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diff --git a/docs/doxygen/other/thread_affinity.dox b/docs/doxygen/other/thread_affinity.dox new file mode 100644 index 000000000..fbbc449a4 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/doxygen/other/thread_affinity.dox @@ -0,0 +1,65 @@ +/*! \page page_affinity Block Thread Affinity + +\section intro Introduction + +In the thread-per-block scheduler, you can set the block's core +affinity. Each block can be pinned to a group cores or be set back +to use the standard kernel scheduler. + +The implementation is done by adding new functions to the GRUEL +library: + +\code + gr_thread_t get_current_thread_id(); + void thread_bind_to_processor(unsigned int n); + void thread_bind_to_processor(const std::vector<unsigned int> &mask); + void thread_bind_to_processor(gr_thread_t thread, unsigned int n); + void thread_bind_to_processor(gr_thread_t thread, const std::vector<unsigned int> &mask); + void thread_unbind(); + void thread_unbind(gr_thread_t thread); +\endcode + +The ability to set a thread's affinity to a core or groups of cores is +not implemented in the Boost thread library, and so we have made our +own portability library. In particular, the gruel::gr_thread_t type is +defined as the thread type for the given system. The other functions +are designed to be portable as well by calling the specific +implementation for the thread affinity for a particular platform. + +There are functions to set a thread to a group of cores. If the thread +is not given, the current thread is used. If a single number is +passed, only that core is set (this is equivalent to a core mask with +just a single value). + +Similarly, there are functions to unset the affinity. This practically +implements the setting of the thread's affinity to all possible +cores. Again, the function that does not take a thread argument unsets +the affinity for the current thread. + + +\section api GNU Radio Block API + +Each block has two new data members: + +- threaded: a boolean value that is true if the block is attached to a + thread. +- thread: a gruel::gr_thread_t handle to the block's thread. + +A block can set and unset it's affinity at any time using the +following member functions: + +- gr_block::set_processor_affinity(const std::vector<unsigned int> &mask) +- gr_block::unset_processor_affinity() + +Where \p mask is a vector of core numbers to set the thread's affinity +to. + +The current core affinity can be retrieved using the member function: + +- gr_block::processor_affinity() + +When set before the flowgraph is started, the scheduler will set the +thread's affinity when it is started. When already running, the +block's affinity will be immediately set. + +*/ |