got=%b dut_got=%b)",
n, v2a_got, v2b_got, dut_got);
errors = errors + 1;
end else begin
$display("PASS n=%0d bias=%0d act=%0d: a=%0d b=%0d (bit-exact vs 2x real neural_processor.v)",
n, bias, activation, result_data_a, result_data_b);
if (dut_val_a !== v2a_val || dut_val_b !== v2b_val) begin
$display("FAIL n=%0d bias=%0d act=%0d: v2a=%0d v2b=%0d dut_a=%0d dut_b=%0d MISMATCH",
n, bias, activation, v2a_val, v2b_val, dut_val_a, dut_val_b);
errors = errors + 1;
end else begin
$display("PASS n=%0d bias=%0d act=%0d: a=%0d b=%0d (bit-exact vs 2x real neural_processor.v)",
n, bias, activation, dut_val_a, dut_val_b);
end
end
@(posedge clk);
end
@(posedge clk);
while (!job_ready || np_state !== 4'd0 || !v2a_job_ready || !v2b_job_ready) @(posedge clk);
end