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May 22, 2022

Linux hardware video encoding on Amlogic A311D2 processor

I’ve spent a bit more time with Ubuntu 22.04 on Khadas VIM4 Amogic A311D2 SBC, and while the performance is generally good features like 3D graphics acceleration and hardware video decoding are missing. But I was pleased to see a Linux hardware video encoding section in the Wiki, as it’s not something we often see supported early on. So I’ve given it a try… First, we need to make a video in NV12 pixel format that’s commonly outputted from cameras. I downloaded a 45-second 1080p H.264 sample video from Linaro, and converted it with ffmpeg:

ffmpeg -i big_buck_bunny_1080p_H264_AAC_25fps_7200K.MP4 -pix_fmt nv12 big_buck_bunny_1080p_H264_AAC_25fps_7200K-nv12.yuv

1	ffmpeg -i big_buck_bunny_1080p_H264_AAC_25fps_7200K.MP4 -pix_fmt nv12 big_buck_bunny_1080p_H264_AAC_25fps_7200K-nv12.yuv

I did this on my laptop. As a raw video, it’s pretty big with 3.3GB of storage used for a 45-second video:

ls -lh
total 3.3G
-rw-rw-r-- 1 jaufranc jaufranc  40M Aug  5  2011 big_buck_bunny_1080p_H264_AAC_25fps_7200K.MP4
-rw-rw-r-- 1 jaufranc jaufranc 3.3G May 21 15:03 big_buck_bunny_1080p_H264_AAC_25fps_7200K-nv12.yuv

ls -lh

total 3.3G

-rw-rw-r-- 1 jaufranc jaufranc 40M Aug 5 2011 big_buck_bunny_1080p_H264_AAC_25fps_7200K.MP4

-rw-rw-r-- 1 jaufranc jaufranc 3.3G May 21 15:03 big_buck_bunny_1080p_H264_AAC_25fps_7200K-nv12.yuv

Now let’s try to encode the video to H.264 on Khadas VIM4 board using aml_enc_test hardware video encoding sample:

khadas@Khadas:~$ time aml_enc_test 1080p.nv12 dump.h264 1920 1080 30 25 6000000 1125 1 0 2 4
src_url is	: 1080p.nv12 ;
out_url is	: dump.h264 ;
width   is	: 1920 ;
height  is	: 1080 ;
gop     is	: 30 ;
frmrate is	: 25 ;
bitrate is	: 6000000 ;
frm_num is	: 1125 ;
fmt     is	: 1 ;
buf_type is	: 0 ;
num_planes is	: 2 ;
codec is	: 4 ;
codec is H264
Set log level to 4
[initEncParams:177] enc_feature_opts is 0x0 , GopPresetis 0x0 

[SetupEncoderOpenParam:513] GopPreset GOP format (2) period 30 LongTermRef 0

[vdi_sys_sync_inst_param:618] [VDI] fail to deliver sync instance param inst_idx=0

[AML_MultiEncInitialize:1378] VPU instance param sync with open param failed

[SetSequenceInfo:979] Required buffer fb_num=3, src_num=1, actual src=3 1920x1080

Encode End!width:1920

real	0m26.074s
user	0m1.832s
sys	0m4.883s

khadas@Khadas:~$ time aml_enc_test 1080p.nv12 dump.h264 1920 1080 30 25 6000000 1125 1 0 2 4

src_url is : 1080p.nv12 ;

out_url is : dump.h264 ;

width is : 1920 ;

height is : 1080 ;

gop is : 30 ;

frmrate is : 25 ;

bitrate is : 6000000 ;

frm_num is : 1125 ;

fmt is : 1 ;

buf_type is : 0 ;

num_planes is : 2 ;

codec is : 4 ;

codec is H264

Set log level to 4

[initEncParams:177] enc_feature_opts is 0x0 , GopPresetis 0x0

[SetupEncoderOpenParam:513] GopPreset GOP format (2) period 30 LongTermRef 0

[vdi_sys_sync_inst_param:618] [VDI] fail to deliver sync instance param inst_idx=0

[AML_MultiEncInitialize:1378] VPU instance param sync with open param failed

[SetSequenceInfo:979] Required buffer fb_num=3, src_num=1, actual src=3 1920x1080

Encode End!width:1920

real 0m26.074s

user 0m1.832s

sys 0m4.883s

The output explains the parameters used. There are some error messages, […]

May 2, 2022October 24, 2022

Android RISC-V progress update, emulator support, and roadmap to 2023

We’ve first covered Alibaba T-Head work on Android 10 for RISC-V in January 2021, and later that year they started selling the T-Head RVB-ICE dual-core RISC-V board with GPU for software development. The company has now provided an update for Android 12 RISC-V port, instructions to build Android RISC-V to run it in an emulator, as well as a 2022-2023 roadmap. Alibaba T-head is working on hardware platforms, which appears to be similar to T-Head RVB-ICE board, with the following minimal specifications: CPU – At least Dual-core XuanTie C910 (rv64imafdcv) processor GPU – Compatible with OpenGL ES and OpenCL VPU – HW Video/Picture codec Neural Network Accelerator System Memory – 4GB or more DDR Memory Display – MIPI/HDMI Audio – Multi-Channel Audio output & input Camera – ISP with support for multiple MIPI CSI lanes USB interface(s) They built upon the work done on Android 10 to add support for […]

ArmSoM CM5 Raspberry Pi CM4 alternative with Rockchip RK3576 SoC

February 20, 2022June 2, 2022

Fixing performance issues with Realtek RTL8156B 2.5GbE USB dongle in Ubuntu

A few days ago, I reviewed a USB 3.0 to 2.5 Gbps Ethernet adapter based on Realtek RTL8156B chip in Ubuntu 20.04, and let’s say the reliability and performance were underwhelming. I got some recommendations like changing cables, the MTU size, etc… Playing around with cables did no help, but one comment mentioned the cdc_ncm driver could be the issue, followed by another saying that updating to Linux kernel 5.14 should install the correct r8152 driver… So I just did that:

sudo apt install linux-oem-20.04d

1	sudo apt install linux-oem-20.04d

This upgraded Linux 5.13 (shipped with Ubuntu 20.04 + HWE) to Linux 5.14, but still no luck as the system kept using the cdc_ncm driver with a half-duplex link:

jaufranc@cnx-laptop-4:~$ inxi -n
Network:
  Device-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet 
  driver: r8169 
  IF: enp2s0f1 state: down mac: 98:28:a6:0f:06:07 
  Device-2: Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 802.11ac Wireless Network Adapter 
  driver: ath10k_pci 
  IF: wlp3s0 state: up mac: 70:c9:4e:b7:84:77 
  Device-3: Realtek USB 10/100/1G/2.5G LAN type: USB driver: cdc_ncm 
  IF: enx1cbfced40321 state: up speed: 2500 Mbps duplex: half 
  mac: 1c:bf:ce:d4:03:21 
jaufranc@cnx-laptop-4:~$ uname -a
Linux cnx-laptop-4 5.14.0-1022-oem #24-Ubuntu SMP Mon Jan 31 16:00:31 UTC 2022 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

jaufranc@cnx-laptop-4:~$ inxi -n

Network:

Device-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet

driver: r8169

IF: enp2s0f1 state: down mac: 98:28:a6:0f:06:07

Device-2: Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 802.11ac Wireless Network Adapter

driver: ath10k_pci

IF: wlp3s0 state: up mac: 70:c9:4e:b7:84:77

Device-3: Realtek USB 10/100/1G/2.5G LAN type: USB driver: cdc_ncm

IF: enx1cbfced40321 state: up speed: 2500 Mbps duplex: half

mac: 1c:bf:ce:d4:03:21

jaufranc@cnx-laptop-4:~$ uname -a

Linux cnx-laptop-4 5.14.0-1022-oem #24-Ubuntu SMP Mon Jan 31 16:00:31 UTC 2022 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

But then I thought I may have to use udev rules to prevent loading the cdc_ncm driver, and there’s indeed 50-usb-realtek-net.rules in r8152 driver to do just that. So I copied the file in /etc/udev/rules.d/ folder. Since I […]

February 17, 2022August 11, 2022

USB 3.0 to 2.5Gbps Ethernet adapter review

Late last month, I received hardware to test 2.5GbE and WiFi 6 with namely a Radxa E25 SBC, Xiaomi AX6000 WiFi 6 router, and an 8-port TP-Link 2.5GbE switch. I intended to start testing 2.5GbE networking with UP Xtreme i11 mini PC and Radxa E25, but I thought it might be a good idea to get a USB 3.0 to 2.5Gbps Ethernet adapter just in case. I purchased a no-name dongle for under $15 (475 THB on Lazada) in Thailand, but a USB 3.0 dongle that looks exactly the same can also be purchased on Aliexpress with either a USB Type-A port or a USB Type-C port. There’s some issue with Radxa E25 (it won’t boot it), so I ended up testing the dongle with UP Xtreme i11 mini PC. USB 3.0 to 2.5Gbps Ethernet adapter unboxing The package, marked “USB to LAN Gigabit Ethernet Adapter”, has “USB 3.0” and […]

February 15, 2022

DIY Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W handheld PC (mostly) makes use of off-the-shelf parts

The Penkesu Computer is a DIY handheld PC powered by a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W SBC, and mostly comprised of off-the-shelf parts including a 7.9-inch display from Waveshare, replacement hinges for the Gameboy Advance SP, a 48-key mechanical keyboard fitted with Kailh low profile Choc V1 switches, and so on. Penk also happens to have designed the CutiePi tablet with Raspberry Pi CM4, and designed the Penkesu Computer (ペンケース in Japanese) as a side project without having to “worry too much about commercial viability” and as a way to remind himself why he started tinkering. Penkesu Computer handheld PC specifications: SBC – Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W with Broadcom RP3A0 SiP with Broadcom BCM2710A1 quad-core Cortex-A53 processor @ 1.0 GHz, 512MB RAM, MicroSD card slot Display – 7.9-inch IPS display with capacitive touch screen, 1280x 400 resolution, connected over HDMI via flat cable through an Adafruit adapter Keyboard – […]

January 19, 2022February 18, 2022

10.1-inch RPI All-in-One PC review with Raspberry Pi 4

A couple of months ago I received “RPI All-in-One”, a 10.1-inch touchscreen display for Raspberry Pi boards, listed the specifications, checked out the package content, installed a Raspberry Pi 4 inside the display before booting my new all-in-one (AiO) PC successfully. I’ve now had time to spend more time with the PC/display and see how it performs under various conditions. I also tested HDMI and USB-C input features with a laptop and mini PC. Fan or fanless operation? After updating Raspberry Pi OS, I ran sbc-bench.sh script together with rpi-monitor to see how the Raspberry Pi 4 with 1GB RAM would perform under load with the (noisy) fan enabled.

sbc-bench v0.9.1

Installing needed tools. This may take some time. Done.
Checking cpufreq OPP. Done (results will be available in 11-15 minutes).
Executing tinymembench. Done.
Executing OpenSSL benchmark. Done.
Executing 7-zip benchmark. Done.
Checking cpufreq OPP. Done (17 minutes elapsed).

perl: warning: Setting locale failed.
perl: warning: Please check that your locale settings:
	LANGUAGE = (unset),
	LC_ALL = (unset),
	LC_ADDRESS = "en_GB.UTF-8",
	LC_NAME = "en_GB.UTF-8",
	LC_MONETARY = "en_GB.UTF-8",
	LC_PAPER = "en_GB.UTF-8",
	LC_IDENTIFICATION = "en_GB.UTF-8",
	LC_TELEPHONE = "en_GB.UTF-8",
	LC_MEASUREMENT = "en_GB.UTF-8",
	LC_TIME = "en_GB.UTF-8",
	LC_NUMERIC = "en_GB.UTF-8",
	LANG = (unset)
    are supported and installed on your system.
perl: warning: Falling back to the standard locale ("C").
It seems neither throttling nor frequency capping has occured.

Memory performance:
memcpy: 2595.9 MB/s (0.8%)
memset: 3398.3 MB/s (2.7%)

7-zip total scores (3 consecutive runs): 5556,5650,5565

OpenSSL results:
type             16 bytes     64 bytes    256 bytes   1024 bytes   8192 bytes  16384 bytes
aes-128-cbc      61981.49k    76335.40k    82773.25k    84199.42k    84355.75k    84393.98k
aes-128-cbc      62224.25k    76254.36k    82779.39k    84461.91k    84757.16k    84825.43k
aes-192-cbc      55900.34k    67052.89k    71500.80k    73121.11k    73362.09k    73203.71k
aes-192-cbc      55869.41k    66963.52k    71835.14k    72934.74k    73471.32k    73465.86k
aes-256-cbc      50541.63k    59834.26k    63387.14k    64413.70k    64634.88k    64760.49k
aes-256-cbc      50646.47k    59735.02k    63384.92k    64461.14k    64648.53k    64629.42k

Full results uploaded to http://ix.io/3MfY. 

In case this device is not already represented in official sbc-bench results list then please
consider submitting it at https://github.com/ThomasKaiser/sbc-bench/issues with this line:
| RPi 4 Model B Rev 1.1 / BCM2711 rev B0 | 1500 MHz | 5.10 | Bullseye armhf | 5590 | 62100 | 64690 | 2600 | 3400 | - | [http://ix.io/3MfY](http://ix.io/3MfY) |

sbc-bench v0.9.1

Installing needed tools. This may take some time. Done.

Checking cpufreq OPP. Done (results will be available in 11-15 minutes).

Executing tinymembench. Done.

Executing OpenSSL benchmark. Done.

Executing 7-zip benchmark. Done.

Checking cpufreq OPP. Done (17 minutes elapsed).

perl: warning: Setting locale failed.

perl: warning: Please check that your locale settings:

LANGUAGE = (unset),

LC_ALL = (unset),

LC_ADDRESS = "en_GB.UTF-8",

LC_NAME = "en_GB.UTF-8",

LC_MONETARY = "en_GB.UTF-8",

LC_PAPER = "en_GB.UTF-8",

LC_IDENTIFICATION = "en_GB.UTF-8",

LC_TELEPHONE = "en_GB.UTF-8",

LC_MEASUREMENT = "en_GB.UTF-8",

LC_TIME = "en_GB.UTF-8",

LC_NUMERIC = "en_GB.UTF-8",

LANG = (unset)

are supported and installed on your system.

perl: warning: Falling back to the standard locale ("C").

It seems neither throttling nor frequency capping has occured.

Memory performance:

memcpy: 2595.9 MB/s (0.8%)

memset: 3398.3 MB/s (2.7%)

7-zip total scores (3 consecutive runs): 5556,5650,5565

OpenSSL results:

type 16 bytes 64 bytes 256 bytes 1024 bytes 8192 bytes 16384 bytes

aes-128-cbc 61981.49k 76335.40k 82773.25k 84199.42k 84355.75k 84393.98k

aes-128-cbc 62224.25k 76254.36k 82779.39k 84461.91k 84757.16k 84825.43k

aes-192-cbc 55900.34k 67052.89k 71500.80k 73121.11k 73362.09k 73203.71k

aes-192-cbc 55869.41k 66963.52k 71835.14k 72934.74k 73471.32k 73465.86k

aes-256-cbc 50541.63k 59834.26k 63387.14k 64413.70k 64634.88k 64760.49k

aes-256-cbc 50646.47k 59735.02k 63384.92k 64461.14k 64648.53k 64629.42k

Full results uploaded to http://ix.io/3MfY.

In case this device is not already represented in official sbc-bench results list then please

consider submitting it at https://github.com/ThomasKaiser/sbc-bench/issues with this line:

| RPi 4 Model B Rev 1.1 / BCM2711 rev B0 | 1500 MHz | 5.10 | Bullseye armhf | 5590 | 62100 | 64690 | 2600 | 3400 | - | [http://ix.io/3MfY](http://ix.io/3MfY) |

No throttling was detected, and the temperature never exceeded 56°C in a room with an ambient temperature of 26°C. I then disconnect the fan, but it turns out the fan can also be easily disabled in the OSD menu […]

Rockchip RK3568, RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs and SoMs in 2025

January 15, 2022January 15, 2022

USB add-on boards leverage Raspberry Pi Zero test pads, USB Gadget mode

I’ve just come across a few USB boards that take advantage of the Raspberry Pi Zero (W) test pads to add one or more USB Type-A ports to the board without soldering. The first one is “Catda Raspberry Pi zero WH USB expansion board” which I found on Banggood for $9.99. It’s a kit that ships with a USB Zero plug expansion module, an acrylic “isolation protection cover”, an acrylic transparent light diffraction protection cover plus M2.5 screws and nuts for mounting it to the Raspberry Pi Zero WH board, but it should work any Raspberry Pi Zero including the new Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W board since it relies on pogo pin to connect the four test pads for USB data and power, and those are in the same position for all Pi Zero boards. You can then plug it into a laptop or computer to power the board […]

January 10, 2022February 1, 2022

Linux 5.16 Release – Main Changes, Arm, RISC-V and MIPS architectures

Linus Torvalds has just announced the release of Linux 5.16: Not a lot here since -rc8, which is not unexpected. We had that extra week due to the holidays, and it’s not like we had lots of last-minute things that needed to be sorted out. So this mainly contains some driver fixes (mainly networking and rdma), a cgroup credential use fix, a few core networking fixes, a couple of last-minute reverts, and some other random noise. The appended shortlog is so small that you might as well scroll through it. This obviously means that the merge window for 5.17 opens tomorrow, and I’m happy to say I already have several pending early pull requests. I wish I had even more, because this merge window is going to be somewhat painful due to unfortunate travel for family reasons. So I’ll be doing most of it on the road on a laptop […]