[PATCH v3 4/5] media: Documentation: Add Mali-C55 ISP Documentation

Dan Scally dan.scally at ideasonboard.com
Wed Mar 6 02:03:01 PST 2024


Hi Jacopo - thanks for the review

On 05/03/2024 17:24, Jacopo Mondi wrote:
> Hi Dan
>
> On Tue, Mar 05, 2024 at 04:48:31PM +0000, Daniel Scally wrote:
>> Add a documentation page for the mali-c55 driver, which gives a brief
>> overview of the hardware and explains how to use the driver's capture
>> devices and the crop/scaler functions.
>>
>> Acked-by: Nayden Kanchev <nayden.kanchev at arm.com>
>> Signed-off-by: Daniel Scally <dan.scally at ideasonboard.com>
>> ---
>> Changes in v3:
>> 	- Documented the synchronised buffer sequence numbers (Sakari)
>> 	- Clarified that the downscale pipe cannot output raw data, the ISP'S
>> 	  resolution limits and choice of media bus format code (Kieran)
>>
>> Changes in v2:
>>
>> 	- none
>>
>>   .../admin-guide/media/mali-c55-graph.dot      |  19 +
>>   Documentation/admin-guide/media/mali-c55.rst  | 330 ++++++++++++++++++
>>   .../admin-guide/media/v4l-drivers.rst         |   1 +
>>   3 files changed, 350 insertions(+)
>>   create mode 100644 Documentation/admin-guide/media/mali-c55-graph.dot
>>   create mode 100644 Documentation/admin-guide/media/mali-c55.rst
>>
>> diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/media/mali-c55-graph.dot b/Documentation/admin-guide/media/mali-c55-graph.dot
>> new file mode 100644
>> index 000000000000..0775ba42bf4c
>> --- /dev/null
>> +++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/media/mali-c55-graph.dot
>> @@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
>> +digraph board {
>> +        rankdir=TB
>> +        n00000001 [label="{{} | mali-c55 tpg\n/dev/v4l-subdev0 | {<port0> 0}}", shape=Mrecord, style=filled, fillcolor=green]
>> +        n00000001:port0 -> n00000003:port0 [style=dashed]
>> +        n00000003 [label="{{<port0> 0} | mali-c55 isp\n/dev/v4l-subdev1 | {<port1> 1 | <port2> 2}}", shape=Mrecord, style=filled, fillcolor=green]
>> +        n00000003:port1 -> n00000007:port0 [style=bold]
>> +        n00000003:port2 -> n00000007:port2 [style=bold]
>> +        n00000003:port1 -> n0000000b:port0 [style=bold]
>> +        n00000007 [label="{{<port0> 0 | <port2> 2} | mali-c55 resizer fr\n/dev/v4l-subdev2 | {<port1> 1}}", shape=Mrecord, style=filled, fillcolor=green]
>> +        n00000007:port1 -> n0000000e [style=bold]
>> +        n0000000b [label="{{<port0> 0} | mali-c55 resizer ds\n/dev/v4l-subdev3 | {<port1> 1}}", shape=Mrecord, style=filled, fillcolor=green]
>> +        n0000000b:port1 -> n00000012 [style=bold]
>> +        n0000000e [label="mali-c55 fr\n/dev/video0", shape=box, style=filled, fillcolor=yellow]
>> +        n00000012 [label="mali-c55 ds\n/dev/video1", shape=box, style=filled, fillcolor=yellow]
>> +        n00000022 [label="{{<port0> 0} | csi2-rx\n/dev/v4l-subdev4 | {<port1> 1}}", shape=Mrecord, style=filled, fillcolor=green]
>> +        n00000022:port1 -> n00000003:port0
>> +        n00000027 [label="{{} | imx415 1-001a\n/dev/v4l-subdev5 | {<port0> 0}}", shape=Mrecord, style=filled, fillcolor=green]
>> +        n00000027:port0 -> n00000022:port0 [style=bold]
>> +}
>> \ No newline at end of file
>> diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/media/mali-c55.rst b/Documentation/admin-guide/media/mali-c55.rst
>> new file mode 100644
>> index 000000000000..33e63600ab2c
>> --- /dev/null
>> +++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/media/mali-c55.rst
>> @@ -0,0 +1,330 @@
>> +.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
>> +
>> +==========================================
>> +ARM Mali-C55 Image Signal Processor driver
>> +==========================================
>> +
>> +Introduction
>> +============
>> +
>> +This file documents the driver for ARM's Mali-C55 Image Signal Processor. The
>> +driver is located under drivers/media/platform/arm/mali-c55.
>> +
>> +The Mali-C55 ISP receives data in either raw Bayer format or RGB/YUV format from
>> +sensors through either a parallel interface or a memory bus before processing it
>> +and outputting it through an internal DMA engine. Two output pipelines are
>> +possible (though one may not be fitted, depending on the implementation). These
>> +are referred to as "Full resolution" and "Downscale", but the naming is historic
>> +and both pipes are capable of cropping/scaling operations. The full resolution
>> +pipe is also capable of outputting RAW data, bypassing much of the ISP's
>> +processing. The downscale pipe cannot output RAW data. An integrated test
>> +pattern generator can be used to drive the ISP and produce image data in the
>> +absence of a connected camera sensor. The driver module is named mali_c55, and
>> +is enabled through the CONFIG_VIDEO_MALI_C55 config option.
>> +
>> +The driver implements V4L2, Media Controller and V4L2 Subdevice interfaces and
>> +expects camera sensors connected to the ISP to have V4L2 subdevice interfaces.
>> +
>> +Mali-C55 ISP hardware
>> +=====================
>> +
>> +A high level functional view of the Mali-C55 ISP is presented below. The ISP
>> +takes input from either a live source or through a DMA engine for memory input,
>> +depending on the SoC integration.::
> This shows as
>          depending on the SoC integration.:
>
> in the generated output.
>
> Should you drop the '.' ?


Yes, will do.

>
>> +
>> +  +---------+    +----------+                                     +--------+
>> +  | Sensor  |--->| CSI-2 Rx |                "Full Resolution"    |  DMA   |
>> +  +---------+    +----------+   |\                 Output    +--->| Writer |
>> +                       |        | \                          |    +--------+
>> +                       |        |  \    +----------+  +------+---> Streaming I/O
>> +  +------------+       +------->|   |   |          |  |
>> +  |            |                |   |-->| Mali-C55 |--+
>> +  | DMA Reader |--------------->|   |   |    ISP   |  |
>> +  |            |                |  /    |          |  |      +---> Streaming I/O
>> +  +------------+                | /     +----------+  |      |
>> +                                |/                    +------+
>> +				                             |    +--------+
>> +                                                             +--->|  DMA   |
>> +                                               "Downscaled"       | Writer |
>> +					          Output          +--------+
>> +
>> +Media Controller Topology
>> +=========================
>> +
>> +An example of the ISP's topology (as implemented in a system with an IMX415
>> +camera sensor and generic CSI-2 receiver) is below:
>> +
>> +
>> +.. kernel-figure:: mali-c55-graph.dot
>> +    :alt:   mali-c55-graph.dot
>> +    :align: center
>> +
>> +The driver has 4 V4L2 subdevices:
>> +
>> +- `mali_c55 isp`: Responsible for configuring input crop and color space
>> +                  conversion
>> +- `mali_c55 tpg`: The test pattern generator, emulating a camera sensor.
>> +- `mali_c55 resizer fr`: The Full-Resolution pipe resizer
>> +- `mali_c55 resizer ds`: The Downscale pipe resizer
>> +
>> +The driver has 2 V4L2 video devices:
>> +
>> +- `mali-c55 fr`: The full-resolution pipe's capture device
>> +- `mali-c55 ds`: The downscale pipe's capture device
>> +
>> +Frame sequences are synchronised across to two capture devices, meaning if one
>> +pipe is started later than the other the sequence numbers returned in its
>> +buffers will match those of the other pipe rather than starting from zero.
>> +
>> +Idiosyncrasies
>> +--------------
>> +
>> +**mali-c55 isp**
> If the intention was to have a line break, this is not redendered in
> the generated documentation.
>
>> +The `mali-c55 isp` subdevice has a single sink pad to which all sources of data
>> +should be connected. The active source is selected by enabling the appropriate
>> +media link and disabling all others. The ISP has two source pads, reflecting the
>> +different paths through which it can internally route data. Tap points within
>> +the ISP allow users to divert data to avoid processing by some or all of the
>> +hardware's processing steps. The diagram below is intended only to highlight how
>> +the bypassing works and is not a true reflection of those processing steps; for
>> +a high-level functional block diagram see ARM's developer page for the
>> +ISP [3]_::
>> +
>> +  +--------------------------------------------------------------+
>> +  |                Possible Internal ISP Data Routes             |
>> +  |          +------------+  +----------+  +------------+        |
>> +  +---+      |            |  |          |  |  Colour    |    +---+
>> +  | 0 |--+-->| Processing |->| Demosaic |->|   Space    |--->| 1 |
>> +  +---+  |   |            |  |          |  | Conversion |    +---+
>> +  |      |   +------------+  +----------+  +------------+        |
>> +  |      |                                                   +---+
>> +  |      +---------------------------------------------------| 2 |
>> +  |                                                          +---+
>> +  |                                                              |
>> +  +--------------------------------------------------------------+
>> +
>> +
>> +.. flat-table::
>> +    :header-rows: 1
>> +
>> +    * - Pad
>> +      - Direction
>> +      - Purpose
>> +
>> +    * - 0
>> +      - sink
>> +      - Data input, connected to the TPG and camera sensors
>> +
>> +    * - 1
>> +      - source
>> +      - RGB/YUV data, connected to the FR and DS V4L2 subdevices
>> +
>> +    * - 2
>> +      - source
>> +      - RAW bayer data, connected to the FR V4L2 subdevices
>> +
>> +The ISP is limited to both input and output resolutions between 640x480 and
>> +8192x8192, and this is reflected in the ISP and resizer subdevice's .set_fmt()
>> +operations.
>> +
>> +**mali-c55 resizer fr**
>> +The `mali-c55 resizer fr` subdevice has two _sink_ pads to reflect the different
>> +insertion points in the hardware (either RAW or demosaiced data):
>> +
>> +.. flat-table::
>> +    :header-rows: 1
>> +
>> +    * - Pad
>> +      - Direction
>> +      - Purpose
>> +
>> +    * - 0
>> +      - sink
>> +      - Data input connected to the ISP's demosaiced stream.
>> +
>> +    * - 1
>> +      - source
>> +      - Data output connected to the capture video device
>> +
>> +    * - 2
>> +      - sink
>> +      - Data input connected to the ISP's raw data stream
>> +
>> +The data source in use is selected through the routing API; two routes each of a
>> +single stream are available:
>> +
>> +.. flat-table::
>> +    :header-rows: 1
>> +
>> +    * - Sink Pad
>> +      - Source Pad
>> +      - Purpose
>> +
>> +    * - 0
>> +      - 1
>> +      - Demosaiced data route
>> +
>> +    * - 2
>> +      - 1
>> +      - Raw data route
>> +
>> +
>> +If the demosaiced route is active then the FR pipe is only capable of output
>> +in RGB/YUV formats. If the raw route is active then the output reflects the
>> +input (which may be either Bayer or RGB/YUV data).
>> +
>> +Using the driver to capture video
>> +=================================
>> +
>> +Using the media controller APIs we can configure the input source and ISP to
>> +capture images in a variety of formats. In the examples below, configuring the
>> +media graph is done with the v4l-utils [1]_ package's media-ctl utility.
>> +Capturing the images is done with yavta [2]_.
>> +
>> +Configuring the input source
>> +----------------------------
>> +
>> +The first step is to set the input source that we wish by enabling the correct
>> +media link. Using the example topology above, we can select the TPG as follows:
>> +
>> +.. code-block:: none
>> +
>> +    media-ctl -l "'lte-csi2-rx':1->'mali-c55 isp':0[0]"
>> +    media-ctl -l "'mali-c55 tpg':0->'mali-c55 isp':0[1]"
>> +
>> +Capturing bayer data from the source and processing to RGB/YUV
>> +--------------------------------------------------------------
>> +To capture 1920x1080 bayer data from the source and push it through the ISP's
>> +full processing pipeline, we configure the data formats appropriately on the
>> +source, ISP and resizer subdevices and set the FR resizer's routing to select
>> +processed data. The media bus format on the resizer's source pad will be either
>> +RGB121212_1X36 or YUV10_1X30, depending on whether you want to capture RGB or
>> +YUV. The ISP's debayering block outputs RGB data natively, setting the source
>> +pad format to YUV10_1X30 enables the colour space conversion block.
>> +
>> +In this example we target RGB565 output, so select RGB121212_1X36 as the resizer
>> +source pad's format:
>> +
>> +.. code-block:: none
>> +
>> +    # Set formats on the TPG and ISP
>> +    media-ctl -V "'mali-c55 tpg':0[fmt:SRGGB16_1X16/1920x1080]"
>> +    media-ctl -V "'mali-c55 isp':0[fmt:SRGGB16_1X16/1920x1080]"
>> +    media-ctl -V "'mali-c55 isp':1[fmt:SRGGB16_1X16/1920x1080]"
> Shouldn't this be RGB121212_1X36 ?


Oops, yes, obscured in testing by that being the sole supported format anyway. I'll fix it, thank you.

>
>> +
>> +    # Set routing on the FR resizer
>> +    media-ctl -R "'mali-c55 resizer fr'[0/0->1/0[1],2/0->1/0[0]]"
>> +
>> +    # Set format on the resizer, must be done AFTER the routing.
>> +    media-ctl -V "'mali-c55 resizer fr':1[fmt:RGB121212_1X36/1920x1080]"
>> +
>> +The downscale output can also be used to stream data at the same time. In this
>> +case since only processed data can be captured through the downscale output no
>> +routing need be set:
>> +
>> +.. code-block:: none
>> +
>> +    # Set format on the resizer
>> +    media-ctl -V "'mali-c55 resizer ds':1[fmt:RGB121212_1X36/1920x1080]"
>> +
>> +Following which images can be captured from both the FR and DS output's video
>> +devices (simultaneously, if desired):
>> +
>> +.. code-block:: none
>> +
>> +    yavta -f RGB565 -s 1920x1080 -c10 /dev/video0
>> +    yavta -f RGB565 -s 1920x1080 -c10 /dev/video1
>> +
>> +Cropping the image
>> +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>> +
>> +Both the full resolution and downscale pipes can crop to a minimum resolution of
>> +640x480. To crop the image simply configure the resizer's sink pad's crop and
>> +compose rectangles and set the format on the video device:
>> +
>> +.. code-block:: none
>> +
>> +    media-ctl -V "'mali-c55 resizer fr':0[fmt:RGB121212_1X36/1920x1080 crop:(480,270)/640x480 compose:(0,0)/640x480]"
>> +    media-ctl -V "'mali-c55 resizer fr':1[fmt:RGB121212_1X36/640x480]"
>> +    yavta -f RGB565 -s 640x480 -c10 /dev/video0
>> +
>> +Downscaling the image
>> +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>> +
>> +Both the full resolution and downscale pipes can downscale the image by up to 8x
>> +provided the minimum 640x480 resolution is adhered to. For the best image result
>> +the scaling ratio for each dimension should be the same. To configure scaling we
>> +use the compose rectangle on the resizer's sink pad:
>> +
>> +.. code-block:: none
>> +
>> +    media-ctl -V "'mali-c55 resizer fr':0[fmt:RGB121212_1X36/1920x1080 crop:(0,0)/1920x1080 compose:(0,0)/640x480]"
>> +    media-ctl -V "'mali-c55 resizer fr':1[fmt:RGB121212_1X36/640x480]"
>> +    yavta -f RGB565 -s 640x480 -c10 /dev/video0
>> +
>> +Capturing images in YUV formats
>> +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>> +
>> +If we need to output YUV data rather than RGB the color space conversion block
>> +needs to be active, which is achieved by setting MEDIA_BUS_FMT_YUV10_1X30 on the
>> +resizer's source pad (the reduced bitdepth reflecting internal truncation after
>> +color space conversion). We can then configure a capture format like NV12 (here
>> +in its multi-planar variant)
>> +
>> +.. code-block:: none
>> +
>> +    media-ctl -V "'mali-c55 resizer fr':1[fmt:YUV10_1X30/1920x1080]"
>> +    yavta -f NV12M -s 1920x1080 -c10 /dev/video0
>> +
>> +Capturing RGB data from the source and processing it with the resizers
>> +----------------------------------------------------------------------
>> +
>> +The Mali-C55 ISP can work with sensors capable of outputting RGB data. In this
>> +case although none of the image quality blocks would be used it can still
>> +crop/scale the data in the usual way.
>> +
>> +To achieve this, the ISP's sink pad's format is set to
>> +MEDIA_BUS_FMT_RGB202020_1X60 - this reflects the format that data must be in to
>> +work with the ISP. Converting the camera sensor's output to that format is the
>> +responsibility of external hardware.
>> +
>> +In this example we ask the test pattern generator to give us RGB data instead of
>> +bayer.
>> +
>> +.. code-block:: none
>> +
>> +    media-ctl -V "'mali-c55 tpg':0[fmt:RGB202020_1X60/1920x1080]"
>> +    media-ctl -V "'mali-c55 isp':0[fmt:RGB202020_1X60/1920x1080]"
>> +
>> +Cropping or scaling the data can be done in exactly the same way as outlined
>> +earlier.
>> +
>> +Capturing raw data from the source and outputting it unmodified
>> +-----------------------------------------------------------------
>> +
>> +The ISP can additionally capture raw data from the source and output it on the
>> +full resolution pipe only, completely unmodified. In this case the downscale
>> +pipe can still process the data normally and be used at the same time.
>> +
>> +To configure raw bypass the FR resizer's subdevice's routing table needs to be
>> +configured, followed by formats in the appropriate places:
>> +
>> +.. code-block:: none
>> +
>> +    # We need to configure the routing table for the resizer to use the bypass
>> +    # path along with set formats on the resizer's bypass sink pad. Doing this
>> +    # necessitates a single media-ctl command, as multiple calls to the program
>> +    # reset the routing table.
>> +    media-ctl -R "'mali-c55 resizer fr'[0/0->1/0[0],2/0->1/0[1]]"\
>> +    -V "'mali-c55 isp':0[fmt:RGB202020_1X60/1920x1080],"\
>> +       "'mali-c55 resizer fr':2[fmt:RGB202020_1X60/1920x1080],"\
>> +       "'mali-c55 resizer fr':1[fmt:RGB202020_1X60/1920x1080]"
>> +
>> +    # Set format on the video device and stream
>> +    yavta -f RGB565 -s 1920x1080 -c10 /dev/video0
> The example doesn't seem to show RAW formats though.


A problem of terminology perhaps; I'm using the phrase to mean "unmodified source data" rather than 
"bayer formatted data". I can switch the example to use bayer data so its clearer?

> I think it's also
> relevant saying that the capture RAW data are expanded to 16 bits per
> component with padding bits, regardless of the sensor's output
> bitdepth.


Yes good point - I'll add that in.

>
> Overall this is a very nice documentation with a lot of use cases
> demonstrated.
Thanks!
> Can we also say the ISP will be supported by libcamera :) ?


Fine by me; though perhaps not until we get it merged there?

>
> Thanks
>     j
>
>> +
>> +References
>> +==========
>> +.. [1] https://git.linuxtv.org/v4l-utils.git/
>> +.. [2] https://git.ideasonboard.org/yavta.git
>> +.. [3] https://developer.arm.com/Processors/Mali-C55
>> diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/media/v4l-drivers.rst b/Documentation/admin-guide/media/v4l-drivers.rst
>> index f4bb2605f07e..af033c892808 100644
>> --- a/Documentation/admin-guide/media/v4l-drivers.rst
>> +++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/media/v4l-drivers.rst
>> @@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ Video4Linux (V4L) driver-specific documentation
>>   	imx7
>>   	ipu3
>>   	ivtv
>> +	mali-c55
>>   	mgb4
>>   	omap3isp
>>   	omap4_camera
>> --
>> 2.34.1
>>



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