[Python-Dev] Python-acceleration instructions on ARM

[Benjamin Schwartz]

Dear Python developers,

Introduction:
I am writing from the perspective of Sugar Labs [1], which produces Sugar, a
free software project written almost entirely in Python.  Sugar is designed
to run on small, resource-constrained computers.  So far those computers
have been mostly x86, but it seems likely to me that we will soon want to
run on ARM as well, with the new wave of small ARM laptops [2].  These
laptops are likely to run on some variant of the ARM Cortex-A8 CPU core.

The Cortex-A8 chips all contain a set of commands known as ThumbEE or
Jazelle RCT (Runtime Compilation Target) [3].  According to ARM [4]:

"""Jazelle RCT can be used to significantly reduce the code bloat associated
with AOT and JIT compilation, making AOT technology viable on mass-market
devices. It can also be used to support execution environments beyond Java,
such as Microsoft .NET Compact Framework, Python and others."""

"""Jazelle RCT provides an excellent target for any run-time compilation
technology, including JIT and AOT for .NET MSIL, Python and Perl as well as
Java. ARM is working with leading software providers to enable solutions
ready for market with Jazelle RCT."""

The Jazelle RCT system consists of 12 assembly instructions, documented at
[5] and [6].

Question:
ARM is specifically claiming that these instructions can be used to
accelerate Python interpretation.  Is there any interpreter code, in CPython
or elsewhere, that uses ThumbEE mode?  Is there anyone working on this? 
What would the process be to incorporate the use of ThumbEE instructions
into CPython?

The whitepaper mentions the Parrot interpreter specifically, but I cannot
find any indication that anyone is actually working on Jazelle RCT support
in Parrot.

Thank you,
Ben Schwartz

[1] http://sugarlabs.org/go/Main_Page
[2]
http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/09/pegatron-and-freescale-team-for-low-power-ultra-cheap-netbooks/
[3]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARM_architecture#Thumb_Execution_Environment_.28ThumbEE.29
[4] http://www.arm.com/products/multimedia/java/jazelle_architecture.html
[5] http://infocenter.arm.com/help/topic/com.arm.doc.dui0379a/CIHBCDGA.html
[6] http://www.arm.com/pdfs/JazelleRCTWhitePaper_final1-0_.pdf
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