Visual-TSCSync-for-UEFI-Shell

TSCSync - TimeStampCounter (TSC) synchronizer, analyze System Timer characteristics

Intention

Explore timer characteristics on current UEFI Personal Computer (PC) hardware.

Analyse usability and accuracy of 64Bit TSC (time stamp counter) as a time base in UEFI BIOS POST and UEFI SHELL Applications.

Goal

Provide program sequence, synchronisation method and basic knowledge on how to deal with the fastes, and most precise timer on x86-Microprocessors.

Approach

Create an UEFI Shell Tool TSCSync that makes it easy to select, modify and scale data processing, logging, representation for this particular laboratory application.

Howto

Menu driven configuration

Just watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I92emFEyTDI

Binary

TSCSync.EFI

AUTORUN configuration

NOTE: /AUTORUN mode usually runs a predefined and saved configuration. This mode was made available to enable repeated .NSH/batch controlled TSCSync invocation with modified settings, like

• calibration /METHOD
  • TIANO, original tianocore InternalAcpiDelay()
  • ACPI, native TSCSYNC ACPI counter
  • PIT, native TSCSYNC PIT i8254 counter
• output filename /OUT
• modified reference synchronisation time /SYNCTIME 1..1000
• modified reference synchronisation device /SYNCREF
  • RTC
  • ACPI

Just watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjeykqZqekc&t=27s

Revision history

20240406, v1.3.1 Build 79

• distinguish RTC and ACPI based frequency detection
  • NOTE: ACPI frequency lacks precision as long term time base
    • RTC usually uses a separate 32.768kHz crystal with low drift (e.g. 2ppm)
    • CPU/SoC (ACPI) OSC is usually driven by a MHz-oscillator (e.g. 25MHz) that doesn't have high precision and low drift requirements as the REAL TIME CLOCK

20240401, v1.3.0 Build 50

• add AMI APTIO V UEFI timestamp protocol calibration drift demonstration:
  • RUN->Run DRIFT TEST, to start the demo

20240316, v1.2.4 Build 10

• add feature:
  • FILE->SoftOFF/S5, set platform to SoftOFF/S5

20240113, v1.2.3 Build 8

• add 10000kHz digit rounding, e.g.
  • 1995379567 is rounded to 1995380000
  • 1995371234 is rounded to 1995370000

20240106, v1.2.2 Build 5

• fixed: fix rounding issue for X.YZ9999999GHz values
• provide .EFI executable TSCSync.EFI
• internal: update submodules
• internal: cleanup main.cpp

20240101, v1.2.0 Build 2

• add TSC clock speed rounding (experimental), get identical result like CPUID leaf 0x15-enabled platforms
• simplify command line parameters -> remove selection of SYNCREF (synchronization reference device), SYNCTIME (synchronization time)
  • force SYNCREF ACPI timer, force SYNCTIME 5 seconds
• add version + build enumeration (experimental)

20231210

• add retrieval of Time Stamp Counter and Core Crystal Clock Information Leaf
  • NOTE: On platforms with available CPUID leaf 0x15 (Intel CPU 2017 and later) it demonstrates, that ACPI reference synchronisation is very accurate (about 0.1ppm)
• add retrieval of MSR_PLATFORM_INFO TSC Speed detection
• add reference spreadsheet taken on RAPTOR LAKE platform NOTE: Improvements below apply only to recent INTEL(tm) platforms only. The particular CPUID leaf 0x15 and MSR MSR_PLATFORM_INFO are not available on AMD systems.

20231202

• add retrieval, examination and comparison of original UEFI EFI_TIMESTAMP_PROTOCOL
  NOTE: EFI_TIMESTAMP_PROTOCOL provides inaccurate results on most systems.

20231119

• add error correction menu CONF\Error Correction and command line (/ERRCODIS) selectable
  • NOTE: Error correction N/A for original TIANOCORE (TIANO) measurement method
    Only available for TSCSYNC ACPI and PIT.
• add calibration method menu CONF\Calibration Method TIANO/PIT/ACPI and command line (/METHOD) selectable
• add number of measurement command line (/NUM:0/1/2/3) selectable
• update to TORO C Library 20231118

20231105

• improvement, BETA RELEASE
• add Calibration Method for PIT(i8254) and original tianocore to CONFig menu
  NOTE: the third method "ACPI" (that is my own calibration based on ACPI timer) can be selected via command line only

20231028

• improvement, BETA RELEASE
• add /METHOD:TIANO/ACPI/PIT to select ACPI/PIT(i8254) or original tianocore calibration method
• CONFIG Menu shows true timing values, instead of ACPI clock numbers

20231015

• initial revision, ALPHA RELEASE