Hey everyone!! This one is going to be a very brief blog. A lot of times, system developers encounter OOPS from the linux kernel while tweaking in the kernel drivers.
A kernel OOPS is a non-fatal but serious error that help developers debug the potential problems.
It is like the kernel is the patient with an illness trying to talk to a doctor and telling what is wrong with it so that the developers can identify the issue and fix it.

It generally occurs when the kernel detects an invalid operation such as an illegal memory access, NULL pointer dereferences, invalid instruction execution. An OOPS doesn't necessarily mean that the system will stop working right there and then. However, it does impact the reliability of the system until a point at which the system could potentially halt and stop working.
OOPS generates a detailed report that contains info like the stack trace, CPU ID, stack pointer, program counter etc.

While tweaking with a PCIe Endpoint driver on iMX8MM, I happened to break the driver's integrity [by mistake of course :p]. Please have a look at the below snapshot: -
 

With this OOPS, the system is trying to tell you very clearly that the cause of this error is due to an instruction at pci_epf_test_cmd_handler+0x4c which also happens to be the program counter for obvious reasons.

Now to check which line of code in the kernel caused this OOPS, you have to do the following: -

1. Go to the directory where your kernel build is present and using the toolchain's 'nm' tool, list the symbol 'pci_epf_test_cmd_handler' address

 

nxgxxx@lsv03xxxx:~/linux-imx$ aarch64-poky-linux-nm -n vmlinux | grep pci_epf_test_cmd_handler

ffff8000086280b0 t pci_epf_test_cmd_handler

2. We also have the offset of the line that caused the OOPS which is '0x4c' as per the log. So adding this offset to the address of the symbol obtained in the above step we get,

0xffff8000086280b0  + 0x4c = 0xffff8000086280fc

3. Using 'addr2line' utility of the toolchain and 'vmlinux' elf obtained in the build we get the line number in the kernel code that caused this issue:-

nxgxxx@lsv03xxxx:~/linux-imx$ aarch64-poky-linux-addr2line -e vmlinux -f -i 0xffff8000086280fc
 

pci_epf_test_cmd_handler

/home/nxgxxx/linux-imx/drivers/pci/endpoint/functions/pci-epf-test.c:843

That's it. It is very easy to debug the kernel with the kind of tools we have nowadays. There are alternatives which developers use to debug the kernel like inspecting the kernel dump via gdb.

One of these days, we will cover what pc, lr and other fields in an OOPS denote, just for the fun of it. Happy learning!!

組込み機器へのAI/ML導入における課題に対して、NXPのAI/MLソリューション eIQを活用するメリットをご紹介します

-LLM+RAGソリューションをリリース予定

-時系列AI、画像処理AIモデルを開発

-Convert機能により、既存のAI/ML資産をスムーズに移行

双方向電圧レベル・シフタ評価ボード：『NTS0304EUK-ARDの動かし方』の動画を公開。

NTS0304Eは，双方向の電圧レベル変換を可能にする自動方向検知機能を備えた4ビット・デュアル電圧変換トランシーバです。

Memory validation supports i.MX RT devices and it is available on top of Peripherals tool for SEMC, FlexSPI and FCB components.

When running firmware v3.xxx onwards, MCU-Link uses WinUSB, so make sure your firmware matches a compatible MCUXpresso IDE version.

The RT685-AUD-EVK allowed me to validate my custom frontend circuitry and get started on other critical DSP software development.  I was able to connect the piezoelectric saddle pickups on my engineering guitar into the test bed via the custom daughtercard. From here I can focus on firmware in the MCU and DSP cores in the RT685. 

Please find document which is missing in the latest SDK bundle location for RT devices \docs\wireless\Release Notes.

The latest release of NXP's free UI design tool for LVGL is out now - GUI Guider 1.3.1 features major improvements in usability and optimization. 

NXP's free UI design tool for the open source LVGL graphics library continues to add great new features and capabilities. GUI Guider 1.3.0 was released on January 24th 2022 and includes exciting new widgets, more host platform support, Keil project output and Micropython.

The SuperMonkey is here!  Come see the bring-up of an i.MX RT685 based design that uses QSPI flash connected to FlexSPI Port A.

NXP has now introduced MCU-Link Pro - the second incarnation of the MCU-Link debug probe architecture, adding several powerful capabilities and features to build on the entry level MCU-Link standalone model. This includes power/energy measurement, USB bridging and a J-Link firmware option.

An interactive tutorial on how to create your own MATLAB Simulink temperature sensor application by applying the model-based design approach, how to configure and use the i.MXRT1060 EVK using NXP MCUXpresso, a thermistor module and the IMXRT Toolbox.

In my previous two articles,  we examined the core components to an RT600 hardware design using the code name “Super-Monkey”.   The objective of the Super-Monkey project to produce minimal configuration design example using RT685 audio crossover MCU that would support my real-time audio processing projects.   There is quite a bit IO available on the RT685, but I chose to constrain my design to the most common functions for real-time audio.   My applications generally use professional, “flagship quality” audio codecs for musical instrument signal processing.   Using this as a guide, the process of coming up with a minimal IO complement was simplified.  It is time to now time reveal the Super-Monkey design!

This article will continue detailing a minimal configuration design that uses an i.MX RT685 crossover MCU.    In the first article of this hardware design series, I introduced the power supply architecture of the RT600 series and illustrated some of the package/PCB layout features of the VFBGA176 package.       I also introduced some of the specs I am working towards for the “Super-Monkey” module and will power some of my future real-time audio processing projects.

As a real-world example, I this article is part one of several articles that will step through a basic RT600 hardware design and bring-up.   I find this to be a very useful exercise as high-end MCU’s can be overwhelming, especially to those coming from a traditional MCU background.   The goal here is to develop a simple “minimal configuration” example and build it for a demonstration.   

In Part 1 of our introduction to the RT600 crossover MCU,  we examined the RT600 CPU/DSP core complex and its unique system memory architecture.   In part 2, we will put a spotlight on some other unique peripheral features that make the RT600 standout as a high-performance audio crossover MCU.

This article is the first part of a two part series focusing in on one of the newer members of the i.MX RT crossover family: the RT600.     The RT600 crossover MCUs are focused on real-time number crunching applications such as audio, sensor fusion and machine learning.     

Please find attached a document detailing various features related to using the IMXRT1170-EVK(B) evaluation board with MCUXpresso IDE v11.x.x and SDK v2.x.x, including details of multicore debugging and how to enable SWO trace on this MCU.

We are pleased to announce that MCUXpresso Secure Provisioning Tool v2.1 is now available.

MCUXpresso Secure Provisioning Tool is a graphical user interface (GUI) tool covering the secure boot
process, aimed primarily at microcontroller customers. It provides unified GUI front-end over existing
command-line tools - FlashLoader, elftosb, blhost, cst.

The i.MX RT series bridges the simplicity of MCUs with the complexity of applications processors into a hybrid portfolio offering ease-of-use designed to address the growing consumer demand for enhanced user experiences. Offering high-performance – up to 1Ghz – modernized HMI capabilities, expanded memory options, and advanced security, the i.MX RT series can help you push the boundaries of what is possible in the IoT – even on price-conscious designs.  The possibilities are endless: Imagine using the i.MX RT in clothing technology to help manage airflow; and maybe that device interacts with others such as smartwatches to actively cool the body. Similarly, imagine adding IoT capabilities to gaming devices for an enhanced gaming experience.

This project was implemented by Ioana CULIC (ioana_maria.culic@upb.ro), PhD candidate at the Politehnica University of Bucharest, and Alexandru VOCHESCU (alexandru.vochescu@stud.acs.upb.ro) as part of his bachelor thesis at the Politehnica University of Bucharest. All the contributions are open source and are part of the Tock project, available on github.

Hi All,

This is Mini Drum Pad build in with IMXRT1015. Also it has AFE shield board which is used for capsense buttons.

IMX RT is, using SAI to play the audio file at 16KHZ. I have created 12 samples (.wav file) and the raw data is stored in the music file. Based on the capsense button press triggering the sound effect.

Speaker I used is from Boat, it has internal battery so only thing required is to feed the Aux input from IMXRT EVK.

I felt that, button sense over I2C bit slow due to that having the limitation of playing the music as faster. Anyway its just demonstration of my concept.

The purpose of this Blog is to assist new users of the AppWizard to create and run their first project. The AppWizard is a tool for creating complete and ready-to-use emWin applications. The tool makes it very easy to build an application, manage resources and even define the application’s behavior.

Managing resources of an application is also made incredibly easy since the user simply has to add their resources to the project. All of the rest is done by the AppWizard, this means the user doesn’t have to fiddle around with dozens of resource files anymore.

The Hackster Crossover Code Challenge might be over, but really, it’s just the beginning for you. Now it’s your chance to take advantage of all the ideas to jump start your next design.

Announced in October, the i.MX RT1170 is NXP’s latest break-through technology within the i.MX RT series of Crossover MCUs.  What makes the i.MX RT1170 so cutting edge?

The next generation of machine interfaces is here. As embedded technology evolves, NXP continues to innovate with technologies like cloud-based/local voice control and face recognition for secure access/authentication. Resources for these technologies are abundant, but how can NXP continue to offer an efficient, easy, and quick path to development for people who do not want to reinvent the wheel? How do we make it easier to innovate?

Enter NXP’s turnkey, production-grade IoT ML/AI edge computing solutions. NXP provides the option of an integrated approach to development, with solutions that include out-of-box hardware, software, schematics, layouts, documentation, certifications, and BOMs to enable developers to add sensor-based capabilities into their design easily and quickly. The advantage is a faster time to market with the ability to leverage popular services like the Alexa Voice Service for AWS IoT Core Integration or compute completely offline when it comes to face recognition, for instance. 

A lot of discussion recently has been around the i.MX RT1010 crossover MCU -and why not?  It is the latest and greatest achievement for high-end crossover MCUs.  But, you probably noticed that the i.MX RT1010 MCU left off some features in order to keep the cost low.  So, what if you need a high performance MCU with all the bells and whistles?

Launched in October, the i.MX RT1010 crossover MCU further expands NXP’s popular i.MX RT series and introduces the world to the next generation of low-cost, high-performance MCUs.

Today I conclude my countdown of top reasons to use i.MX RT1010, and I wanted to end the blog series in the same way that it began – by talking about how to get started. It is has been  2 weeks since my first post, so hopefully by now you have found the $10.10 in your couch cushion to order your i.MX RT1010 EVK. Maybe you even already have the EVK on your desk and followed the instructions on the Getting Started webpage which leads you to download the software and tools. But what is MCUXpresso and how much does it cost?