Self-Checking ELF Smoke Test

Compiled workload catalogue

Purpose

Check the external ELF boundary with an assembly-authored verdict independent of the simulator's instruction oracle.

Setup

Property	Value
Image	tests/fixtures/rv32i/external-smoke/self-check.elf
Source	self-check.S, alongside linker/readelf/checksum files
Entry / data	Entry zero; scratch word 0x1000
Completion	tohost at 0x3ffc0: 1 pass, 3 fail

Implementation

1. Add 7 and 5 and compare the result with 12.
2. Store that value at 0x1000, load it back, and compare.
3. Call a subroutine with JAL; increment the result and return with JALR.
4. Require 13 after the return.
5. Store the pass/fail verdict, then loop forever.

The infinite loop is deliberate: the runner observes the committed verdict store rather than requiring EBREAK.

Expected result

The scratch word remains 12 and the returned arithmetic result is 13. Success writes 1 to tohost; any failed branch comparison writes 3. No ABI stack is needed by this tiny assembly image.

Running and verification

build/rv32i_experiment --core single \
  --elf tests/fixtures/rv32i/external-smoke/self-check.elf \
  --period 4000 --allocation-limit-mib 512 --max-cycles 1024

The source-level self-check and the runner's oracle checks are separate evidence. The fixture validates a few instructions and the ELF protocol, not the full ISA or a large compiled application.

Source and tests

RV32IElfLoaderTest checks loader acceptance/rejection. RV32IExternalValidationSmokeTest exercises this image through its self-check path. BenchmarkCampaignCLITest checks an ELF-directory campaign and common artifacts. See test details.