DRA821U: SDK7.3 for DRA821 building problem?

The script I said has this section:

PSDKLA_ROOTFS=tisdk-default-image-j7-evm.tar.xz
PSDKLA_BOOTFS=boot-j7-evm.tar.gz
ATF_TAG=ti2020.00
OPTEE_TAG=ti2020.00

please tell us what's the correct TAG for the ATE/OPTEE for J7200.

Please see the screen I posted.

Why the 7.3 version SDK has such a big difference between J721/J7200?

I have double checked the download package from the Ti.com twice.

Is this build-able? if lacking the compilers?

plz explain.

BR Rio 

Rio,

Regarding your comment:

"In the previous version SDK 7.2, it will have this scripts and those 3 compilers.

Scripts ==>./psdk_rtos/scripts/setup_psdk_rtos.sh "

You must be referring to the J721E SDK.  The J7200 RTOS SDK has never had this script or the linux based compilers.  It is a different platform.

The J721E and J7200 are so different because the J721E has additional cores and has additional demos targeted at Vision Applications for TDA4VM. These vision applications are hosted on Linux, but have cross compiler dependencies using TIOVX framework that share header files that need to be compiled for both Linux and RTOS images, hense it has scripts for downloading linux compilers so that the vision demo RTOS components can be built using same makefile and packages for both Linux and RTOS components.

J7200 does not have these vision use case dependencies, so the RTOS SDK is more standalone and doesn't have Linux compiler or component downloads associated with TIOVX, etc.  Hense it only has the demos needed for gateway applications.  I hope that this clarifies the differences you are seeing.

Hi Jesse:

THanks for your explanation.

However, I'm having more questions:

#1. I saw the docs in the SDK, there are 2 variants docs:

      1 is for J7200.

      1 is for DRA821.

      Sorry, I thought those 2 parts are the same, right? 

      If yes, why there are 2 variants of Docs?

      If no, do you have the slide / excel table to let us know more the difference between j and d parts?

      Here is my understanding:

         DRA829 = J721E = TDA4.

         DRA821 = J7200 = ?

       if my understanding is not correct, please send us a "complete Jacinto parts table to let us know the arch difference.

#2. please see the 821 Datasheet : 

      www.ti.com/.../dra821u.pdf

      In this DS, table 6.1, All DRA821 family has 4 A72, the differences are only the number of R5F cores.

      According your saying, are you saying all the DRA821 no needs to build any vision app? so, we only need 1 compiler for A72?

      is my understanding correct?

      And all the R5F core shall no needs to be built / compiled? Just use the Linux and loading the R5F image?

      please comment.

#3. Following #2, if so, why we need to download the RTS from the SDK?

      Just put the R5F prebuild image in the Linux though.

       Right?

BR Rio

in short, the major problem to me is:

If the SDK has RTOS, why there is no compiler for R5F?

if no need to build the R5F, why SDK has the RTOS and what it be used for?

please correct me if I'm wrong.

So, do you mean we don't need to have this script for J7200? please confirm.

Rio Chan said:

#1. I saw the docs in the SDK, there are 2 variants docs:

      1 is for J7200.

      1 is for DRA821.

      Sorry, I thought those 2 parts are the same, right? 

      If yes, why there are 2 variants of Docs?

      If no, do you have the slide / excel table to let us know more the difference between j and d parts?

      Here is my understanding:

         DRA829 = J721E = TDA4.

         DRA821 = J7200 = ?

       if my understanding is not correct, please send us a "complete Jacinto parts table to let us know the arch difference.

From the download page, you will see 2 different documentation sections: DRA821U and DRA821A

The DRA821U is named J7200 because it was the original superset platform for DRA821 family.  It has A72s as well as R5 cores. See https://www.ti.com/product/DRA821U

The DRA821A is named as dra821a in the doc file as it is a follow on cut down device which only has A72s and NOT R5 cores. There used to be a product page for this, but I can't find it now.  I'm following up with marketing to find out what happened to it.  The documentation is different because we wanted to make it clear that it was only A72 and no R5Fs in the documentation for this variant without having if...else everywhere in the documentation.

You are correct:

J721E  is the common software platform name for the DRA829 (gateway market) and TDA4VM (vision analytics market)

J7200 is the common software platform name for DRA821 (and any letters at the end)

Rio Chan said:

#2. please see the 821 Datasheet : 

      www.ti.com/.../dra821u.pdf

      In this DS, table 6.1, All DRA821 family has 4 A72, the differences are only the number of R5F cores.

      According your saying, are you saying all the DRA821 no needs to build any vision app? so, we only need 1 compiler for A72?

      is my understanding correct?

      And all the R5F core shall no needs to be built / compiled? Just use the Linux and loading the R5F image?

      please comment.

The PSDK RTOS SDK for J7200 doesn't have any components that need to be compiled on the A72 linux, only SYSBIOS.  So the compiler included in the PSDK RTOS SDK (gcc-arm-9.2-2019.12-x86_64-aarch64-none-elf), is if you wanted to compile SYSBIOS on the A72.  The compiler for the R5Fs is ti-cgt-arm_20.2.0.LTS.  So in the PSDK RTOS SDK for J7200, there are 2 compilers: 1 for A72 if running SYSBIOS on A72, and the other is for R5F running SYSBIOS OS.

To compile Linux components on the A72, then you use PSDK Linux SDK for J7200, which has the Linux GCC compiler included in the linux-devkit.

Rio Chan said:

#3. Following #2, if so, why we need to download the RTS from the SDK?

      Just put the R5F prebuild image in the Linux though.

When you say RTS, I am not sure what you are referring to.  Can you clarify?  What kind of R5F prebuilt image are you looking for?  The Linux filesystem for PSDK Linux SDK has already a prebuilt R5F image, but it doesn't really do much other than host SCI server.  If you want to use R5F for something more, then you would need to download the RTOS SDK and use it to modify and build what you want to put on the R5F.  If all you want is linux on the A72 with nothing else on R5F, then you are right, you can just download the PSDK Linux filesystem and put it on SD card and run.

Please let me know if I misunderstood.

Rio Chan said:

If the SDK has RTOS, why there is no compiler for R5F?

The compiler for R5F is : ti-cgt-arm_20.2.0.LTS

Rio Chan said:

So, do you mean we don't need to have this script for J7200? please confirm.

Correct, we do not need this script for J7200.

Hi Jesse:

THanks for your valuable information, I learn something new.

More questions from my side:

#!. If using the DRA821A, how many cores of R5 On it? 

     What are the building procedure if I want to have Linux on A72 and RTOS on R5?

     Do you have the DRA821A build documents? 

     I heard we remove the DRA821A, so, I don't need to learn this?

#2. If using the DRA821U, so, no R5F on it.

      If using A72 + Linux, Do you have Linux for A72 building document for it?

      If using A72 + RTOS, Do you have the RTOS for A72 building document for it?

      I heard we are moving to FreeRTOS (MCU + SDK), so, this will change from TI RTOS to FreeRTOS on DRA821U as well?

BR Rio

Hi Jesse:

According your saying , the TI RTOS / FreeRTOS is only for the R5F ofDRA821U, then, there is no document to address how to merge the built R5F core image into A72 Linux to load it up.

#1.

If you are not willing the customer to modify the R5F core, then, you only need to make R5F image as an lib / .out file to be loaded from A72 Linux booting.

Thus, there is no need to have the TI RTOS / FreeRTOS package in the SDK.

#2. If you are allowing the end-user to modify the R5F core to build with TI RTOS/FreeRTOS, then, we need to have mode detail documentation / SW roadmap of the FreeRTOS. 

      And the important document is : how to merge the R5F core image in the Linux.

Is my suggestion reasonable? Or, plz correct me if I'm wrong.

BR Rio

Rio Chan said:

According your saying , the TI RTOS / FreeRTOS is only for the R5F ofDRA821U, then, there is no document to address how to merge the built R5F core image into A72 Linux to load it up.

Have you seen the following developer notes as part of the PSDK RTOS documentation:

- https://software-dl.ti.com/jacinto7/esd/processor-sdk-rtos-j7200/07_03_00_07/exports/docs/psdk_rtos/docs/user_guide/developer_notes_psdkla.html

- https://software-dl.ti.com/jacinto7/esd/processor-sdk-rtos-j7200/07_03_00_07/exports/docs/psdk_rtos/docs/user_guide/developer_notes_mcu1_0_sysfw.html

Rio Chan said:

#1.

If you are not willing the customer to modify the R5F core, then, you only need to make R5F image as an lib / .out file to be loaded from A72 Linux booting.

Thus, there is no need to have the TI RTOS / FreeRTOS package in the SDK.

We give the customers options:

1. If customers don't want to make any changes on R5F, then they can take just the PSDK Linux which already has the R5F image prebuilt and integrated into the uboot.

2. If customers do want to make changes to R5F, then they should also download the PSDK RTOS, build their changes into an image, and follow the instructions from the documentation listed above for updating the uboot accordingly.

Rio Chan said:

#2. If you are allowing the end-user to modify the R5F core to build with TI RTOS/FreeRTOS, then, we need to have mode detail documentation / SW roadmap of the FreeRTOS. 

      And the important document is : how to merge the R5F core image in the Linux.

Is my suggestion reasonable? Or, plz correct me if I'm wrong

Can you please look at following document and let me know if this is what you are looking for:

https://software-dl.ti.com/jacinto7/esd/processor-sdk-rtos-j7200/07_03_00_07/exports/docs/psdk_rtos/docs/user_guide/developer_notes_mcu1_0_sysfw.html

If not, can you clarify what specifically seems to be missing and we can try to amend the documentation accordingly.

Hi Jesse:

Thanks for the valuable info.

I will study them.

1 more question:

The 3 links (actually 2 links) you provided as the above discussion.

This link is talking about the TI RTOS:

https://software-dl.ti.com/jacinto7/esd/processor-sdk-rtos-j7200/07_03_00_07/exports/docs/psdk_rtos/docs/user_guide/developer_notes_mcu1_0_sysfw.html

Do you have the "FreeRTOS" version? (FreeRTOS is not the same with TI RTOS)

THanks.

BR Rio

Hi Jesse:

Thanks four your fast / continuous, I will close this thread.

BR Rio