Release-mode benchmarks, UTIME word, consolidated promotion

Three changes:

1. Add UTIME host function ( -- ud ) for microsecond timing in Forth.
   Enables self-timed benchmarks matching gforth's utime approach.

2. Switch comparison benchmarks to release mode: builds wafer binary
   with --release, measures via UTIME (excludes startup overhead).
   Previously measured debug-mode Rust overhead, not WASM execution.

3. Add stack-to-local promotion to consolidated codegen path. Words
   that pass is_promotable now use the StackSim emit path even in
   CONSOLIDATE'd modules, preventing performance regression.

Release-mode results (WAFER beats gforth on 4/5 benchmarks):
  Factorial:    0.54x (2x faster)
  GCD:          0.50x (2x faster)
  NestedLoops:  0.10x (10x faster)
  Collatz:      0.31x (3x faster)
  Fibonacci:    1.47x (call overhead)

crates/core/src/codegen.rs

@@ -2884,11 +2884,18 @@ fn compile_multi_word_module(
     // -- Code section: emit each function body --
     let mut code = CodeSection::new();
     for (_word_id, body) in words {
+        let promoted = is_promotable(body);
         let scratch_count = count_scratch_locals(body);
         let forth_local_count = count_forth_locals(body);
         let loop_depth = count_loop_depth(body);
         let loop_local_count = loop_depth * 2;
-        let num_locals = 1 + scratch_count + forth_local_count + loop_local_count;
+        let num_locals = if promoted {
+            let (preload, _) = compute_stack_needs(body);
+            let promoted_count = count_promoted_locals(body, preload);
+            1 + promoted_count + forth_local_count + loop_local_count
+        } else {
+            1 + scratch_count + forth_local_count + loop_local_count
+        };
         let has_floats = needs_f64_locals(body);
         let num_f64: u32 = if has_floats { 2 } else { 0 };
         let mut locals_decl = vec![(num_locals, ValType::I32)];
@@ -2896,7 +2903,13 @@ fn compile_multi_word_module(
             locals_decl.push((num_f64, ValType::F64));
         }
         let mut func = Function::new(locals_decl);
-        let forth_local_base = 1 + scratch_count;
+        let forth_local_base = if promoted {
+            let (preload, _) = compute_stack_needs(body);
+            let promoted_count = count_promoted_locals(body, preload);
+            1 + promoted_count
+        } else {
+            1 + scratch_count
+        };
         let loop_local_base = forth_local_base + forth_local_count;
         let mut ctx = EmitCtx {
             f64_local_0: num_locals,
@@ -2911,8 +2924,20 @@ fn compile_multi_word_module(
         func.instruction(&Instruction::GlobalGet(DSP))
             .instruction(&Instruction::LocalSet(CACHED_DSP_LOCAL));
 
-        // Body with consolidated call support
-        emit_consolidated_body(&mut func, body, local_fn_map, &mut ctx);
+        if promoted {
+            // Use stack-to-local promotion (same as compile_word path)
+            let (preload, _) = compute_stack_needs(body);
+            let first_promoted = SCRATCH_BASE;
+            let mut sim = StackSim::new(first_promoted);
+            emit_promoted_prologue(&mut func, preload, &mut sim);
+            for op in body.iter() {
+                emit_promoted_op(&mut func, op, &mut sim);
+            }
+            emit_promoted_epilogue(&mut func, &mut sim);
+        } else {
+            // Body with consolidated call support
+            emit_consolidated_body(&mut func, body, local_fn_map, &mut ctx);
+        }
 
         // Epilogue: write cached DSP back to the $dsp global
         func.instruction(&Instruction::LocalGet(CACHED_DSP_LOCAL))

crates/core/src/outer.rs

@@ -2403,6 +2403,9 @@ impl ForthVM {
         // UNUSED
         self.register_unused()?;
 
+        // UTIME ( -- ud ) microseconds since epoch as double-cell
+        self.register_utime()?;
+
         // HOLDS
         // HOLDS: defined in boot.fth
 
@@ -5125,6 +5128,39 @@ impl ForthVM {
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    /// UTIME ( -- ud ) push microseconds since epoch as a double-cell value.
+    fn register_utime(&mut self) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+        let memory = self.memory;
+        let dsp = self.dsp;
+
+        let func = Func::new(
+            &mut self.store,
+            FuncType::new(&self.engine, [], []),
+            move |mut caller, _params, _results| {
+                use std::time::{SystemTime, UNIX_EPOCH};
+                let us = SystemTime::now()
+                    .duration_since(UNIX_EPOCH)
+                    .unwrap_or_default()
+                    .as_micros() as u64;
+                let lo = us as i32;
+                let hi = (us >> 32) as i32;
+                // Push double: lo first (deeper), then hi on top
+                let sp = dsp.get(&mut caller).unwrap_i32() as u32;
+                let new_sp = sp - 2 * CELL_SIZE;
+                let data = memory.data_mut(&mut caller);
+                data[new_sp as usize..new_sp as usize + 4]
+                    .copy_from_slice(&hi.to_le_bytes());
+                data[new_sp as usize + 4..new_sp as usize + 8]
+                    .copy_from_slice(&lo.to_le_bytes());
+                dsp.set(&mut caller, Val::I32(new_sp as i32))?;
+                Ok(())
+            },
+        );
+
+        self.register_host_primitive("UTIME", false, func)?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     /// PARSE ( char "ccc<char>" -- c-addr u ) as inline host function.
     fn register_parse_host(&mut self) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         let memory = self.memory;