GenAVB/TSN

GenAVB/TSN is a generic AVB/TSN stack developed by NXP for NXP MCUs and MPUs. It is cross-platform, currently supporting Linux and FreeRTOS.

Supported hardware targets and configurations

This project supports several hardware targets and several different configuration modes. The table below summarizes the supported combinations, overall and for this specific release:

• O: supported by the project and on this specific release
• x: supported by the project, but not on this release
• empty cell: unsupported combination

	AVB endpoint	TSN endpoint	bridge	hybrid
linux i.MX6	x		x	x
linux i.MX8	x	O	x	x
linux LS1028			O
freertos RT1052	x	x
freertos RT1176	x	x

Features

• IEEE-802.1AS-2020 implementation, both time-aware Bridge and Endpoint support.
• IEEE-802.1Qat-2010 implementation.
• Binary protocol stacks running in standalone userspace processes.
• Public API provided by binary library plus header files.
• Example applications.

Repository structure

• api: the public API
• apps: source code and makefiles for example applications
• avdecc: IEEE 1722.1-2013 component stack
• avtp: IEEE 1722-2016 component stack
• common: common code
• configs: configuration files
• doc: documentation
• gptp: IEEE 802.1AS-2020 component stack
• freertos: FreeRTOS specific code
• linux: Linux specific code
• maap: MAAP component code
• public: common code shared between applications and stack
• srp: IEEE 802.1Qat-2010 component stack

Build requirements

• Linux host system and development tools (git, make, doxygen for the docs, ...)
• An ARM gcc toolchain is sufficient for the stack. However building the linux applications requires a more complete cross-compilation SDK (because of additional dependencies such as alsa, gstreamer and qt5).
• AVB endpoint builds depend on custom changes to the Linux kernel and Yocto distribution: https://www.nxp.com/design/software/embedded-software/audio-video-bridging-software:AVB-SOFTWARE
• FreeRTOS builds require additional MCUXpresso SDK software: https://www.nxp.com/design/software/development-software/mcuxpresso-software-and-tools-/wired-communications-middleware-for-nxp-microcontrollers:WIRED-COMM-MIDDLEWARE?tab=Design_Tools_Tab

Build configuration

Some configuration is required to provide the path to the cross-compiler, toolchain staging directory and other external components.

Local configuration files can be included by the build system in order to define such variables specific to the developer environment, so that they don't have to be specified at each invocation of make. The local configuration file name for a given target is ./local_config_${target}.mk.

FreeRTOS

The following variables must be defined, either on the make command line or (preferably) in the local configuration file:

FREERTOS_SDK=<path to FreeRTOS SDK>
FREERTOS_APPS=<path to FreeRTOS APPS>
export CROSS_COMPILE=<path to cross-compiler prefix>

Linux

The Linux target is usually built using a complete toolchain, which helps setting most of the environment variables required for cross-compilation. In the case of a Yocto SDK/toolchain for example, the following command will setup $CROSS_COMPILE as well as other related environment variables:

source <PATH_TO_YOCTO_ENVIRONMENT_SETUP>

The following variables must also be defined, either on the make command line or (preferably) in the local configuration file:

KERNELDIR=<path to linux kernel source tree>
STAGING_DIR=<path to the toolchain staging dir> (${SDKTARGETSYSROOT} using Yocto SDK)
NXP_SWITCH_PATH=<path to NXP switch driver>

Note: the NXP_SWITCH_PATH variable is only needed when building for specific hybrid or bridge configurations.

Build options

target

The following targets are supported:

• linux_imx6
• linux_imx8
• linux_ls1028
• freertos_rt1052
• freertos_rt1176

config

The build configurations can be found in ./configs.

The following configurations are supported:

• endpoint_avb (full featured AVB endpoint)
• endpoint_tsn
• hybrid
• bridge

Verbosity

By default the verbosity is minimal, so you can focus on what is actually built.

If more output is required use V parameter:

• V=0 is the default 'quiet' build.
• V=1 enables more debug output and full commands echoing.

Note: verbosity control doesn't affect applications (linux).

Build commands

Syntax is:

make target=<target name> config=<config name> <build target>

Supported build targets

• all
• install
• clean
• stack
• stack-install
• stack-clean
• apps

If target is not specified, the default is linux_imx6. If config is not specified, the default is to build all the configurations available for the given target.

Generated binaries

Stack: The generated binaries are installed under build/<target name>/<config name>/.

Example applications: The generated binaries are placed in build/<target name>/<config name>/apps/linux/<app name>/.

Installing binaries to target

Linux

Stack: Copy the content of build/<target name>/<config name>/target/ to the root directory of the target filesystem.

Example applications: the generated binaries must be copied to the target filesystem.

FreeRTOS

Refer to the FreeRTOS apps README.