Fuzhou Rokchip Electronics Co., Ltd.

MPP Development Reference

File Status： Project： SoFiA-3GR YoCTO Linux

[ ] Draft Version： 1.1
[ ] Beta Author： timkingh.huang
[√] Release Date： 10/09/2016

Revision Date Description Author

1.0 7/26/2016 This revision is the first draft release. timkingh.huang
1.1 10/9/2016 The vpu_api interface is replaced by rk_mpi. timkingh.huang

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Table of Content
MPP DEVELOPMENT REFERENCE ...................................................................................................................... 0

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION TO THE MPP ......................................................................................................... 2

1.1 OVERVIEW ........................................................................................................................................................ 2

1.2 SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE ....................................................................................................................................... 2
1.3 ARCHITECTURE OF MPP ...................................................................................................................................... 3
1.4 FUNCTION DESCRIPTION ...................................................................................................................................... 3
1.4.1 File Structure .......................................................................................................................................... 3
1.4.2 Interface Process .................................................................................................................................... 5

CHATPER 2 USER MANUAL ............................................................................................................................... 6

CHAPTER 3 ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................................. 7

CHAPTER 4 API APPLICATION INSTANCES ......................................................................................................... 8

4.1 ENCODER SAMPLE .............................................................................................................................................. 8

4.1.1 Flow for Encoder .................................................................................................................................... 8
4.1.2 Program Instances ................................................................................................................................. 8
4.2 DECODER SAMPLE .............................................................................................................................................. 8
4.2.1 Flow for Decoder .................................................................................................................................... 8
4.2.2 Program Instances ................................................................................................................................. 9

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Chapter 1 Introduction to the MPP

1.1 Overview
Rockchip provides a media processing platform (MPP for short) for rapid application development. For
application, the MPP shields the complex processing procedures at the bottom layer related to the chip, and
provides MPP programming interfaces (MPIs) for implementing various functions. The functions include:
 encoding
 H.264: up to High Profile Level 4.0, including Baseline Profile and Main Profile,
1920x1080@30fps
 decoding
 H.264: up to High Profile Level 4.1, including Baseline Profile and Main Profile,
1920x1080@30fps
 H.265: Main Profile up to Level 4.1, 1920x1080@30fps
 MPEG-2: Main Profile up to High Level, 1920x1080@30fps
 MPEG-4: Simple Profile up to Level 6; Advanced Profile up to Level 5, 1920x1080@30fps
 VP8: 1920x1080@30fps
This document describes the architecture and modules of the MPP, and the user MPIs related to the MPP. It
is intended for but not limited to application development engineers and technical support personnel.

1.2 System Architecture

Application layer

Encoder Decoder

MPP Controller Parser

HAL

OS layer

Hardware layer

Figure 1 System architecture of the MPP

 Hardware layer
It is comprised of the RK32xx and peripherals, including the flash memory, double-data rate (DDR), video
sensor or video analog-to-digital converter(VADC).

 Operating system(OS) layer

Android, Linux or Windows OS

 MPP
Based on the OS layer, the MPP controls the media processing functions. That is, the MPP shields the
details about hardware processing, and provides application programming interface (APIs) for the
application layer.

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 Application layer
It is used for developing application based on the MPP and drivers.

1.3 Architecture of MPP

In MPP, mpp layer creates mpp_dec instance including parser and hal module or mpp_enc instance
including control and hal module. For encoder, mpp layer receives the pictures from video input module
and encodes the pictures and outputs streams complying with different protocols. For decoder, mpp layer
can decode the encoded video stream and transfer the decoded streams to the video output module.

dec_parser
stream mpp_dec picture
dec_hal
Input mpp Output
enc_control
mpp_enc
picture enc_hal stream

Figure 2 Internal workflow of the MPP

1.4 Function Description

1.4.1 File Structure
(1)
/MPP/build : CMake out-of-source build directory
/MPP/build/cmake : cmake script directory
/MPP/build/android : android build directory
/MPP/build/linux : linux build directory
/MPP/build/vc10-x86_64 : visual studio 2010 on x86_64 build directory
/MPP/build/vc12-x86_64 : visual studio 2013 on x86_64 build directory
(2)
/MPP/inc: header file for external usage, including platform header and mpi header
(3)
/MPP/mpp: Media Process Platform: mpi function private implement and mpp infrastructure (vpu_api
private layer)
/MPP/mpp/common: video codec protocol syntax interface for both codec parser and hal
/MPP/mpp/codec: all video codec parser, convert stream to protocol structure
/MPP/mpp/codec/inc: header files provided by codec module for external usage
/MPP/mpp/codec/dec: mpp decoder parser
/MPP/mpp/codec/enc: mpp encoder controllor
(4)
/MPP/mpp/hal: Hardware Abstract Layer (HAL): modules used in mpi
/MPP/mpp/hal/inc: header files provided by hal for external usage
/MPP/mpp/hal/iep: iep user library
/MPP/mpp/hal/pp: post-processor user library
/MPP/mpp/hal/rga: rga user library
/MPP/mpp/hal/deinter: deinterlace function module including pp/iep/rga
/MPP/mpp/hal/rkdec: rockchip hardware decoder register generation library

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/MPP/mpp/hal/vpu: vpu register generation library

android

cmake

build linux dummy

toolchain h263

inc h264
vc10-x86_64
h265
vc12-x86_64
m2v
base
inc mpg4

codec dec vp8

enc dummy

common h264
dummy

MPP mpp hal inc

legacy pp h263d

rkdec h264d
test

rkenc h265d
osal allocator
vpu m2vd
android
out
mpg4d
inc
test vp8d
linux

tools test

utils window

Figure 3 File structure of the MPP source code

(5)
/MPP/mpp/legacy: generate new libvpu to include old vpuapi path and new mpp path
(6)
/MPP/mpp/test: mpp internal video protocol unit test and demo
(7)
/MPP/test: mpp buffer/packet component unit test and mpi demo
(8)
/MPP/out: final release binary output directory
/MPP/out/bin: executable binary file output directory
/MPP/out/inc: header file output directory
/MPP/out/lib: library file output directory
(9)
/MPP/osal: Operation System Abstract Layer: abstract layer for different operation system
/MPP/osal/mem: mpi memory subsystem for hardware
/MPP/osal/android: google's android
/MPP/osal/linux: mainline linux kernel
/MPP/osal/window: microsoft's window
/MPP/osal/test: OASL unit test
(10)
/MPP/tools: coding style format tools

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(11)
/MPP/utils: small util functions

1.4.2 Interface Process

MPI MPP decoder parser HAL

open context

init
init
init
open

decode
send stream
parse stream

reg generation

send regs

wait regs

notify hardware end

get picture

get picture

flush
flush
reset

close close
close

close

Figure 4 Interface process of the MPP

Take H.264 deocder for example. Video stream will first queued by MPI/MPP layer, MPP will send the
stream to codec layer, codec layer parses the stream header and generates a protocol standard output. This
output will be send to HAL to generate register file set and communicate with hardware. Hardware will
complete the task and resend information back. MPP notify codec by hardware result, codec output
decoded frame by display order.

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Chatper 2 User Manual

Please see the document named “mpp user manual.pdf”.

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Chapter 3 Abbreviations
For the purposes of this documentation, the following abbreviations apply:
MPP Media Process Platform
MPI Media Process Interface
HAL Hardware Abstract Layer
OSAL Operating System Abstract Layer

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Chapter 4 API Application Instances

4.1 Encoder Sample

4.1.1 Flow for Encoder

Start End

Parse command option Release memory

Allocate memory Reset mpp context

Create and init mpp context

output queue: get stream
from encoder by dequeue
and enqueue operation
Loop
Create and init mpi pointers
input queue: send picture
to encoder by dequeue and
Configure encoder enqueue operation
parameter

Figure 5 Flow for encoder

Figure 5 is the flow chart of encoder, which details how mpp encoder works. First of all, it parses command
option and allocates memory. Then mpp context is created and inited, also mpi pointers. Importantly,
encoder parameter should be configured before encoder starts to work. After that, the application sends
picture to encoder by dequeue and enqueue operation in input queue while getting stream from encoder by
the same operation in output queue. When encoding is done, mpp context must be reset and memory
allocated by programmer should be released.

4.1.2 Program Instances

For details about the codes, see mpi_enc_test.c in mpp source code.

4.2 Decoder Sample

4.2.1 Flow for Decoder
In this case for mpp decoder test, as we can see from Figure 6, it parses the command option and allocates
memory at first. Then it creates and inits mpp context, also creates and inits mpi pointers. Now there exists
two decoder flow called simple decoder and advanced decoder. Only video stream in the format of MJPEG
is applied to advanced decoder so far. In simple decoder scene, the application sends video stream packet to
decoder by the mpi interface named decode_put_packet and gets video frame from decoder by
decode_get_frame function interface. However in advanced case, the application sends stream to decoder

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by dequeue and enqueue operation in input queue while getting picture from decoder by dequeue and
enqueue operation in output queue. When decoding is done, mpp context must be reset and memory
allocated by programmer should be released.

Loop

get frame from mpp

put packet to mpp

Reset mpp context

Start simple decoder Release memory

YES
Parse command option End

decoder is simple
Allocate memory output queue: get picture
flow
from decoder by dequeue
and enqueue operation
Loop
Create and init mpp context
NO input queue: send stream
to decoder by dequeue and
enqueue operation
Create and init mpi pointers advanced decoder

Figure 6 Flow for decoder

4.2.2 Program Instances

For details about the codes, see mpi_dec_test.c in mpp source code.

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