BSPlab (ver 0.7) installation guide

Disclaimer

• This script has only been tested on a PC with Windows NT 4.0 (Service Pack 3.0) and Visual C++ version 4.0 from Microsoft. (Called MSVC++ here), and on Windows 95 with MSVC++ 5.0.
• A modest knowledge of MSVC++ Developer Studio is assumed.
• The author of this installation guide is a novice in the use of many of the tools used here, so please feel free to give suggestions for improvements.

To install the program, carry out the following steps:

1. Start by skimming through the whole installation guide (this file).

2. a) Decompress the ZIP file "bsplab07.zip" into the directory where you would like to install BSPlab.
   b) A directory called "BSPSim" will be created beneath the chosen directory. This directory contains all the code (in a given structure), together with some simple BSPlab utilities.

3. Open the "project" in the BSPSim directory by double-clicking on the file "BSPSim.mdp". This project contains all the files, but no source file containing a function called "bsp_main" which is necessary. You must therefore have a file containing a function called "bsp_main" that is your BSP program. It may look like

      #include 
      void bsp_main (int argc, char **argv)
      {  // Your BSP program here
         ...
      }
   

   but several examples are also provided. One is the file "helloworld.cpp" which is found in the subdirectory "TestCode/HelloWorld".

4. Include the file containing the function "bsp_main" (or "helloworld.cpp") into the project (Insert -> Files into project), compile the project (Build -> Rebuild All).

5. Note that "Parameters.dat" (with reasonable data) must reside in the directory where you start the executable from. You must make a copy of the file from the "BSPsim" directory and store it in the "Debug" subdirectory.

6. Set the Working Directory to Debug (under Build -> Settings -> Debug ) and run the BSP program by Build -> Execute or some of the other ways possible in MS developer studio.

7. The "Parameters.dat" file includes numerous parameters that enables you to customize the BSP architecture executing your BSP program. The initial parameter file contains all the parameters, and a brief description of them. For a complete reference of the parameters, see section 7.6 in the documentation (Section 7, the Users Guide, is available here. The parameter file is set with all options off, and the "Null machine" running (no simulation of execution time). This makes it possible to set one parameter after another, to see what they do to the simulation.

8. You might also want to run BSPsim from a MS-DOS window. Open a MS-DOS window, go to the "BSPsim/Debug" directory and type BSPsim.

9. All the supported testprograms in the "TestCode" directory runs with the simulator, except QuickSort.

10. Please report problems in a concise way by e-mail to bsplab atidi.ntnu.no. However, we cannot promise to be able to solve problems or give fast response. On the other side, you might be lucky and get some help.