SystemVerilog macro through task - macros

Question

How to send macros as parameters through a task?
In the testbench:
`define CPU1 tb.top.dual_processor_db_wrapper_i.dual_processor_db_i.cpu1.inst
`define CPU2 tb.top.dual_processor2_db_wrapper_i.dual_processor2_db_i.cpu2.inst
initial begin
fork
cpu_init(`CPU1);
cpu_init(`CPU2);
join
// Other stuff with `CPU1 and `CPU2
`CPU1.write_data(addr, 4, data, resp); // Works
end
task cpu_init(cpu);
cpu.por_srstb_reset(1'b1); // Does not work
// Other init stuff
endtask
Error when compiling:
ERROR: [VRFC 10-2991] 'por_srstb_reset' is not declared under prefix
'cpu'
The type of the `CPUs is unknown (to me). Perhaps Xilinx has a type for it, since it references their MPSoC VIP?
I assume por_srstb_reset and write_data are tasks or functions from Xilinx MPSoC VIP, but I'm not sure.
Xilinx documentation is very sparse

Answer 1

I general, it is possible to pass a macro as an argument to a task. However, it is not possible to pass a hierarchical reference as an argument to a task (it is illegal).
Operations on hierarchical references are very limited, in general.
Your task declaration is equivalent to the following:
task cpu_init (input logic cpu);
The cpu variable is a 1-bit type. So, the following is legal:
`define CPU1 1'b1
cpu_init(`CPU1);
The type of the argument must match between the declaration and the task call.

Answer 2

There is another approach to this problem by using bind and abstract/concrete classes
package pkg;
interface class abstract_init;
pure virtual task init; // prototype for each method you need
endclass
abstract_init lookup[string]; // database of concrete classes for each instance
endpackage
module bind_module #(string lookup_name);
import pkg::*;
class concrete_init implements abstract_init;
function new;
lookup[lookup_name] = this; // register this instance
endfunction
virtual task init;
processor.reset(); // upwards reference
endtask
endclass
concrete_init c = new; // each instance of this module gets registered in lookup
endmodule
`define cpu1 top.dut.cpu1
`define cpu2 top.dut.cpu2
// macro turns any argument into a quoted string
`define Q(arg) `"arg`"
module top;
dut dut();
bind `cpu1 bind_module #(.lookup_name(`Q(`cpu1))) b();
bind `cpu2 bind_module #(.lookup_name(`Q(`cpu2))) b();
initial fork
pkg::lookup[`Q(`cpu1)].init;
pkg::lookup[`Q(`cpu2)].init;
join
endmodule
module dut;
processor cpu1();
processor cpu2();
endmodule
module processor;
initial $display("Starting %m");
task reset;
#1 $display("executing reset on %m");
endtask
endmodule
This is described more detail in my DVCon paper: The Missing Link: The Testbench to DUT Connection.