This uses the architected RISC-V 64-bit cycle counter from the
RISC-V unprivileged instruction set.
In 64-bit and 128-bit, this is a straightforward CSR read.
In 32-bit mode, the 64-bit value is exposed as two CSRs, which
cannot be read atomically, so a loop is necessary to detect and fix up
the race condition where the bottom half wraps exactly between the two
reads.
Rémi Denis-Courmont