# Profile data utilities

The Hexagon SDK includes two utilities for manipulating profile data
files:

- **Profile merge** – Merge profile data files
- **Profile dump** – Convert profile data file into text format

## Profile merge

The profile merge utility merges two or more profile data files into
a single file. To start the profile merge utility from a command
line, type:

hexagon-gmon-merge [-o output_file] profile_data_files...
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The default output file is gmon.sum.

## Profile dump

The profile dump utility converts a profile data file into a text
file containing raw profiling data.

To start the profile dump utility from a command line, type:

hexagon-gmon-dump [-o output_file] profile_data_file
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The default output is the standard output.

### Dump format

A profile dump contains the following information:

- File header
- Histogram records
- Call graph records
- Basic block records

### Example

File gmon.t_all:
    Header:
       cookie = 'g' 'm' 'o' 'n' ('gmon')
       version = 2
    
    Record tag is GMON_TAG_TIME_HIST
    
    Histogram header:
       PC range (0x00000000 - 0x00007750)
       Histogram size = 7636 (0x1dd4)
       Profiling rate = 1 (1.000000)
       Dimension = ' 1.00*cyc', abbreviation = 'c'
       0x0000: 0x003a ( 58)
       0x0001: 0x0000 ( 0)
       0x0002: 0x0000 ( 0)
    .
    .
    .
       0x1dcf: 0x0001 ( 1)
       0x1dd0: 0x0039 ( 57)
       0x1dd1: 0x0002 ( 2)
       0x1dd2: 0x0000 ( 0)
    Histogram total = 0x6d9cf4 (7183604)
    Max histogram value = 0x949a5 (608677)
    
    Record tag is GMON_TAG_CG_ARC
       ARC from 0x0000074c to 0x00005760 count = 1
    
    Record tag is GMON_TAG_CG_ARC
       ARC from 0x00003cdc to 0x00005400 count = 1
    .
    .
    .
    Record tag is GMON_TAG_CG_ARC
       ARC from 0x00005e44 to 0x00007230 count = 1
    
    Record tag is GMON_TAG_CG_ARC
       ARC from 0x000050d4 to 0x000070a0 count = 4
    
    Record tag is GMON_TAG_BB_COUNT
    BB record count = 1109 (0x0455)
       BB PC = 0x00000000, count = 58 (0x0000003a)
       BB PC = 0x00000098, count = 58 (0x0000003a)
       BB PC = 0x0000009c, count = 1 (0x00000001)
    .
    .
    .
       BB PC = 0x000070c0, count = 4 (0x00000004)
       BB PC = 0x000070d0, count = 4 (0x00000004)
       BB PC = 0x000070d8, count = 4 (0x00000004)
    BB Total = 0x006d9cf4 (7183604)
    Max BB value = 0x949a5 (608677)
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**Table 3-1 Values contained in the profile dump**

| **Field** | **Description** |
| --- | --- |
| cookie | String value identifying the file format (‘gmon’) |
| version | File format version<br><br><br>1 – Standard GNU gmon format<br><br><br>2 – Hexagon gmon format |
| Record tag | Profile dump record tag<br><br><br>GMON\_TAG\_TIME\_HIST – Histogram record<br><br><br>GMON\_TAG\_CG\_ARC – Call graph record<br><br><br>GMON\_TAG\_BB\_COUNT – Basic block record |
| PC range | Text segment range covered by histogram |
| Histogram size | Size of histogram (in bytes)<br><br><br>Note<br><br><br>Does not include header record. |
| Profiling rate | Profile clock rate |
| Dimension | Physical dimensions of bin counts (after scaling by profile<br>clock rate) |
| X: Y ( Z) | Histogram bin<br><br><br>X – Bin number<br><br><br>Y – Bin size (hexadecimal value)<br><br><br>Z – Bin size (decimal value) |
| Histogram total | Total size of histogram bins (in bytes) |
| Max histogram value | Maximum histogram value |
| ARC from X to Y | Call graph record<br><br><br>X – Calling function address<br><br><br>Y – Called function address |
| BB record count | Total number of basic block records |
| BB PC = X, count = Y ( Z) | X – Basic block address<br><br><br>Y – Number of times basic block was executed (decimal value)<br><br><br>Z – Number of times basic block was executed (hexadecimal value) |
| BB Total | Total size of basic blocks (in bytes) |
| Max BB value | Maximum basic block value |

Last Published: Oct 06, 2026

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