Possible to customize the display through the DM814x M3 BIOS Firmware and use it without Syslink?

Tianhua Chu

My intention is to let HDVPSS output graphic image through the LCD port (e.g., DVO). And if HDVPSS is running with the M3 Firmware as default configuration, can I output graphical data to LCD display by just writing data through the frame buffer, without using Syslink?

I am not using Linux or WinCE. And I would like to know if Syslink is able to be built with a standalone runable program.

I assume the HDVPSS can be intially configured properly and run as is without the need to change the setting? Just getting the data from the frame buffer and output to LCD?

Thanks in advance.

Philip

over 14 years ago

0 Steve Clynes over 14 years ago

TI__Mastermind 43875 points

Yes, \dev\fb0 will simply be available.for accessing

BR,

Steve

0 Tianhua Chu over 14 years ago in reply to Steve Clynes

Intellectual 560 points

Hi Steve:

Thanks for replying to me.

Yet I am not using Linux and as I know, the M3 HDVPSS firmware has to be downloaded by user program e.g. procmgrapp?

Is it possible to make the customized M3 HDVPSS firmware loaded by itself or by the boot loader, thus later on my program just needs to access the frame buffer to output to LCD display?

In another words, can I simply power up DM814x EVM board even without M3 HDVPSS firmware run, and my program outputs data to LCD display by accessing the frame buffer only?

Thanks,

Philip

0 _Ralph_ over 14 years ago in reply to Tianhua Chu

Guru 10685 points

Philip,

syslink is only used by procmgrapp for loading the firmware onto the media controller. After that you don't need it. You must always load the firmware onto the media controller before use; I recommend you use the kernel module version of procmgrapp (procmgrapp.ko) to achieve this.

Ralph

0 Tianhua Chu over 14 years ago in reply to _Ralph_

Intellectual 560 points

Hi Ralph:

Other than Linux Kernel module ( I am NOT using Linux), is there any other way to load the firmware or make M3 HDVPSS work by directly writing to its registers?

Thanks,

Philip

0 _Ralph_ over 14 years ago in reply to Tianhua Chu

Guru 10685 points

Hi Philip,

all the source code is there in the Linux kernel and for ProcMgrApp so you could see for yourself how ProcMgrApp hooks into the kernel (starting clue: it calls an ioctl with an argument including a pointer to the path to the firmware ) and port that to your OS. Perhaps easier (if you don't have an OS in this context) would be to make use of the datasheet for the Ducati M3 media controller and see how it gets its firmware. I haven't seen this datasheet yet otherwise I might have been able to assist further. I'm guessing it is programmed via I2C or similar...

Ralph

0 Tianhua Chu over 14 years ago in reply to _Ralph_

Intellectual 560 points

Hi Ralph:

Thanks very much I will try to figure out how to download the firmware into M3 and in the meanwhile wait for the datasheet you mentioned.

Best regards,

Philip

0 Steve Clynes over 14 years ago in reply to Tianhua Chu

TI__Mastermind 43875 points

Unfortunately I don't think there will ever be public documentation for the media processor.

BR,

Steve

0 Tianhua Chu over 14 years ago in reply to Steve Clynes

Intellectual 560 points

Yes I am worried the same too.

When I looked at the SysLink syslink_02_00_00_68_beta1, I was not able to find the source code for aforementioned M3 firmware "c6a816x_hdvpss.xem3/ti816x_hdvpss.xem3", which I intended to customize. Can you guys please point it out to me?

I think that would be my 1st, which is to use a new firmware, then I need to port the procmgrapp or do similar things (vis I2C etc) in my own code.

Thanks,

Philip

0 _Ralph_ over 14 years ago in reply to Tianhua Chu

Guru 10685 points

I think you would be best off selecting an additional chip to provide graphics for your LCD while the DM8168 boots up, then once the boot is complete you can switch in the graphics from the DM1868.

Ralph

0 Craig Matsuura85376 over 12 years ago in reply to _Ralph_

Intellectual 745 points

There is a related post on displaying a splash screen from u-boot here.

http://e2e.ti.com/support/dsp/davinci_digital_media_processors/f/716/p/247546/866584.aspx#866584

If u-boot can display a splash screen it must have a way to load the Media Controller to access the frame buffer.

Craig

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Possible to customize the display through the DM814x M3 BIOS Firmware and use it without Syslink?