ANE/training/PR-01.md

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# PR Description: Scalable ANE Training with Weights-as-Tensors & Inference Utilities
## Overview
This PR significantly optimizes the ANE training pipeline to enable scalable, long-running training sessions. The core change is a transition from "Baked-Weight" kernels to a **"Weights-as-Tensors"** architecture, which allows for dynamic weight updates without hitting the OS-enforced ANE compile limits.
## Key Changes
### 1. Zero-Recompile Architecture (Weights-as-Tensors)
- **The Problem**: The previous prototype baked weights into MIL constants, triggering a recompilation every time weights were updated. This hit the ~119 compile limit and incurred significant latency (~100ms+ per compile).
- **The Solution**: Redefined model weights as formal `tensor<fp16, [dim, dim]>` inputs in `stories_mil.h`.
- **The Result**:
- Kernels are compiled **exactly once** at startup.
- Weights are updated via **IOSurfaces** using NEON-accelerated transposition/conversion (`io_write_fp16_t`).
- **Sustained Training**: Zero recompiles or `exec()` restarts required for long runs.
### 2. High-Performance ANE Benchmarking
- Added **`benchmark_ane.m`** to measure native hardware performance.
- **Results (M-series Silicon)**:
- **Average Forward Pass (SEQ=256)**: 0.60 ms
- **Sustained Throughput**: **~94.4 TFLOPS**
- **Theoretical TPS**: ~429,000 tokens/sec
### 3. End-to-End Workflow Utilities
- **`sample.py`**: Standalone NumPy-based inference script with BPE tokenizer support to verify model quality.
- **`tokenize_text.py`**: General-purpose data preparation tool to convert any text file into the binary format required by the trainer.
- **`.gitignore`**: Added to keep the repository clean of binaries and large datasets.
## Performance Comparison
| Metric | Prototype (Baked) | This PR (Tensors) |
|-----------|-------------------|-------------------|
| **Compile Strategy** | Constant-based (Recompile per step) | Input-based (Compile once) |
| **Max Steps before Restart** | ~119 | **Unlimited** |
| **Weight Sync Latency** | ~100ms (Compile) | **~3.4ms (IOSurface Write)** |
| **Total Throughput** | Latency-bound | **~94 TFLOPS (Hardware-saturated)** |
## How to Test
1. **Train**: Run `make train_large && ./train_large` to observe stable, high-speed training.
2. **Benchmark**: Run `make benchmark_ane && ./benchmark_ane` for native hardware metrics.
3. **Inference**: Run `python3 sample.py --prompt "Once upon a time"` to generate text from a trained checkpoint.