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Product Specifications
The first step to get a fully functional product is the define the product features and see if they meet the standard requirements. A list of expected features from an IP based Settop box is available here. SoC can use this as a guide while engineering the RDK SoC platform.
This should be used only as a reference and not a final set of features.
RDKM offers collaboration space for SoCs which would help SoCs to collaborate with OEM and RDK teams (as well as any 3rd party). RDKM collaboration zone includes features like (but not limited to) CMF facility to maintain build manifests as well as SoC/OEM specific code, SoC SDK artifact storage facility, JIRA & RDK Wiki spaces, integration with Test & Certification suites, monthly & release tagging and so on.
Once the product features are decided, the device engineering can be started. SoC needs to decide on the hardware layout that incorporates components to the target board. A sample expected IP based STB's hardware specification list as well as a sample flash layout is available at Product Engineering.
SoC can make use of the details available at SoC Platform Firmware to start developing a Yocto build to engineer the device firmware builds based on RDK Yocto build setup.
RDKM offers an in-house Test & certification suite that facilitates SoCs to get their video certified as RDK Compliant device. Certification program includes testing which validates the RDK stack on the device with defined test suite called as RDK Certification Test Suite.
For more details on the RDK Certification, please refer IP based STB's Certification process available here
RDK is based on Yocto Linux. Prior to porting RDK on a SoC , the precondition is to have the SoC platform running on Linux. The Linux version can be a SoC specific one with kernal hardening and other OS optimizations specific to SoC, as RDK could easily run on top of vendor specific Linux. SoC should also provide drivers for the other peripherals in SoC platform, like WiFi, so that the unit can work independently and completely from a SoC point of view.
Once SoC vendor is ready with an own port of Linux + drivers for the SoC platform, it is time to migrate the platform to Yocto based builds. If the SoC is already having a Yocto based Linux, this step can be skipped. The current Yocto versions supported are Yocto 3.1- Dunfell ( preferred ) as well as Yocto 2.2- Morty ( soon to be deprecated )
Yocto 3.1 Upgradation support the following:
Version upgrades for bitbake, GStreamer and other OE components
Linux kernel 5.4 or above
Extensible SDK
Each component in RDK is a standalone repository with its own individual build tools producing a library or set of binaries. When OE layers are upgraded to the newer versions, necessary changes need to be made in the RDK Yocto meta layers which use these components, to avoid build failures.
This is an important step while porting RDK to a new SoC platform. RDK Linux is built with considering particular build flags/features in target platform( For example, RDK considers hardware floating point in platform where as some platforms are on software based floating point ). SoC vendor need to analyze such flags in RDK and then make a comparison with the existing SoC platform Linux to ensure compatibility or to understand the required modifications in RDK code so as to house the compatibility changes
Specific DISTRO_FEATURES can be added to support build time flag for specific platforms. For example : DISTRO_FEATURES_append = " referencepltfm "
Depending on the Yocto version, the RDK build will be working with some particular version of Open source components. This might either be a dependency with the Yocto version compatibility as such or with RDK ( functionality or license issues ). If the SoC Linux has some version dependency on particular open source software and, if it conflicts with the version in RDK, vendor needs to make required changes to make the open source version to match the RDK requirements as best as possible, by adding required patches in SoC platform
Check below layers for all opensourced version packages recipes used in RDK. If multiple recipes with different versions are available, then check for the value of PREFFERED_VERSION_<recipe name> set.
Meta layers : - meta-openembedded, openembedded-core, meta-rdk-ext, meta-rdk, meta-cmf
For platform specific recipes, keep them in SOC meta layer. While it is a good practice to start afresh with a new manifest for the target platform, manifest file for a similar featured platform can be used as a starting point too. Check all device specific repos in the reference manifest, and ensure corresponding device repos are created for this new device as needed, and update the manifest with these updated repos
Create artifactory repo for the project with appropriate permissions for vendors. This is used for hosting any binaries required for the project
Check-in SoC components - tool chain, SDK, kernel, drivers, etc.. to corresponding SoC gerrit repos/ artifactory as applicable
Populate meta soc layer with initial set of changes needed to build kernel, soc components, etc..
If there is any SoC reference board exists, create corresponding machine configuration in SoC layer, and create a image target to be able to build final image for the reference board. This layer should be separated out with in meta soc layer from other common soc, common chip sub layers which will be usually used by meta oem layer as well.
Populate meta oem layer with machine configuration and other bare minimum changes required to generate a target image for OEM board.
machine configuration can be updated with "NEEDED_BSPLAYERS" field to include required SoC, OEM layers in the build
Any unwanted recipes during early stage of bring up can be masked using BBMASK, if needed.
Add platform specific main recipe to create image.
Device settings component is having a HAL interface to control device specific peripherals such as video port, audio port and display and front panel.
More details on HAL interface can be found here: Device Settings HAL Types & Public API DTCP HAL Interfaces.
Integrates the SoC provided DTCP library with DTCP/IP manager Interface implementation which manages source/sink DTCP/IP sessions and performs the encryption/decryption.
Hal Interface specification: DTCP HAL Interfaces
Contains SoC specific MOCA libraries, headers and MOCA profile codes.
API Details: TR69 Host Interface Handler
For more details on tr69hostif, please refer: tr69hostif
qamtunersrc is a push based gstreamer source plugin which tunes to the given service and provides the SPTS data.
Depends on platform specific libraries for tune, filtering, and pod functionalities.
Playersinkbin is a gstreamer bin element consisting of demux, decoder and sink elements. A template file gstplayersinkbin.c.template and gstplayersinkbin.h.template are provided as a reference for SoC implementation. SoC has to add details of platform specific plugins and implement the required properties expected out of them.
SDK Vendors should implement CEC driver interface API as specified in hdmi_cec_driver.h
HAL Interface Specificcation: HDMI-CEC HAL API's specification
Power, IR and DeepSleep modules are having SoC dependency. API's are specified in plat_power.h, plat_ir.h and deepSleepMgr.h
More details about api's can be found here
Contains functions for creating and handling native eglwindow. Hal api's are specified in westeros-gl.h
Wi-Fi Client HAL provides an interface (data structures and API) to interact with underlying Wi-Fi driver and enabling the client to be connected with an Access Point.
Hal API's are specified in wifi_client_hal.h. Doxygen Link: Wifi HAL API Specification
Set of Cryptographic API's Implementation, can be used to achieve all type of Cryptographic requirements from Premium App.
Media Pipeline Backend layer is a module in device layer which glues the media pipeline capabilities of the device to that of the IgnitionX.
As part of integrating Premium Apps as a native application on the RDK stack, the Premium Apps Video Porting (PVP) Layer needs to be implemented. The PVP Layer consists of the following modules:
Abstraction layer for third-party applications to get specific GStreamer values from the SoC pipeline.
Amazon assets are encrypted using Microsoft PlayReady. A robust implementation of the PlayReady must be provided for porting kit to decrypt assets.
Text-to-speech converts text into spoken voice output to help customers navigate the Prime Video application without seeing the screen. Text-to-speech is mandatory for the US region and optional in other regions.