topic Re: i.MX8QM VPU information needed for developing H.264 decoding software in i.MX Processors

i.MX8QM VPU information needed for developing H.264 decoding software

ToarteFretter — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 10:06:02 GMT

Dear,

We would like to develop software to decode H.264 video using the VPU inside the i.MX8QM.

However, the reference manual is very brief on the VPU details.

Is there more information available regarding its operation; for example, how to interact with these four M0+ cores, how to provide the TS data, how to retrieve the decoded video?

Thanks in advance!

Best regards.

Re: i.MX8QM VPU information needed for developing H.264 decoding software

Manuel_Salas — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 17:19:38 GMT

Hello @ToarteFretter

Hope you are doing very well.

Unfortunately, NXP does not publicly share detailed Amphion VPU firmware documentation. The firmware is provided by the IP owner (Amphion), and NXP does not have any driver or SDK examples for controlling the VPU directly from the M core.

We just have the i.MX VPU Application Programming Interface Linux Reference Manual available.

Best regarsd,

Salas.

Re: i.MX8QM VPU information needed for developing H.264 decoding software

ToarteFretter — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 08:41:00 GMT

Hello @Manuel_Salas

Yes, we're doing fine, thanks for asking!

Just to be sure we're aligned, we want to develop the software on the A-core, not on the M4 or even directly on the M0+ cores.

From what we've seen in the provided document, there should be a driver inside the Linux distribution, right? I think I've found the source code of this.

The firmware itself that must be loaded on these M0+ cores, is this also somewhere present inside the Linux distribution?

Many thanks again!

Best regards,

ToarteFretter.

Re: i.MX8QM VPU information needed for developing H.264 decoding software

ToarteFretter — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 11:58:10 GMT

Hi @Manuel_Salas,

Can you tell us if the firmware that needs to run on the M0+ cores for the VPU functionality on the i.MX8QM, has to be loaded by the software running on the A-core (e.g.: by Linux), or is this baked into the chip through ROM or maybe part of the SCFW?

Quickly looking into the source code of Linux doesn't give us a clear response on this question; also because of the confusing and many flavours of the i.MX8, as well as the VPU types from what it looks.

It would be very helpful of you, if you could give some more information on this? Also, if firmware needs to be loaded by us, where that we can find it?

Many thanks!

Best regards,

ToarteFretter.