This repository contains bits and pieces of information about the CODA series of video processing units found in i.MX application processors. There is a firmware identification tool, a firmware splitter, a rudimentary disassembler, and some unfinished documentation:
To configure the build system and build the tools, follow the standard Meson build procedure:
$ meson build $ cd build $ ninja
The coda-fwinfo tool matches a machine code template against the firmware file to determine the product id, firmware version number, and code revision (CODA960 only) as returned by the FIRMWARE_VERNUM command if run on the hardware:
$ coda-fwinfo vpu_fw_imx6q.bin Firmware in host memory order Product ID: 0xf020, CODA960 (i.MX6) Version Number: 0x3101 (3.1.1) Code Revision: 46072
The bitspl tool looks for reset vector signatures and splits the firmware into individual components at those boundaries:
$ bitspl vpu_fw_imx6q.bin vector at 0x00000, writing 00000.bin vector at 0x05000, writing 05000.bin [...]
For example, the i.MX6Q firmware version 3.1.1 splits into the following parts. Their function can be determined from the code at address 0x01c4, which checks the RUN_COD_STD and RUN_AUX_STD parameters:
| Part | Function |
|---|---|
| 00000.bin | h.264 AVC decode |
| 05000.bin | |
| 0a000.bin | h.264 MVC decode |
| 0f000.bin | VC1 decode |
| 13000.bin | MPEG-2 decode |
| 16000.bin | MPEG-4 decode |
| 1a000.bin | DivX 3 decode |
| 1d000.bin | RV decode |
| 1f800.bin | AVS decode |
| 22800.bin | MJPEG decode |
| 24800.bin | Theora decode |
| 28800.bin | VP6 decode |
| 2c800.bin | VP8 decode |
| 31800.bin | h.264 AVC encode |
| 35000.bin | MPEG-4 encode |
| 38000.bin | |
| 3a000.bin | h.264 MVC encode |
The i.MX51 firmware version 1.4.50 splits into the following parts. Their function can be determined from the code at address 0x010a, which checks the RUN_COD_STD parameter:
| Part | Function |
|---|---|
| 00000.bin | h.264 AVC decode |
| 04800.bin | |
| 09000.bin | VC1 decode |
| 0d000.bin | MPEG-2 decode |
| 10000.bin | MPEG-4 decode |
| 14800.bin | |
| 17800.bin | RV decode |
| 19800.bin | MJPEG decode |
| 1c000.bin | h.264 encode |
| 1e000.bin | |
| 1f000.bin | MPEG-4 encode |
| 22000.bin | MJPEG encode |
Note that the output of bitspl is always in BIT processor order, even if the input is in host memory order:
$ coda-fwinfo 00000.bin Firmware in BIT processor memory order [...]
The parts can be put back together using cat:
$ cat ?????.bin > vpu_fw_imx6q.bin
The bitdis tool is a rudimentary disassembler that translates the firmware machine code into made up mnemonics, as far as the instruction set is understood:
$ bitdis 00000.bin Firmware in host memory order Disassembly of 00000.bin: 0000: e40e 0020 jump $0, 0x40 [...]
The CODA firmware binaries can be downloaded as part of the i.MX firmware package provided by NXP. Here is how to download and extract a few versions of the CODA VPU firmware files:
$ wget http://www.nxp.com/lgfiles/NMG/MAD/YOCTO/firmware-imx-3.0.35-4.0.0.bin $ dd if=firmware-imx-3.0.35-4.0.0.bin bs=15586 skip=1 | tar xj $ wget http://www.nxp.com/lgfiles/NMG/MAD/YOCTO/firmware-imx-3.5.7-1.0.0.bin $ dd if=firmware-imx-3.5.7-1.0.0.bin bs=15584 skip=1 | tar xj $ wget http://www.nxp.com/lgfiles/NMG/MAD/YOCTO/firmware-imx-3.10.17-1.0.0.bin $ dd if=firmware-imx-3.10.17-1.0.0.bin bs=28056 skip=1 | tar xj $ wget http://www.nxp.com/lgfiles/NMG/MAD/YOCTO/firmware-imx-3.14.28-1.0.0.bin $ dd if=firmware-imx-3.14.28-1.0.0.bin bs=33936 skip=1 | tar xj $ wget http://www.nxp.com/lgfiles/NMG/MAD/YOCTO/firmware-imx-5.0.bin $ dd if=firmware-imx-5.0.bin bs=34172 skip=1 | tar xj $ wget http://www.nxp.com/lgfiles/NMG/MAD/YOCTO/firmware-imx-5.2.bin $ dd if=firmware-imx-5.2.bin bs=34172 skip=1 | tar xj $ wget http://www.nxp.com/lgfiles/NMG/MAD/YOCTO/firmware-imx-5.3.bin $ dd if=firmware-imx-5.3.bin bs=34479 skip=1 | tar xj $ wget http://www.nxp.com/lgfiles/NMG/MAD/YOCTO/firmware-imx-5.4.bin $ dd if=firmware-imx-5.4.bin bs=34087 skip=1 | tar xj $ wget http://www.nxp.com/lgfiles/NMG/MAD/YOCTO/firmware-imx-6.0.bin $ dd if=firmware-imx-6.0.bin bs=36566 skip=1 | tar xj $ wget http://www.nxp.com/lgfiles/NMG/MAD/YOCTO/firmware-imx-7.1.bin $ dd if=firmware-imx-7.1.bin bs=36909 skip=1 | tar xj $ wget http://www.nxp.com/lgfiles/NMG/MAD/YOCTO/firmware-imx-7.2.bin $ dd if=firmware-imx-7.2.bin bs=36909 skip=1 | tar xj $ wget http://www.nxp.com/lgfiles/NMG/MAD/YOCTO/firmware-imx-7.4.bin $ dd if=firmware-imx-7.4.bin bs=36909 skip=1 | tar xj $ wget http://www.nxp.com/lgfiles/NMG/MAD/YOCTO/firmware-imx-7.5.bin $ dd if=firmware-imx-7.5.bin bs=37083 skip=1 | tar xj $ wget http://www.nxp.com/lgfiles/NMG/MAD/YOCTO/firmware-imx-7.6.bin $ dd if=firmware-imx-7.6.bin bs=37623 skip=1 | tar xj $ wget http://www.nxp.com/lgfiles/NMG/MAD/YOCTO/firmware-imx-7.7.bin $ dd if=firmware-imx-7.7.bin bs=37622 skip=1 | tar xj $ wget http://www.nxp.com/lgfiles/NMG/MAD/YOCTO/firmware-imx-7.8.bin $ dd if=firmware-imx-7.8.bin bs=38868 skip=1 | tar xj $ wget http://www.nxp.com/lgfiles/NMG/MAD/YOCTO/firmware-imx-7.9.bin $ dd if=firmware-imx-7.9.bin bs=38868 skip=1 | tar xj $ wget http://www.nxp.com/lgfiles/NMG/MAD/YOCTO/firmware-imx-8.0.bin $ dd if=firmware-imx-8.0.bin bs=37180 skip=1 | tar xj $ https://www.nxp.com/lgfiles/NMG/MAD/YOCTO/firmware-imx-8.1.bin $ dd if=firmware-imx-8.1.bin bs=37164 skip=1 | tar xj $ https://www.nxp.com/lgfiles/NMG/MAD/YOCTO/firmware-imx-8.2.bin $ dd if=firmware-imx-8.2.bin bs=37775 skip=1 | tar xj $ https://www.nxp.com/lgfiles/NMG/MAD/YOCTO/firmware-imx-8.3.bin $ dd if=firmware-imx-8.3.bin bs=37908 skip=1 | tar xj
These all contain the same firmware versions for i.MX 27 to i.MX53 in the firmware/vpu subdirectory:
| SoC | CODA | Firmware | Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| i.MX27 TO1 | CodaDx6 | vpu_fw_imx27_TO1.bin | 1.7.1 |
| i.MX27 TO2 | CodaDx6 | vpu_fw_imx27_TO2.bin | 2.2.2 |
| i.MX51 | CodaHx14 | vpu_fw_imx51.bin | 1.4.50 |
| i.MX53 | CODA7541 | vpu_fw_imx53.bin | 1.4.50 |
The firmware versions for i.MX6Q/D and i.MX6DL/S differ between the packages:
| SoC | CODA | Firmware |
|---|---|---|
| i.MX6Q/D | CODA960 | vpu_fw_imx6q.bin |
| i.MX6DL/S | CODA960 | vpu_fw_imx6d.bin |
| Package version | Firmware version |
|---|---|
| 3.0.38-4.0.0 | 2.1.9 r36350 |
| 3.5.7-1.0.0 | 2.3.10 r40778 |
| 3.10.17-1.0.0 | 3.1.1 r46056 |
| 3.14.28-1.0.0 | 3.1.1 r46063 |
| 5.0 | 3.1.1 r46067 |
| 5.2-5.3 | 3.1.1 r46070 |
| 5.4 | 3.1.1 r46072 |
| 6.0-7.1 | 3.1.1 r46075 (0xb3fb) |
| 7.2-8.3 | 3.1.1 r570363 (0x8b3fb) |