[GitHub] [tvm-rfcs] mehrdadh commented on a change in pull request #43: [RFC][TVMC] Add support for micro targets

[GitBox <gi...@apache.org>]

mehrdadh commented on a change in pull request #43:
URL: https://github.com/apache/tvm-rfcs/pull/43#discussion_r738836247



##########
File path: rfcs/0021-tvmc_add_support_for_micro_targets.md
##########
@@ -0,0 +1,461 @@
+- Feature Name: tvmc_add_support_for_micro_targets
+- Start Date: 2021-10-09
+- RFC PR: [apache/tvm-rfcs#0000](https://github.com/apache/tvm-rfcs/pull/0000)
+- GitHub Issue: [apache/tvm#0000](https://github.com/apache/tvm/issues/0000)
+
+# Summary
+
+This RFC obsoletes RFC **[0]**.
+
+This RFC depends on RFC **[1]**.
+
+This RFC is about how TVMC (TVM CLI tool) can be extended to support microTVM
+targets, considering the variety of platforms supported by microTVM, like Zephyr
+and Arduino, and also considering future platforms, taking into account the use
+of custom/adhoc platforms provided by users at their convenience.
+
+The interface here proposed relies on the new Project API available on microTVM.
+
+PR [9229](https://github.com/apache/tvm/pull/9229) implements the interface in
+question **[2]**.
+
+**[0]** [RFC] TVMC: Add support for µTVM -- https://discuss.tvm.apache.org/t/rfc-tvmc-add-support-for-tvm/9049
+
+**[1]** [RFC][Project API] Extend metadata in ProjectOption -- https://github.com/apache/tvm-rfcs/pull/33

Review comment:
       maybe refer to the merged RFC now?
   https://github.com/apache/tvm-rfcs/blob/main/rfcs/0020-project_api_extend_metadata.md

##########
File path: rfcs/0021-tvmc_add_support_for_micro_targets.md
##########
@@ -0,0 +1,461 @@
+- Feature Name: tvmc_add_support_for_micro_targets
+- Start Date: 2021-10-09
+- RFC PR: [apache/tvm-rfcs#0000](https://github.com/apache/tvm-rfcs/pull/0000)
+- GitHub Issue: [apache/tvm#0000](https://github.com/apache/tvm/issues/0000)
+
+# Summary
+
+This RFC obsoletes RFC **[0]**.
+
+This RFC depends on RFC **[1]**.
+
+This RFC is about how TVMC (TVM CLI tool) can be extended to support microTVM
+targets, considering the variety of platforms supported by microTVM, like Zephyr
+and Arduino, and also considering future platforms, taking into account the use
+of custom/adhoc platforms provided by users at their convenience.
+
+The interface here proposed relies on the new Project API available on microTVM.
+
+PR [9229](https://github.com/apache/tvm/pull/9229) implements the interface in
+question **[2]**.
+
+**[0]** [RFC] TVMC: Add support for µTVM -- https://discuss.tvm.apache.org/t/rfc-tvmc-add-support-for-tvm/9049
+
+**[1]** [RFC][Project API] Extend metadata in ProjectOption -- https://github.com/apache/tvm-rfcs/pull/33
+
+**[2]** [TVMC] Add new micro context -- https://github.com/apache/tvm/pull/9229
+
+# Motivation
+
+Currently if a microTVM user wants to compile, build, flash, and run a model for
+a micro target available on a supported microTVM platform -- like Zephyr and
+Arduino -- it's necessary to drive the process end-to-end via Python scripts.
+This is ok when creating tests and developing or experimenting with new microTVM
+code, for example, but for some users that just want to try a new model of
+interest on a micro target that way can be slow.
+
+TVMC is a command-line driver for TVM (`tvmc`) that allows users to control the
+compilation and execution of models on a plethora of targets, using only the
+CLI, however it currently does not support microTVM targets, so it can not drive
+a similar workflow (compile, run, etc) on microcontrollers.
+
+This RFC proposes to extend TVMC to support the microTVM targets and platforms
+so one can easily use `tvmc` to **compile**, **build** (a device image with the
+compiled model of interest), **flash**, and **run** a model on a micro target
+using only a command-line interface.
+
+# Guide-level explanation
+[guide-level-explanation]: #guide-level-explanation
+
+Micro targets have unique requirements which justifies the creation of a new
+context in `tvmc` called `micro` to accommodate them.
+
+For instance, a given micro target can exist in more than one supported
+platform, like the STM32F746 MCU that can be supported by `Zephyr` and by
+`FreeRTOS`. Hence a platform must be selected in addition to the MCU and/or the
+board.
+
+Moreover, the build and flash steps, although might not be totally exclusive on
+micro targets, are quite specific (like using the toolchain and the flash tool
+supported by the platform), so much it justifies them to exist inside the new
+micro context, i.e. under `tvmc micro`.
+
+In that sense, the following subcommands are available under `tvmc micro`:
+
+**1. create-project**
+
+**2. build**
+
+**3. flash**
+
+`create-project` purpose is for creating a project directory based on **(a)** an
+already compiled model kept in a Model Library Format (MLF) archive and **(b)**
+a template associated to a platform, like Zephyr, allowing one to specify
+several options specific to the selected platform, like the board name and extra
+files to be included in the project directory to will be created based on the
+template directory. For convenience, an alias (`create`) will exist for this
+subcommand.
+
+`build` can be used for building a firmware image ready to be flashed to the
+board specified. For example, if Zephyr platform is selected build a
+`zephyr.{elf,hex}` image. Pertinent options for 'build' given the platform
+selected as an option under 'build' will become available.
+
+`flash` can be used for effectively flashing, to the selected board, the
+firmware built. Again, pertinent options for 'flash' context considering the

Review comment:
       change to `built firmware`?

##########
File path: rfcs/0021-tvmc_add_support_for_micro_targets.md
##########
@@ -0,0 +1,461 @@
+- Feature Name: tvmc_add_support_for_micro_targets
+- Start Date: 2021-10-09
+- RFC PR: [apache/tvm-rfcs#0000](https://github.com/apache/tvm-rfcs/pull/0000)
+- GitHub Issue: [apache/tvm#0000](https://github.com/apache/tvm/issues/0000)
+
+# Summary
+
+This RFC obsoletes RFC **[0]**.
+
+This RFC depends on RFC **[1]**.
+
+This RFC is about how TVMC (TVM CLI tool) can be extended to support microTVM
+targets, considering the variety of platforms supported by microTVM, like Zephyr
+and Arduino, and also considering future platforms, taking into account the use
+of custom/adhoc platforms provided by users at their convenience.
+
+The interface here proposed relies on the new Project API available on microTVM.
+
+PR [9229](https://github.com/apache/tvm/pull/9229) implements the interface in
+question **[2]**.
+
+**[0]** [RFC] TVMC: Add support for µTVM -- https://discuss.tvm.apache.org/t/rfc-tvmc-add-support-for-tvm/9049
+
+**[1]** [RFC][Project API] Extend metadata in ProjectOption -- https://github.com/apache/tvm-rfcs/pull/33
+
+**[2]** [TVMC] Add new micro context -- https://github.com/apache/tvm/pull/9229
+
+# Motivation
+
+Currently if a microTVM user wants to compile, build, flash, and run a model for
+a micro target available on a supported microTVM platform -- like Zephyr and
+Arduino -- it's necessary to drive the process end-to-end via Python scripts.
+This is ok when creating tests and developing or experimenting with new microTVM
+code, for example, but for some users that just want to try a new model of
+interest on a micro target that way can be slow.
+
+TVMC is a command-line driver for TVM (`tvmc`) that allows users to control the
+compilation and execution of models on a plethora of targets, using only the
+CLI, however it currently does not support microTVM targets, so it can not drive
+a similar workflow (compile, run, etc) on microcontrollers.
+
+This RFC proposes to extend TVMC to support the microTVM targets and platforms
+so one can easily use `tvmc` to **compile**, **build** (a device image with the
+compiled model of interest), **flash**, and **run** a model on a micro target
+using only a command-line interface.
+
+# Guide-level explanation
+[guide-level-explanation]: #guide-level-explanation
+
+Micro targets have unique requirements which justifies the creation of a new
+context in `tvmc` called `micro` to accommodate them.
+
+For instance, a given micro target can exist in more than one supported
+platform, like the STM32F746 MCU that can be supported by `Zephyr` and by
+`FreeRTOS`. Hence a platform must be selected in addition to the MCU and/or the
+board.
+
+Moreover, the build and flash steps, although might not be totally exclusive on
+micro targets, are quite specific (like using the toolchain and the flash tool
+supported by the platform), so much it justifies them to exist inside the new
+micro context, i.e. under `tvmc micro`.
+
+In that sense, the following subcommands are available under `tvmc micro`:
+
+**1. create-project**
+
+**2. build**
+
+**3. flash**
+
+`create-project` purpose is for creating a project directory based on **(a)** an
+already compiled model kept in a Model Library Format (MLF) archive and **(b)**
+a template associated to a platform, like Zephyr, allowing one to specify
+several options specific to the selected platform, like the board name and extra
+files to be included in the project directory to will be created based on the
+template directory. For convenience, an alias (`create`) will exist for this
+subcommand.
+
+`build` can be used for building a firmware image ready to be flashed to the
+board specified. For example, if Zephyr platform is selected build a
+`zephyr.{elf,hex}` image. Pertinent options for 'build' given the platform
+selected as an option under 'build' will become available.
+
+`flash` can be used for effectively flashing, to the selected board, the
+firmware built. Again, pertinent options for 'flash' context considering the
+platform selected will be made available for the user, like for example options
+regarding the serial port number to be used when flashing the image to the
+board.
+
+`build` and `flash` subcommads are intended to help with debugging inference
+flows built on top of Project API infrastructure. Hence they’re not intended to
+replace the user’s workflow (e.g. users can still build and flash independently
+of these subcommands).
+
+For all these subcommads (1, 2, and 3) the platform template can be selected
+among the default platforms (`zephyr` and `arduino`) or can be a custom one, in
+that case the platform template must be selected instead. Upon selecting the
+template platform option `-d TEMPLATE_DIR` will become available and one can so
+specify the adhoc template dir (which must contain an adhoc Project API server
+as per the Project API specification).
+
+A **key-value pair** is used to specify the options specific to the platforms.
+If the option is of type 'bool' the values available are 'true' and 'false'.
+Details on project option types are described in **RFC-0020**.

Review comment:
       add link for `RFC-0020`?




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