sys_arch interface for lwIP 0.6++ Author: Adam Dunkels The operating system emulation layer provides a common interface between the lwIP code and the underlying operating system kernel. The general idea is that porting lwIP to new architectures requires only small changes to a few header files and a new sys_arch implementation. It is also possible to do a sys_arch implementation that does not rely on any underlying operating system. The sys_arch provides semaphores and mailboxes to lwIP. For the full lwIP functionality, multiple threads support can be implemented in the sys_arch, but this is not required for the basic lwIP functionality. Previous versions of lwIP required the sys_arch to implement timer scheduling as well but as of lwIP 0.5 this is implemented in a higher layer. In addition to the source file providing the functionality of sys_arch, the OS emulation layer must provide several header files defining macros used throughout lwip. The files required and the macros they must define are listed below the sys_arch description. Semaphores can be either counting or binary - lwIP works with both kinds. Mailboxes are used for message passing and can be implemented either as a queue which allows multiple messages to be posted to a mailbox, or as a rendez-vous point where only one message can be posted at a time. lwIP works with both kinds, but the former type will be more efficient. A message in a mailbox is just a pointer, nothing more. Semaphores are represented by the type "sys_sem_t" which is typedef'd in the sys_arch.h file. Mailboxes are equivalently represented by the type "sys_mbox_t". lwIP does not place any restrictions on how sys_sem_t or sys_mbox_t are represented internally. The following functions must be implemented by the sys_arch: - void sys_init(void) Is called to initialize the sys_arch layer. - sys_sem_t sys_sem_new(u8_t count) Creates and returns a new semaphore. The "count" argument specifies the initial state of the semaphore. - void sys_sem_free(sys_sem_t sem) Deallocates a semaphore. - void sys_sem_signal(sys_sem_t sem) Signals a semaphore. - u32_t sys_arch_sem_wait(sys_sem_t sem, u32_t timeout) Blocks the thread while waiting for the semaphore to be signaled. If the "timeout" argument is non-zero, the thread should only be blocked for the specified time (measured in milliseconds). If the "timeout" argument is zero, the thread should be blocked until the semaphore is signalled. If the timeout argument is non-zero, the return value is the number of milliseconds spent waiting for the semaphore to be signaled. If the semaphore wasn't signaled within the specified time, the return value is SYS_ARCH_TIMEOUT. If the thread didn't have to wait for the semaphore (i.e., it was already signaled), the function may return zero. Notice that lwIP implements a function with a similar name, sys_sem_wait(), that uses the sys_arch_sem_wait() function. - sys_mbox_t sys_mbox_new(int size) Creates an empty mailbox for maximum "size" elements. Elements stored in mailboxes are pointers. You have to define macros "_MBOX_SIZE" in your lwipopts.h, or ignore this parameter in your implementation and use a default size. - void sys_mbox_free(sys_mbox_t mbox) Deallocates a mailbox. If there are messages still present in the mailbox when the mailbox is deallocated, it is an indication of a programming error in lwIP and the developer should be notified. - void sys_mbox_post(sys_mbox_t mbox, void *msg) Posts the "msg" to the mailbox. This function have to block until the "msg" is really posted. - err_t sys_mbox_trypost(sys_mbox_t mbox, void *msg) Try to post the "msg" to the mailbox. Returns ERR_MEM if this one is full, else, ERR_OK if the "msg" is posted. - u32_t sys_arch_mbox_fetch(sys_mbox_t mbox, void **msg, u32_t timeout) Blocks the thread until a message arrives in the mailbox, but does not block the thread longer than "timeout" milliseconds (similar to the sys_arch_sem_wait() function). If "timeout" is 0, the thread should be blocked until a message arrives. The "msg" argument is a result parameter that is set by the function (i.e., by doing "*msg = ptr"). The "msg" parameter maybe NULL to indicate that the message should be dropped. The return values are the same as for the sys_arch_sem_wait() function: Number of milliseconds spent waiting or SYS_ARCH_TIMEOUT if there was a timeout. Note that a function with a similar name, sys_mbox_fetch(), is implemented by lwIP. - u32_t sys_arch_mbox_tryfetch(sys_mbox_t mbox, void **msg) This is similar to sys_arch_mbox_fetch, however if a message is not present in the mailbox, it immediately returns with the code SYS_MBOX_EMPTY. On success 0 is returned. To allow for efficient implementations, this can be defined as a function-like macro in sys_arch.h instead of a normal function. For example, a naive implementation could be: #define sys_arch_mbox_tryfetch(mbox,msg) \ sys_arch_mbox_fetch(mbox,msg,1) although this would introduce unnecessary delays. If threads are supported by the underlying operating system and if such functionality is needed in lwIP, the following function will have to be implemented as well: - sys_thread_t sys_thread_new(char *name, void (* thread)(void *arg), void *arg, int stacksize, int prio) Starts a new thread named "name" with priority "prio" that will begin its execution in the function "thread()". The "arg" argument will be passed as an argument to the thread() function. The stack size to used for this thread is the "stacksize" parameter. The id of the new thread is returned. Both the id and the priority are system dependent. - sys_prot_t sys_arch_protect(void) This optional function does a "fast" critical region protection and returns the previous protection level. This function is only called during very short critical regions. An embedded system which supports ISR-based drivers might want to implement this function by disabling interrupts. Task-based systems might want to implement this by using a mutex or disabling tasking. This function should support recursive calls from the same task or interrupt. In other words, sys_arch_protect() could be called while already protected. In that case the return value indicates that it is already protected. sys_arch_protect() is only required if your port is supporting an operating system. - void sys_arch_unprotect(sys_prot_t pval) This optional function does a "fast" set of critical region protection to the value specified by pval. See the documentation for sys_arch_protect() for more information. This function is only required if your port is supporting an operating system. Note: Be carefull with using mem_malloc() in sys_arch. When malloc() refers to mem_malloc() you can run into a circular function call problem. In mem.c mem_init() tries to allcate a semaphore using mem_malloc, which of course can't be performed when sys_arch uses mem_malloc. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Additional files required for the "OS support" emulation layer: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- cc.h - Architecture environment, some compiler specific, some environment specific (probably should move env stuff to sys_arch.h.) Typedefs for the types used by lwip - u8_t, s8_t, u16_t, s16_t, u32_t, s32_t, mem_ptr_t Compiler hints for packing lwip's structures - PACK_STRUCT_FIELD(x) PACK_STRUCT_STRUCT PACK_STRUCT_BEGIN PACK_STRUCT_END Platform specific diagnostic output - LWIP_PLATFORM_DIAG(x) - non-fatal, print a message. LWIP_PLATFORM_ASSERT(x) - fatal, print message and abandon execution. Portability defines for printf formatters: U16_F, S16_F, X16_F, U32_F, S32_F, X32_F, SZT_F "lightweight" synchronization mechanisms - SYS_ARCH_DECL_PROTECT(x) - declare a protection state variable. SYS_ARCH_PROTECT(x) - enter protection mode. SYS_ARCH_UNPROTECT(x) - leave protection mode. If the compiler does not provide memset() this file must include a definition of it, or include a file which defines it. This file must either include a system-local which defines the standard *nix error codes, or it should #define LWIP_PROVIDE_ERRNO to make lwip/arch.h define the codes which are used throughout. perf.h - Architecture specific performance measurement. Measurement calls made throughout lwip, these can be defined to nothing. PERF_START - start measuring something. PERF_STOP(x) - stop measuring something, and record the result. sys_arch.h - Tied to sys_arch.c Arch dependent types for the following objects: sys_sem_t, sys_mbox_t, sys_thread_t, And, optionally: sys_prot_t Defines to set vars of sys_mbox_t and sys_sem_t to NULL. SYS_MBOX_NULL NULL SYS_SEM_NULL NULL