Re: [PATCH v2] arm64: errata: Add Cortex-A725 erratum 3821522 workaround

[Vladimir Murzin]

Hi Beata,

On 9/29/26 14:40, Beata Michalska wrote:
> Cortex-A725 erratum 3821522 affects the CNT_CYCLES event, which can
> incur a significant increment error when a CPU enters and subsequently
> exits WFE or WFI, and may no longer track the system counter frequency.
> 
> The AMEVCNTR01_EL0 counter is being used as the AMU constant counter for
> frequency invariance and CPPC FFH feedback counters. Treat the affected
> AMU counter as unavailable by returning zero in the AMU counter paths,
> matching the existing convention used when the counter is disabled or
> unusable. This prevents the broken counter from being used as a reference
> source.
> 
> The erratum can also affect PMUv3 users of the CNT_CYCLES event, but this
> workaround intentionally does not change PMU event handling. Hiding or
> rejecting the PMU event from the erratum code would change the perf-visible
> PMU event interface, including raw event selection, and would need
> separate PMU specific approach rather than being folded into the AMU
> reference-counter workaround.
> 
> This also folds the per-erratum workarounds for ARM errata 2457168 and
> 3821522 into a single AMU constant-counter capability, as both require
> treating AMEVCNTR01 as unreliable and unavailable.
> 

Can we please split this in two patches:

1. Factor out ARM64_WORKAROUND_2457168 into generic ARM64_WORKAROUND_BROKEN_AMU_CONSTCNT
2. Wire up Cortex-A725 erratum 3821522

> CC: <stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Signed-off-by: Beata Michalska <beata.michalska@xxxxxxx>
> ---
>  Documentation/arch/arm64/silicon-errata.rst |  2 ++
>  arch/arm64/Kconfig                          | 30 +++++++++++++++++++++
>  arch/arm64/include/asm/cpucaps.h            |  3 ++-
>  arch/arm64/kernel/cpu_errata.c              | 29 +++++++++++++++-----
>  arch/arm64/kernel/cpufeature.c              |  2 +-
>  arch/arm64/kernel/topology.c                | 16 ++++++-----
>  arch/arm64/tools/cpucaps                    |  2 +-
>  7 files changed, 68 insertions(+), 16 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/Documentation/arch/arm64/silicon-errata.rst b/Documentation/arch/arm64/silicon-errata.rst
> index ac3248b9f2f3b..99a1eb4b833dd 100644
> --- a/Documentation/arch/arm64/silicon-errata.rst
> +++ b/Documentation/arch/arm64/silicon-errata.rst
> @@ -174,6 +174,8 @@ stable kernels.
>  +----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------------------+
>  | ARM            | Cortex-A725     | #3456106        | ARM64_ERRATUM_3194386       |
>  +----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------------------+
> +| ARM            | Cortex-A725     | #3821522        | ARM64_ERRATUM_3821522       |
> ++----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------------------+
>  | ARM            | Cortex-X1       | #1502854        | N/A                         |
>  +----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------------------+
>  | ARM            | Cortex-X1       | #3324344        | ARM64_ERRATUM_3194386       |
> diff --git a/arch/arm64/Kconfig b/arch/arm64/Kconfig
> index b5a51b0ef9440..cab741a695f52 100644
> --- a/arch/arm64/Kconfig
> +++ b/arch/arm64/Kconfig
> @@ -1040,9 +1040,17 @@ config ARM64_ERRATUM_1902691
>  
>  	  If unsure, say Y.
>  
> +config ARM64_WORKAROUND_BROKEN_AMU_CONSTCNT
> +	bool
> +	# Targeting errata affecting AMEVCNTR01, the AMU constant counter.
> +	# On affected CPUs the counter may not increment at the expected rate,
> +	# making it unreliable. As a result, AMU users should treat it as
> +	# unavailable rather than relying on misleading counter values.
> +
>  config ARM64_ERRATUM_2457168
>  	bool "Cortex-A510: 2457168: workaround for AMEVCNTR01 incrementing incorrectly"
>  	depends on ARM64_AMU_EXTN
> +	select ARM64_WORKAROUND_BROKEN_AMU_CONSTCNT
>  	default y
>  	help
>  	  This option adds the workaround for ARM Cortex-A510 erratum 2457168.
> @@ -1073,6 +1081,28 @@ config ARM64_ERRATUM_2645198
>  
>  	  If unsure, say Y.
>  
> +config ARM64_ERRATUM_3821522
> +	bool "Cortex-A725: 3821522: workaround for possible CNT_CYCLES increment error due to WFE/WFI"
> +	depends on ARM64_AMU_EXTN
> +	select ARM64_WORKAROUND_BROKEN_AMU_CONSTCNT
> +	default y
> +	help
> +	  This option adds the workaround for ARM Cortex-A725 erratum 3821522.
> +
> +	  On affected A725 cores, the CNT_CYCLES event may incur a significant
> +	  increment error when entering and subsequently exiting WFx.
> +	  As a result, the CNT_CYCLES may diverge from the system counter
> +	  frequency at which it is expected to increment.
> +	  This renders the AMU counter AMEVCNTR01, that implements CNT_CYCLES,
> +	  being unreliable and unsuitable for use.
> +
> +	  Since there is no hardware workaround, reads of the affected CNT_CYCLES
> +	  counter return 0 in the relevant paths. This causes users of the counter
> +	  to treat it as unavailable and is functionally equivalent to firmware
> +	  disabling the affected counter.
> +
> +	  If unsure, say Y.
> +
>  config ARM64_WORKAROUND_SPECULATIVE_UNPRIV_LOAD
>  	bool
>  
> diff --git a/arch/arm64/include/asm/cpucaps.h b/arch/arm64/include/asm/cpucaps.h
> index 76350b38f0d7a..120c5dc3c11d7 100644
> --- a/arch/arm64/include/asm/cpucaps.h
> +++ b/arch/arm64/include/asm/cpucaps.h
> @@ -75,8 +75,9 @@ cpucap_is_possible(const unsigned int cap)
>  		return IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_HW_PERF_EVENTS);
>  	case ARM64_HAS_LSUI:
>  		return IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_ARM64_LSUI);
> +	case ARM64_WORKAROUND_BROKEN_AMU_CONSTCNT:
> +		return IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_ARM64_WORKAROUND_BROKEN_AMU_CONSTCNT);

Hmm, ARM64_WORKAROUND_2457168 has not been present here, so seeing
ARM64_WORKAROUND_BROKEN_AMU_CONSTCNT here is not quite expected...

>  	}
> -

Nitpick: unrelated change?

Thanks
Vladimir