Codec Engine 2.00 Release Notes
October 2007
This Codec Engine Release is targetted to the DaVinci platforms,
enabling users to instantiate and utilize both local and remote codecs.
In addition to heterogenous devices (e.g. DM644x), it supports single
processor environments as well; specifically C64+ devices (e.g. DM643x,
and DM648), ARM9 devices running Linux (e.g. DM355) and x86 devices running
Linux.
Introduction,
Documentation,
What's New,
Upgrade Info,
Compatibility Information,
Device Support,
Validation Info,
Known Issues,
Examples,
Version Information,
Technical Support.
The Codec Engine is a software platform for algorithm execution that
satisfies the following, high-level goals:
- Robust - drives pre-integrated components with fully
characterized performance.
- Easy to use - app developers specify what needs to
be run, but not how or where.
- Extensible and Configurable - new algorithms can be added
by anyone, using standard tools and techniques.
- Portable - API's are target, platform, and in many cases
even codec independant.
The Codec Engine consists of the following packages:
- ti.sdo.ce - The Codec Engine runtime.
- ti.sdo.ce.video1 - The Codec Engine video 1.00 component
(supporting the xDM 1.00 interfaces). Both encode and decode
are supported, and an example is provided.
- ti.sdo.ce.image1 - The Codec Engine image 1.00 component
(supporting the xDM 1.00 interfaces). Both encode and decode
are supported, and an example is provided.
- ti.sdo.ce.speech1 - The Codec Engine speech 1.00 component
(supporting the xDM 1.00 interfaces). Both encode and decode
are supported, and an example is provided.
- ti.sdo.ce.audio1 - The Codec Engine audio 1.00 component
(supporting the xDM 1.00 interfaces). Both encode and decode
are supported, and an example is provided.
- ti.sdo.ce.osal - The Codec Engine OS Abstraction
Layer. This package insulates CE from the OS it's running on, and
provides a few Modules for customers to use (e.g. Memory).
- ti.sdo.ce.utils.trace - The Codec Engine utility
package for trace. This includes the TraceUtils module. This makes
tracing features easier to use by an application. It will be
supported in this release, but may be replaced in a future release
with an incompatible implementation.
Additionally, this release of the Codec Engine continues to support
the deprecated xDM 0.9 interfaces included in xDAIS 5.00. This
support is provided in the following packages:
- ti.sdo.ce.video - The Codec Engine video component.
Both encode and decode are supported, and an example is provided.
- ti.sdo.ce.image - The Codec Engine image component.
Both encode and decode are supported, and an example is provided.
- ti.sdo.ce.speech - The Codec Engine speech/voice
component.
Both encode and decode are supported, and an example is provided.
- ti.sdo.ce.audio - The Codec Engine audio component.
Both encode and decode are supported, and an example is provided.
The following documentation is available:
- Codec Engine Application Developer's Guide
- Codec Engine Server Integrator's Guide
- Codec Engine Algorithm Creator User's Guide
- Codec Engine Application Programming Interface (API) Reference
Guide (HTML | CHM)
- Codec Engine System Programming Interface (SPI) Reference
Guide (HTML | CHM)
- Configuration Reference Guide.
- Using Adapters
to Run Existing xDAIS Algorithms with Codec Engine App Note
In addition, users are encouraged to monitor (and contribute to!) the
DaVinci DSP Wiki.
Release notes from previous releases are also available in the
relnotes_archive directory.
The following significant changes have been made since 1.00
2.00 (This Release)
- New features
- In Linux-based applications, Codec Engine is now callable from
multiple processes. For environments that require DSP/BIOS Link
(e.g. DM644x), users must use Link 1.40.05 P3. For single
processor environments (e.g. DM355), no special instructions are
required. Note that, as always, codecs that
share resources must be configured into the same scratch group. These
scratch groups span processes - so if two different apps use codecs
that share resources, the system integrator must ensure they are placed
into the same system-wide scratch group.
- Support for the new IVIDTRANSCODE xDM API has been added. This
provides a standard API for invoking video transcoding algorithms.
See the Reference Guide for details.
- Added cache management configuration to xDM 0.9-based remote
image and video algorithms. Using this feature, it is possible to
configure these interfaces to not writeback the output data
buffers if, for example, these are being moved between internal and
external (shared) memory using DMA. This can significantly improve
performance of remote process() calls, as writing back large video or
image buffers is time consuming. See the Configuration Reference Guide,
specifically the
ti.sdo.ce.video.VIDDECConfig/.VIDENCConfig
(and similar modules in the ti.sdo.ce.image package) for
details.
- Applications can create remote instances of the same algorithm
to run at different priorities. This enables applications to have,
for example, background transcoding or encoding tasks running alongside
real-time encode or decode operations that use the same codec.
This is handled by adding the priority to the codec name during
creation (e.g. "mpeg3dec:4"). See the Application Developer's Guide
and API Reference Guide for details.
- Improved trace usability with new CE_DEBUG environment
variable. See the Application Developer's Guide for details.
- Updated Dependencies
- Updated to xDAIS 6.00
- Updated to Framework Components 2.00
- Updated to CMEM 2.00
- Updated to XDC 3.00.01
- The following defects were resolved:
ID |
Headline |
SDSCM00017691 |
viddec1_skel.c has wrong array index |
SDSCM00019236 |
SPHDEC1 and SPHENC1 stubs/skels don't support inArgs->data and
outBuf->bufSize fields |
SDSCM00019266 |
VISA _create() calls with params.size "too big" cause assert for
remote algs |
SDSCM00019432 |
xDM 1.00 stubs fail to initialize internal status->data.buf to
NULL |
SDSCM00019767 |
Need to provide workaround for ISPHENC1/ISPHDEC1 creation params |
- The following enhancements were resolved:
ID |
Headline |
SDSCM00010976 |
Provide per-codec instance priority configuration/modification |
SDSCM00015261 |
Codec Engine must be callable from multiple Linux Processes
|
SDSCM00017409 |
Provide an example app demonstrating dynamically loading a CE .so
|
SDSCM00018299 |
Add support for 'registering/unregistering' non-CMEM managed buffers
in the Memory_ lookup tables
|
1.20
- General
- Updated to xDAIS 5.21, which includes xDM 1.00 interfaces
- Updated to DSP/BIOS Link 1.40.05 - this resulted in some
necessary configuration-related changes
- Updated to Framework Components 1.20.02
- Updated to new XDC Tools 2.93.01
- Updated to CMEM 1.04
- Added examples for single-processor, environments (e.g. DM643x) -
this includes placing executables into platform-specific directories,
as well as demonstrating necessary caching techniques for cache-enabled
environments.
- Added Link Arbiter Daemon (LAD)
- Added CERuntime_exit() for applications which want to erase any
CE Runtime from their environment without exiting their application.
This is useful if, for example, an application wants to switch between
a Codec Engine based environment, and a custom DSP Link-based framework.
- Moved examples into "Codec Engine-specific" namespaces (e.g., the
previous codecs.viddec1_copy codec package is now the
ti.sdo.ce.examples.codecs.viddec1_copy package).
- Added configuration option to xDM 0.9-based video encoders
to not manage the cache for the reconstruction buffers.
- Added 'checked' builds to the distribution. This enables
some parameter and usage validation to occur within the CE
framework, helping to identify common coding errors in both
applications and algorithms. Enabling this optional feature
introduces some performance overhead, but is encouraged for
those early in development. This can be enabled in the
application configuration, as well as the Server (for systems
with remote algorithms). See the documentation on the
ti.sdo.ce.Settings Module's "checked" parameter in the
Configuration Reference Guide.
- BIOS-based environments
- Added LOG_events for profiling performance
- The following defects were resolved:
ID |
Headline |
SDSCM00014413 |
xdcpaths.mak requires FC installation in ".lite" release |
SDSCM00014540 |
CE OSAL requires presence of dsplink.dsp package even if it's used
in a DSP/BIOS-only setting |
SDSCM00015336 |
Scale example's SCALE_Params struct does not have the required
IALG_Params struct as its first element |
- The following enhancements were resolved:
ID |
Headline |
SDSCM00013759 |
CMEM should support multiple processes |
SDSCM00014703 |
Add Memory_cacheWb() to OSAL |
1.10
- General
- Updated to C6x Codegen 6.0.7
- Updated to DSP/BIOS 5.31.01
- Updated to Framework Components 1.10.01
- Updated to xDAIS 5.10, which includes xDM 1.00 beta
interfaces
- CE Runtime
- Added new methods to ti.sdo.ce.ICodec interface
(getCreationStackSize(),
getDaramScratchSize(), and
getSaramScratchSize()) to make Server configuration
easier. When codecs implement these methods, the XDC Tools
are able to either:
- Auto-generate the DSKT2 scratch configuration, or
- Validate the scratch config (if the server integrator
wants to continue explicitly configuring those values).
- VISA
- Added support for xDM 1.00 Beta interfaces. (Previous xDM
0.9 interfaces continue to be supported)
- SPI (System Programming Interfaces)
- Added VISA_setContext() and
VISA_getContext() services for stub/skeleton/API authors.
- Documentation
- Added "Adapter" application note describing how to integrate
non-xDM codecs, as well as a technique for adding pre- and post-
processing steps to existing codecs without modifying them.
- Examples
-
Added new, Linux-only example demonstrating how users can
create a shared library from a single configuration, which can
then be used by multiple applications.
-
Added a new example, explicitly describing the steps taking
during configuration to better demonstrate the necessary
configuration steps for users who want to integrate this into
their own, custom build flows.
-
Modified example codecs, when possible, to utilize copy
codecs now distributed in xDAIS 5.10. In this way, it's more
clearly described what little XDC packaging is required to
integrate an already XDC packaged Codec (independant of CE) into
the CE framework.
- Defects
- SDSCM00010422 - CE and CMEM should set the close-on-exec
flag on any open file handles
- SDSCM00005810 - Additional C++ testing required
- SDSCM00004993 - GT no longer supports wildcards as second
character
- SDSCM00004805 - GT computes (a lot) during GT_?trace()
- Enhancements
- SDSCM00010364 - GT needs productized
- SDSCM00008121 - not possible to properly size RMS thread's
stack
- SDSCM00007887 - Support VISA_getContext/setContext SPIs
- SDSCM00006616 - CE should ensure unique UUIDs
- SDSCM00003992 - Add pre- and/or post- process example to
codecs
- SDSCM00002920 - ICodec should have a getScratchSize method
1.02
- General
- Introduced ti.sdo.ce.utils.trace.TraceUtils
module.
- Libraries are now provided in release builds. Previously,
they were debug-only.
- Introduced Engine_setTrace() API.
- Added support for C++
- VISA Classes
- Added extended xDM support to the remaining 3 classes
(AUDENC, VIDENC, and SPHENC).
- Documentation
- Addition of System Programming Interface (SPI) Reference
Guide.
- Codec Engine Server Integrator's Guide (SPRUED5)
- Codec Engine Algorithm Creator User's Guide (SPRUED6)
- Minor updates to the Codec Engine Application Developer's
Guide (SPRUE67A)
1.01
- General
- Many trace strings were modified/added.
- C64P libraries built with 6.0.3 compiler.
- VISA Classes
- Audio Encoding support has been added
- Better compliance checking of "size" field. This field
must be set correctly in the various VISA APIs, as it is
now used to determine how much data to provide to the
codecs.
- Related to previous bullet, added extended xDM support to
VIDDEC, VIDENC, AUDDEC, IMGDEC, and SPHDEC classes. There are
limits to the size of the extended structures, and they must not
contain pointers in the extended structures.
- outArgs fixed to be provided in the case of a failed
process() call (enabling inspection of extendedError).
- Removed cache alignment validation of input buffers. When the
application can ensure cache coherence, these buffers need not be
aligned.
- Documentation
- Minor updates to the Codec Engine Application Developer's
Guide (SPRUE67A)
The Codec Engine packages are available in the "packages/"
subdirectory of the product. If you have a previous release of the
Codec Engine product, you can install this release next to it, and
modify your application and/or server builds to use this newer release.
If you're using the DVEVM, this can be done by setting the
CE_INSTALL_DIR variable in the Rules.make file at the
top of the DVEVM distribution directory.
Compatibility Breaks!
- CE 2.00 requires system integrators to update to XDC Tools 3.00.01
(or newer).
- Memory_getPhysicalAddress() was previously an internal,
undocumented function, but was used by many customers as the DVSDK program
called it from their demo apps. CE does have a more powerful,
and supported API - Memory_getBufferPhysicalAddress() that
customers should be using. To support backward compatibility with users
of Memory_getPhysicalAddress(), we added a static inline version
of this API to the Memory.h header - but users must define
ti_sdo_ce_osal_Memory_USEDEPRECATEDAPIS before
#include <ti/sdo/ce/osal/Memory.h>. This can be done
with either a #define or by defining it on the command line
(e.g. -D compile option).
Some packages have broken compatibility with previous releases. The details
provided below describe each package's compatibility with the previous release
(1.20).
Note, the Configuration Reference Guide contains
further details about each package.
-
ti.dsplink.utils.lad - This package is
incompatibile with the previous release. (Compatibility key:
1,0,0 -> 2,0,0))
-
ti.dsplink.utils.ladclient - This package is
compatibile with the previous release. (Compatibility key:
1,0,0 -> 1,0,0))
-
ti.sdo.ce - This package is compatible with the
previous release. (Compatibility key: 1,0,4 -> 1,0,
5)
-
ti.sdo.ce.audio - This package is compatible with the
previous release. (Compatibility key: 1,0,1 -> 1,0,1)
-
ti.sdo.ce.audio1 - This package is
compatibile with the previous release. (Compatibility key:
1,0,0 -> 1,0,0))
-
ti.sdo.ce.bioslog - This package is compatible with the
previous release. (Compatibility key: 1,0,1 -> 1,0,1)
-
ti.sdo.ce.image - This package is compatible with the
previous release. (Compatibility key: 1,0,1 -> 1,0,
2)
-
ti.sdo.ce.image1 - This package is
compatibile with the previous release. (Compatibility key:
1,0,0 -> 1,0,0))
-
ti.sdo.ce.node - This package is compatible with the
previous release. (Compatibility key: 1,0,0 -> 1,0,0)
-
ti.sdo.ce.osal - This package is compatible
with the previous release. (Compatibility key: 2,0,0 -> 2,0,
1)
-
ti.sdo.ce.speech - This package is compatible with the
previous release. (Compatibility key: 1,0,1 -> 1,0,1)
-
ti.sdo.ce.speech1 - This package is compatible with the
previous release. (Compatibility key: 1,0,0 -> 1,0,0)
-
ti.sdo.ce.trace - This package is compatible with the
previous release. (Compatibility key: 1,0,0 -> 1,0,0)
-
ti.sdo.ce.utils - This package is compatible with the
previous release. (Compatibility key: 1,0,0 -> 1,0,0)
-
ti.sdo.ce.utils.trace - This package is compatible
with the previous release. (Compatibility key: 1,0,1 -> 1,0,1)
-
ti.sdo.ce.utils.xdm - This package is
compatible with the previous release. (Compatibility key:
1,0,0 -> 1,0,1)
-
ti.sdo.ce.video - This package is
compatible with the previous release. (Compatibility key:
1,0,1 -> 1,0,2)
-
ti.sdo.ce.video1 - This package is compatible
with the previous release. (Compatibility key: 1,0,0 -> 1,0,0)
The following packages have been removed from this release.
-
ti.sdo.ce.osal.alg - This package was moved into the
new ti.sdo.ce.alg package. The removal of this package
should have no impact on customers as it was an internal package with
no documented interfaces.
The following packages are being introduced in this release, and therefore
have no compatibility with previous releases.
-
ti.sdo.ce.alg (Compatibility key:
1,0,0)
-
ti.sdo.vidanalytics (Compatibility key:
1,0,0)
-
ti.sdo.vidtranscode (Compatibility key:
1,0,0)
If migrating from a release prior to CE 1.20, consult previous
releases available in the relnotes_archive directory.
Compatibility Key Definitions
Compatibility keys are intentionally independent of Marketing product
numbers and are intended to:
- Enable tooling to identify incompatibilities between components,
and
- Convey a level of compatibility between different releases to
set end user expectations.
Compatibility keys are composed of 3 comma-delimited numbers - M,S,R
- where:
- M = Major. A difference in M indicates a break in
compatibility.
- S = Source. A difference in S indicates source
compability. That is, the user's source doesn't require change, but
does require rebuilding.
- R = Radix. A difference in R indicates an introduction
of new features, but compatibility with previous interfaces has not
broken. If libraries are provided by the package, an application
must re-link with the new libraries, but not rebuild from source.
This release supports the following devices:
- DM6446 EVM:
- dual-processor configuration, running ARM9 MV Linux (gcclib) and
C64+ DSP/BIOS
- dual-processor configuration, running ARM9 MV Linux (uClibc) and
C64+ DSP/BIOS
- single-processor configuration, running ARM9 MV Linux (gcclib)
- single-processor configuration, running ARM9 MV Linux (uClibc)
- DM355 EVM:
- single-processor configuration, running ARM9 MV Linux (gcclib)
- single-processor configuration, running ARM9 MV Linux (uClibc)
- DM6437 EVM, single processor configuration:
- DM647/8 EVM, single processor configuration:
- C64+ simulators, single processor configuration:
- x86 Linux, single processor configuration:
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3
This release was built and validated against using the following components:
- Framework Components 2.00
- xDAIS 6.00
- XDC Tools 3.00.01
- DSP/BIOS Link 1.40.05 P1, configured for the DM6446 EVM
- C6x Code Generation Tools version 6.0.8
- DSP/BIOS 5.31.08
- MontaVista Linux v4.0
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 (SMP)
This release was validated in the following configurations:
- DM6446 EVM, dual-processor configuration:
- dual-processor configuration, running ARM9 MV Linux (gcclib) and
C64+ DSP/BIOS
- dual-processor configuration, running ARM9 MV Linux (uClibc) and
C64+ DSP/BIOS
- single-processor configuration, running ARM9 MV Linux (gcclib)
- single-processor configuration, running ARM9 MV Linux (uClibc)
- DM6437 EVM, single processor configuration:
- C64+ simulators, single processor configuration:
- x86 Linux, single processor configuration:
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3
None.
Codec Engine examples and instructions are located in the
"examples" directory.
- Example Build Instructions
This product's version follows a version format, M.mm.pp.bb,
where M is a single digit Major number, mm is 2 digit
minor number, pp is a 2 digit patch number, and b is an
unrestricted set of digits used as an incrementing build counter.
To support multiple side-by-side installations of the product, the
product version is encoded in the top level directory,
ex. codec_engine_2_00.
Subsequent releases of patch upgrades will be identified by the patch
number, ex. CE 2.00.01 with directory codec_engine_2_00_01.
Typically, these patches only include critical bug fixes.
For technical support, contact softwaresupport@ti.com
Check the following web site for updates: https://www-a.ti.com/downloads/sds_support/targetcontent/CE/index.html
Last updated: October 21, 2007