BeagleV-Ahead

Certified open source

Links

• Terms and conditions: https://docs.beagleboard.org/latest/boards/terms-and-conditions.html
• Documentation: https://docs.beagleboard.org/latest/boards/beaglev/ahead
• Design: https://git.beagleboard.org/beaglev-ahead/beaglev-ahead
• Support: https://forum.beagleboard.org/tags/c/beaglev/15/ahead
• Repair: https://www.beagleboard.org/rma
• Purchase: https://beaglev-ahead.org

Features

• T-Head TH1520 AI system-on-chip processor
  • Quad-core XuanTie C910 open-source RTL RISC-V (RV64GCV ISA) CPU @ 2GHz
    • 3 issue, 8 instruction, 9-12 stage pipeline
    • In-order fetch, out-of-order launch, out-of-order completion and in-order retirement
    • 64KB I-cache, 64KB D-cache per core
  • AI NPU with 4TOPS INT8 @ 1GHz
    • Support for TensorFlow, ONNX, Caffe
    • Feature extraction accelerator
  • Image signal processor
  • H.264/H.265/JPEG video encoder and decoder
  • 2D accelerator
  • 3D Vulkan/OpenCL/OpenGLES accelerator (IMG?)
  • C906-based (RV64IMA[FD]C[V] ISA) audio processor subsystem
• 4GB LPDDR4
• 16GB eMMC
• New Beagle form-factor open-source development board
  • ~2xSuperSpeed-USB type-A host (stacked)~
  • SuperSpeed USB type-C dual-role with power input (no power output)
  • Consider adding USB-to-serial/JTAG for the type-C device and move USB to host-only
  • Gigabit Ethernet with speed/connection indicators
  • HDMI type-A connector
  • TBD SDIO WiFi
  • uSD card cage
  • 2xCSI ribbon cable connectors
  • 1xDSI ribbon cable connector
  • 2x46-pin expansion headers with 4-pin HS-USB extension
  • 2x8-pin "mikroBus shuttle" ribbon-cable connector for audio and sensors
  • 3-pin TTL-level debug UART connector
  • Fan power connector (fan is optional)
  • 6x LEDs (1 power, 5 programmable)
  • 3x push-buttons (power, reset, boot/user)
  • 5V barrel jack
• BeagleBoard.org Debian Linux image
  • Tracking mainline u-boot/kernel with T-Head patches as needed
  • Package feeds for custom binaries for TensorFlow Lite, etc.
  • Familiar and flexible graphical user interface environment
  • Self-hosted Visual Studio Code IDE via web-browser
  • USB-based virtual network for "single-cable development"

Requirements to begin

• Documentation needs to start
  • Reference schematic and PCB source files
    • Reference for DDR
    • Reference for PMIC and power design
  • Additional SoC details (Chinese language is good) - pointers to licensed IP is fine
    • Power consumption
  • Clear legal path to usage
    • Verify the IP in the SoC is licensed for use
    • Verify the IP user documentation can be public
    • Signed 3P agreement
  • Supplier part commitment
    • 10k parts for launch
    • 50k units per year
    • fixed price and availability 5 years as long as 10k units per year
  • SDK source required to test board
    • Review Linux device tree
• Documentation needs to launch
  • Additional SoC details (Chinese language is good) - pointers to licensed IP is fine
    • Overview of SoC Memory Map
    • Boot process
    • Clocking and reset
    • Interrupts map or List
    • PLIC (Platform Level Interrupt Controller)
    • CLINT (Core-Local Interruptor)
    • L2 Cache Controller
    • DMA Controller
    • DDR interface
    • UART peripheral (including register map)
    • PWM peripheral (including register map)
    • I2C controller (including register map)
    • SPI controller (including register map)
    • GPIO controller (including register map)
    • Gigabit Ethernet MAC (including register map)
    • USB controller (including register map)
  • SDK source
    • Open source Linux kernel with reasonable SoC entitlement (or register-level detailed IP documentation)
    • V4L2 driver for video encoder/decoder
    • IMG 3D open source Mesa/Vulkan driver
    • libcamera and V4L2 driver for ISP and CSI video interace for common sensors (IMX219-based Pi camera)
    • DRM driver for the 2D image accelerator, display processing unit and DSI video interface
    • ALSA driver for audio interface

DVT v0.2 testing

1. Flash latest Ubuntu image
2. UART debug port access
3. WiFi connection
4. GPIO testing
5. Bluetooth testing