xHiveAI-A311D：How to use the hardware video decoder

A311D SOC support 1 channel 4K@60fps VP9，H265，H264 video decoding OR maximum 4 channels of 1080P@25fps video decoding in the codec format: H265，H264，MPEG-1/2/4，VP9，WMV。

The libamldec.so is developed to use the A311D hardware video decoder in a convenient manner.

Quick Start

First Step：To connect the board with LCD monitor via HDMI cable

Second Step：To power on the board and login the shell

Third Step: To edit the script for playback

vi /etc/test/testxhiveai.xml

There are 4 test cases for video decoding and displaying to the screen:

disp_1win, disp_2win, disp_3win, disp_4win: They cover up to 4 channels of video playbacks

Edit the link=”xxxxx” for your own playback linkage

<alias name=”xxxx”/>: the short description for the playback that would be displayed on the screen

Fourth Step: To start the playback

testxhiveai disp_1win //one windows display

testxhiveai disp_2win //two windows display

testxhiveai disp_3win //three windows display

testxhiveai disp_4win //four windows display

Develop the code

The example code is under the git repository: a311d/video_decode/vframes.

Step 1: Initialize the video decoder

#include "amldec.h"

#define ALIGN(x, mask)    (((x) + (mask)) & ~(mask))#define ALIGN(x, a)         
ALIGN(x, (typeof(x))(a) - 1)

DEC_CONFIG_t dec_conf;AMLDEC_HANDLE_t vdec_handle;

memset(&dec_conf, 0, sizeof(DEC_CONFIG_t));
dec_conf.play_id     = <playback channel id: 1, 2, 3, 4 ...>;
dec_conf.format      = <DEC_FORMAT_t defined in amldec.h.
                        the default hardware decoding output is VDEC_FORMAT_NV12>;
dec_conf.src_width   = ALIGN(<original video width>, 32);
dec_conf.src_height  = ALIGN(<original video height>, 32);
dec_conf.dest_width  = <expected output video width>;
dec_conf.dest_height = <expected output video height>;

dec_conf.tbuf        = kVdecBuffer_MEM;
dec_conf.opaque      = <application private data OR NULL>;

vdec_handle = amlDecInit(&dec_conf);
if (!vdec_handle) {
    //success
} else {
    //failure
}

Step 2: Start the video decoder

int rc;
rc = amlDecStart(vdec_handle);
if (rc == 0) {
    //success
} else {
    //failure
}

Step 3: Feed the video ES packages into the video decoder continuously

2 options currently are supported
1) Gstreamer: GstSample *frame
GstFlowReturn status = GST_FLOW_ERROR;
status = amlDecSendData(vdec_handle, sample, DEC_DATA_GST);
if (status != GST_FLOW_OK) {
    //failure
} else {
    //success
}

2) AMLDEC_DATA_t *frame
AMLDEC_DATA_t *frame;
frame->codec        = <DEC_CODEC_t>;
frame->is_key_frame = <1: I frame, 0: P/B frames>;
frame->pts_us       = <64-bit pts in us>;
frame->data         = <Video ES Package Data Buffer>;
frame->size         = <Size of the video buffer>;

status = amlDecSendData(vdec_handle, sample, DEC_DATA_SPEC);
if (status) {
    //failure
} else {
    //success
}

Note: ffmpeg AVPacket* pkt is not supported right now and planned to be supported in
      the future.

Step 4: Start the thread to recieve the decoded picture whenever it is ready

DEC_FRAME_t *frame;
mlDecReceiveFrame(vdec_handle, &frame);

/*
VDEC_FORMAT_NV12:
    frame->buf[0]: YYYY...
    frame->buf[1]: UV...

VDEC_FORMAT_NV21:
    frame->buf[0]: YYYY...
    frame->buf[1]: VU...

VDEC_FORMAT_I420:
    frame->buf[0]: YYYY...
    frame->buf[1]: U...
    frame->buf[2]: V...
    
VDEC_FORMAT_RGB/VDEC_FORMAT_BGR/VDEC_FORMAT_RGBA...
    frame->buf[0]
*/

/*Need to release it once you used it up*/
amlDecReleaseFrame(rt->vdec_handle, frame);

Step 5: Stop the video decoder

stop to feed the video data into decoder
amlDecStop(vdec_handle);

Step 6: Release the video decoder

amlDecRelease(vdec_handle);