AM68A: Please suggest AM6x / EVM for Vision Analytics, Audio and Radar Processing

Somnath Mukherjee

Part Number: AM68A
Other Parts Discussed in Thread: AM67A, AM68, AM69, AM67

Tool/software:

Hi,
I am looking for an EVM which will have processing capability like AM68A. However, I would like to understand how I can connect and use this EVM for the following applications:

1) Mic array-based voice recognition and NLP - is there any HW design or a set of connectors, boards that I can make use of? Is there any demo related to that in TI AM6x SDK?

2) Ability to connect the above mentioned EVM to any off-the-shelf Radar EVM for object classification, tracking?

3) Ability to connect off-the-shelf camera modules for vision analytics

If the AM68A EVM is not suitable, please suggest some other SoC and EVM that will serve the purpose.

Will AM62A or AM67A EVMs be suitable for the above applications? Do they have suitable connectors to connect off-the-shelf camera, mic-array, TI radar EVMs?

Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Somnath

3 days ago

0 Somnath Mukherjee 3 days ago

Prodigy 10 points

In addition to answering the above questions, please clarify if C7x DSPs are programmable by users or reserved for TI's proprietary algorithms? The discussion here seems to indicate that it can't be accessed by users?

(+) AM68A: Can the AM68A internal DSP run the customer's code? Do audio processing - Processors forum - Processors - TI E2E support forums

0 Praveen Rao 2 days ago in reply to Somnath Mukherjee

TI__Mastermind 36492 points

Somnath Mukherjee said:
looking for an EVM which will have processing capability like AM68A

We have a couple of options:

- Small form-factor starter kit board --> https://www.ti.com/tool/SK-AM68

- Large form-factor EVM board based on J721S2 (same platform on which AM68A is based) --> SOM module https://www.ti.com/tool/J721S2XSOMXEVM that needs to be used with the base board https://www.ti.com/tool/J721EXCPXEVM

Somnath Mukherjee said:
1) Mic array-based voice recognition and NLP - is there any HW design or a set of connectors, boards that I can make use of? Is there any demo related to that in TI AM6x SDK?

The mic/line-in is unavailable on the starter kit board but is present on the EVM board. However, there is no software support or demo related to your question.

Somnath Mukherjee said:
2) Ability to connect the above mentioned EVM to any off-the-shelf Radar EVM for object classification, tracking?

We don't have any example out of the box for doing this.

Somnath Mukherjee said:
3) Ability to connect off-the-shelf camera modules for vision analytics

The AM69A Linux SDK do have support to few camera modules, like OV5640 and IMX219 see; https://software-dl.ti.com/jacinto7/esd/processor-sdk-linux-am68a/10_00_00/exports/edgeai-docs/devices/AM68A/linux/getting_started.html#hardware-setup

Somnath Mukherjee said:
Will AM62A or AM67A EVMs be suitable for the above applications? Do they have suitable connectors to connect off-the-shelf camera, mic-array, TI radar EVMs?

Please post a separate E2E specific to AM62A, as a different team handles it. With regards to AM67A EVM, the answers are the same as above. Read more here: https://software-dl.ti.com/jacinto7/esd/processor-sdk-linux-am67a/10_00_00/exports/edgeai-docs/devices/AM67A/linux/getting_started.html

Somnath Mukherjee said:
In addition to answering the above questions, please clarify if C7x DSPs are programmable by users or reserved for TI's proprietary algorithms? The discussion here seems to indicate that it can't be accessed by users?

Yes, On AM68A, the DSPs are close-boxed for TI Deep learning (TIDL) only. Please refer Slide 7 https://software-dl.ti.com/jacinto7/esd/processor-sdk-linux-am68/09_02_00_04/exports/SW_Roadmap.pdf

Thanks,

0 Somnath Mukherjee 2 days ago in reply to Praveen Rao

Prodigy 10 points

Hi Praveen,
Hope you are doing well, and thanks for the prompt response :)

On my question regarding connection to mic-array, I was referring to connection with modules like PCM1864-Based Linear Microphone Board Reference Design. Is it possible to connect the AM67x, AM68x, AM69x EVM or SK to such mic-array module? I can understand that the demo doesn't exist today. But is it possible for someone to check if such HW connection can be made between AM boards and mic-array board like that, and provide some guidance? BTW I came across that mic-array module from an App Note Sitara Linux ALSA DSP Microphone Array Voice Recognition. Is there a demo which is something similar or more advanced on AM6x now?

Is there any audio demo like APPE Audio Post Processing Engine on Jacinto DRA7x Family of Devices etc. running on any AM6x EVM today?

From the user guide you pointed to, it seems that SK boards provide a way to connect to the camera modules RPiV2 and USB camera modules directly, which is good. But the user-guide 2. Getting started — Processor SDK Linux Edge AI for AM67A Documentation mentions the board as EVM. However, I believe it's nothing but the SK-AM67A - can you please confirm once?

I am a little confused when we say C7x DSPs not being available to the user! From the roadmap slides that you shared, I see the TIDL is deployed on the C7x today. But, if I don't want to use the entire TIDL or I want to use the C7x for my custom algorithm (and integrated with application from Linux), is it not possible today? What restricts the user to add his/her own SW to C7x in the TI SDK?

Is the TIDL provided in the SDK available in the source form?

Thank you once again for all the detail answer.

Regards.
Somnath

0 Praveen Rao 1 day ago in reply to Somnath Mukherjee

TI__Mastermind 36492 points

Hi Somnath,

Somnath Mukherjee said:
On my question regarding connection to mic-array, I was referring to connection with modules like PCM1864-Based Linear Microphone Board Reference Design. Is it possible to connect the AM67x, AM68x, AM69x EVM or SK to such mic-array module?

The above mentioned EVM was not validated to use the mentioned reference design. As noted in the document link, section 3.1.2 calls out the supported EVMs.

Somnath Mukherjee said:
But is it possible for someone to check if such HW connection can be made between AM boards and mic-array board like that, and provide some guidance? BTW I came across that mic-array module from an App Note Sitara Linux ALSA DSP Microphone Array Voice Recognition. Is there a demo which is something similar or more advanced on AM6x now?

As noted the SK boards was not designed for this particular use case, Hence there are no demo on AM67, AM68 & AM69.

Somnath Mukherjee said:
Is there any audio demo like APPE Audio Post Processing Engine on Jacinto DRA7x Family of Devices etc. running on any AM6x EVM today?

No, we do not, since the audio was not the main use-case for this SoC. Please reach out to your local TI sales team who can guide you the right use of this SoC and the supported software that is provided with the SDK.

Somnath Mukherjee said:
But the user-guide 2. Getting started — Processor SDK Linux Edge AI for AM67A Documentation mentions the board as EVM. However, I believe it's nothing but the SK-AM67A - can you please confirm once?

This is a typo that can be ignored.

Somnath Mukherjee said:
I am a little confused when we say C7x DSPs not being available to the user! From the roadmap slides that you shared, I see the TIDL is deployed on the C7x today. But, if I don't want to use the entire TIDL or I want to use the C7x for my custom algorithm (and integrated with application from Linux), is it not possible today? What restricts the user to add his/her own SW to C7x in the TI SDK?

The TIDL and related components are provided by TI as firmware binaries and we expect the customer to use them directly. Customer usage of C7x is not support for AM68 and AM68A SoCs, since our SDK has limited software features for general purpose C7x usage and hence there would be limited support.

Somnath Mukherjee said:
Is the TIDL provided in the SDK available in the source form?

Yes, TIDL source would be provided in the Firmware Builder package for special NDA customer base on their project needs.

Thanks.