Recently, the SylixOS V2.3.0 embedded operating system based on LoongArch was officially released. With joint efforts from Loongson Technology and Acoinfo, the LoongArch embedded ecosystem has taken a step further, making SylixOS the first large-scale real-time operating system adapted for LoongArch processors.

Currently, SylixOS V2.3.0 fully supports the entire range of Loongson processors including 3A, 3B, 3C, and 2K, all based on LoongArch. With the release of the new version, the latest SylixOS V2.3.0 operating system has incorporated LoongArch code, and RealEvo-IDE 5.0 has also introduced a LoongArch compiler.

I. Complete Support for LoongArch by SylixOS

The latest SylixOS V2.3.0 operating system has integrated LoongArch code, which includes the following features:

Features 1. Supports both LoongArch32 and LoongArch64, and supports multicore SMP and AMP; 2. Optimizes task register context saving based on LoongArch ABI (Application Binary Interface) rules, for faster task switching and interrupt response; 3. Fully manages and processes CPU exceptions, freeing users from dealing with CPU exception handling; 4. Supports single-precision and double-precision FPU (Floating Point Unit co-processors); 5. Supports MMU and CACHE, with optimized TLB MISS refill processing, and supports 4K, 16K, and 64K page sizes; 6. Implements emulation handling for unaligned memory accesses to support unaligned memory access; 7. Supports dynamic loading of kernel modules, applications, and shared libraries; 8. Supports application debugging and call stack traceback; 9. Supports OpenMP parallel computing and GCOV code coverage analysis; 10. Supports ECS real-time containers.

SylixOS supports dynamic loading for kernel modules, applications, and shared libraries. The SylixOS LoongArch code enables the loading and relocation of ELF (Executable and Linkable Format) sections. This dynamic loading feature meets the needs of multi-departmental distributed software development, supporting the integration of departmental applications on the operating system, as shown in the figure below:

SylixOS comes with a built-in C/C++ application debugging server. The SylixOS LoongArch code provides interfaces for getting and setting registers, analyzing the current instruction (especially jump and branch instructions) to calculate the jump to the next instruction, handling breakpoint instruction exceptions, and more. Developers can directly use the powerful debugging functions provided by RealEvo-IDE for graphical application debugging:

II. RealEvo-IDE 5.0 Now Includes a LoongArch Compiler

Yihui Information provides developers with a powerful integrated development kit for SylixOS, including the integrated development environment RealEvo-IDE, the simulation environment RealEvo-Simulator, the compiler RealEvo-Compiler, the Qt graphic development package RealEvo-Qt5SylixOS, the power-failure-safe file system access tool RealEvo-TpsFs-Explorer, and more. The upcoming RealEvo-IDE 5.0 has already incorporated the latest LoongArch GCC 12.0.1 compiler and GDB 12.0.50 debugger.

III. The Fully Independent and Ecosystem-Compatible LoongArch

In 2020, Loongson Technology introduced the Loongson proprietary instruction set architecture, LoongArch, which is based on twenty years of CPU development and ecosystem building experience. It features three main characteristics: complete independence, technological advancement, and ecosystem compatibility.

At present, Loongson Technology's operations have fully transitioned to LoongArch. Based on the LA464 processor core, it successively launched general-purpose processors for the informatization fields of personal computers and servers, such as the LS3A5000/3B5000, as well as the 16-core general-purpose processor LS3C5000L aimed at the server sector. Based on the LA264 processor core, it introduced the LS2K0500 for industrial control Internet applications, printing terminals, BMC, and other scenarios, as well as the LS2K1000LA aimed at various industry sectors.