This repository contains the sourcecode for the ucode_interface project. This tool is used to perform the following functions:
- Connect to a remote target running the
em8xxx_server. - Load either the debug or release version of the microcode.
- Initialize the microcode interface.
- Send the init & play commands.
- Stream the media file through the bitstream FIFO.
- Wait for user to hit 'q' to quit.
This section discusses how to check-out the ucode_interface project from the git repository.
Currently this project must be built as a 32bit executable. The project also utilizes the latest features of C++11 thus it requires compiling with a suitable compiler. gcc-4.9 is available on the Ubuntu 14.04 distribution and is the compiler used to generate the libraries and executables. See the section below regarding any other dependencies of the ucode_interface project.
Two repositories should be checked out. The first is the repository containing the ucode_interface sourcecode and the second is the repository containing the pre-built microcode for a variety of platforms.
Make a directory to keep the project in:
$> mkdir ucode-interface
$> cd ucode-interface
To check out the source-code repository:
$> git clone ssh://gitmaster@revelation.sdesigns.com/home/gitmaster/gitroot/ucode_interface.git
To check out the microcode repository:
$> git clone ssh://gitmaster@revelation.sdesigns.com/home/gitmaster/gitroot/ucode_repository.git
Make a symbolic link inside the ucode_interface directory to the ucode_repository directory.
$> cd ucode_interface
$> ln -s ../ucode_repository/ ucode
The ucode_interface project employs a novel build system based on the make tool and Make scripts. These build scripts are located in the Build directory. A text-based GUI based on dialog provides a wrapper around the makefiles and it builds all required modules in a variety of manners (static, shared, 32-bit, 64-bit). This build system is also used for many of the tools including the Debugger and the Probe.
The first step is to source the env.sh script located in the top-level of the ucode_interface project. This script puts various scripts into the path and sets some aliases.
$> source env.sh
The next step is to build the library components:
$> cd Components
$> build.sh
This will launch the text-based GUI which will display the status of the build. Once the components are built then we can start to build the interface tool itself.
$> cd ../interface4
$> build.sh
Now the project is built.
interface4 provides a method of exercising the microcode interface on a remote target, whether an actual chip or a simulation. It communicates with the remote target using the em8xxx_server (gbus server) so it can work with any system which provides this TCP/IP server.
The following commandline arguments are supported:
--chip / -c chipid Pass in the chip id. (for instance 8756, 8758, or 8760)
--stream / -s stream Pass in the media to stream to the interface bitstream FIFO.
--decoder / -d codecid Pass in the decoder id to specify which codec to use. (for instance mpeg2, h264, hevc)
--yuv / -y yuvoutfile Pass in the name of the output YUV file to create.
--engine / -e engineid Pass in the engine number to use for the decode.
--mode / -m mode Pass in 'r' for release microcode, 'd' for debug microcode.
--remote / -r targetspec Pass in the remote target spec (or use EM8XXX_SERVER by default).
Using these options it is possible to start up a decode very easily.
Here are some examples of commands:
./bin/Release/x86/interface4 --chip 8758 --decoder mpeg2 --stream /media/elementary/mpeg2/test100.m2v --yuv /tmp/test100.yuv -r 10.10.10.12:0 -m d
./bin/Release/x86/interface4 --chip 8758 --decoder mpeg2 --stream /media/elementary/mpeg2/test100.m2v --yuv /tmp/test100.yuv -r 10.10.10.12:0 -m r
./bin/Release/x86/interface4 --chip 8760 --decoder mpeg2 --stream /media/elementary/mpeg2/test100.m2v --yuv /tmp/test100.yuv -r 10.10.10.102:0 -m d
The simple interface tool has been tested on the following SMP chipsets:
- 8756
- 8758
- 8760