Is it possible to overclock the i.MX 7 system?

[maxchan-ratta]

Currently I am developing a multimedia solution on i.MX 7. I found myself running out of AXI and DRAM bandwidth when a lot of simultaneous DMA action is happening. Is it possible to overclock the DRAM interface and the AXI bus? If so, how can I do this?

[gusarambula]

Hello Max Chang,

You would be limited by the valid clock configurations for the AXI which you most likely already exhausted. The other option would be overclocking the i.MX7 per se, but this would render it out of the acceptable conditions and you may cause damage to the processor and the behavior could not be guaranteed.

In this scenario, I would recommend working on the priorities for the AXI access. This would not fix your problem, I realize, since bandwidth is limited, but you may use it in a manner that allows for more acceptable and consistent behavior.

I hope this helps!

Regards,

[maxchan-ratta]

How can I change the AXI priority then?

[gusarambula]

Hello Max Chan,

The Crossbar Switch (AXBS) Control Register (MCM_PLACR) looks as reserved on the reference manual. I’m investigating if there are indeed options to improve performance by changing arbitration. I’ll let you know as soon as I have more information.

Regards,