AM5728: IPU2 availability for custom firmware

Gonzalo Vara

Part Number: AM5728

Hello,

We are proposing to use the SITARA AM57x cores in the following way:

SDK Linux running on Cortex-A.
SDK RTOS on the rest of the cores (Cortex-M and DSP C66x).

There is some controversy in the forum about whether it is possible to use the IPU2 (Cortex-M4) in applications that do not require multimedia support for IVA-HD. See below links:

https://e2e.ti.com/support/processors/f/791/t/586950

https://e2e.ti.com/support/processors/f/791/p/838347/3100896

In reply to Ahmad_Rashed:

I’ve asked around and found the answer is that we do not allow the IPU2 to be used for any purpose. The software teams will not support running your own firmware on the IPU2. It is however a separate subsystem from the IVA cores.

Best Regards, Mark P

Finally it is not clear if you can use the IPU2 for your own firmware or not. If possible, what would be the steps to be able to use it and avoid incompatibilities with the multimedia part of the Linux SDK?

Thanks a lot for for your support.

Best regards,

Gonzalo Vara

over 5 years ago

0 Gonzalo Vara over 5 years ago

Intellectual 400 points

Hello,

Could you give me a hand with this?

Thank you very much in advance.

Best regards,

Gonzalo

0 Stanley Liu over 5 years ago in reply to Gonzalo Vara

TI__Guru 50045 points

Hi Gonzalo,

Please refer to datasheet of the particular part number to see if a specific feature is available.

In case of AM5728, you can find IPU2 is available as indicated by datasheet. You can use it.

However, the framework in Processor SDK (with Linux on A15) for IPU2 is implemented for Vidoe Codec utilizing IVAHD.

This is common TI Linux SDK implementation for A15 (Linux) + IPU2 (RTOS) usage on all similar architecture.

You can use IPU2 and build your own firmware. Please follow the document link below.

https://software-dl.ti.com/processor-sdk-linux/esd/docs/06_03_00_106/linux/Foundational_Components_IPC.html#ipc-for-am57xx

Regards,
Stanley

0 Gonzalo Vara over 5 years ago in reply to Stanley Liu

Intellectual 400 points

Hello Stanley,

Thank you for your support.

What would be the best way to disable the IVA-HD part in the Linux SDK so that we don't have any kind of interference neither in the Linux running in the Cortex-A15 nor in the RTOS running in the IPU2? Do you have any kind of documentation that we can use as a reference?

Best regards,

Gonzalo

0 Stanley Liu over 5 years ago in reply to Gonzalo Vara

TI__Guru 50045 points

As long as you load your own firmware to IPU2, not the IPUMM firmware intended to use IVAHD, you don't have to specifically disable IVAHD.

0 AnBer over 5 years ago in reply to Stanley Liu

TI__Mastermind 30110 points

Hi Stanley,

I have found this thread about disabling IPU2 in the Linux DTS:

https://e2e.ti.com/support/processors/f/791/t/834594?keyMatch=IPU2&tisearch=Search-EN-everything

But it does not give a definitive answer.
The idea here is to disable the IPU2 for "safety" reason to ensure that it is not going to create issues if not used.
Is it safe to do that in the Linux DTS? If it is done at the DTS level will it create further issues with remoteProc/IPC at init time to use the other cores?

Please re-direct this question to the Sitara Linux team so that we can understand the HW + SW context.

Thanks in advance,

0 Stanley Liu over 5 years ago in reply to AnBer

TI__Guru 50045 points

You can certainly remove IPU2 from remote_proc and ipc if you want.

However, my understanding of the original question is if IPU2 can be used on AM5728 for customer's own purpose. And it is yes.

At the same time, obviously, you can disable it if you want to.

0 Gonzalo Vara over 5 years ago in reply to Stanley Liu

Intellectual 400 points

Thank you both for your support!

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AM5728: IPU2 availability for custom firmware