Release Notes v2.0.0
Note
Release v2.0.0 is an Alpha release based on Yocto Scarthgap and version v6.12 of the Linux Kernel. Functionality is currently limited. The latest feature complete release is Release Notes v1.7.0.
Introduction
Astra™ is Synaptics’ new compute platform designed for the IoT market. It features a series of high-performance, AI-native, multi-modal SoCs optimized for consumer, enterprise, and industrial IoT workloads. These SoCs are equipped with hardware accelerators for edge inferencing, security, graphics, vision, and audio, and offer out-of-the-box functionality with Synaptics’ connectivity solutions.
Astra (v2.0.0 Alpha) Release is a unified software development kit supporting the SL-Series of MPUs.
The high-level components included in this SDK are described below:
Upstream Linux Kernel and device tree.
Low-level Linux device drivers (U-BOOT) for peripheral devices.
Open source code for Multimedia pipelines.
Synaptics proprietary security approach.
Related SDK Documents
All of these items can be found through Synaptics’ and third parties open source Git repositories on GitHub.
Yocto SDK
The Yocto Project is an open-source collaboration project that provides templates, tools and methods for custom Linux-based systems for embedded and IoT products. By leveraging the power of the open-source development community, Synaptics hopes to provide its customers with a wider array of compatible software packages to build their products faster, with more features, while at the same time having the stability and support of a large open-source development project. Additionally, the SDK enables customers who already use a Yocto-based development environment to migrate to Synaptics class-leading silicon solutions for improved performance and additional functionality. The Yocto Project offers a vast number of software packages that provide many options.
Reference Board Supported Scope
Below table lists the supported ASTRA reference board (Machina) and supported scope.
SOC / Reference Board |
Test Validation and Support Scope |
|---|---|
SL1680 Core board + IO board |
GA |
SL1640 Core board + IO board |
GA |
SL1620 Core board + IO board |
GA |
License
Using the Astra Software Developer Kit and BSP requires complying with the ASTRA EMBEDDED SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT KIT LICENSE AGREEMENT –.
Synaptics TAs
The following Trusted Applications (TAs) are Synaptics TAs which run in the OP-TEE Trusted Execution Environment. These TAs are open source and can be found at https://github.com/synaptics-astra/tee-optee_dev/tree/scarthgap_6.12_v2.0.0_alpha/ta.
Package |
Notes |
|---|---|
Fastlogo |
TA SL1680 / SL1640 |
DHUB |
TA SL1680 / SL1640 |
Vmeta |
TA SL1680 / SL1640 / SL1620 |
Where to get the SDK from GitHub
Images and Toolchains
SDK
https://github.com/synaptics-astra/sdk/tree/scarthgap_6.12_v2.0.0_alpha
Documentation
Astra Yocto Linux Developer Guide
For other collaterals please refer to the Synaptics Customer Portal.
New Features
Common New Features
Feature |
SoC |
Description |
Yocto Scarthgap |
All |
Base release on Yocto Scarthgap |
Linux v6.12 |
All |
Upgrade to the Linux v6.12 Kernel |
U-Boot 2025.01 |
All |
Upgrade Synaptics U-Boot to be based on upstream 2025.01 release |
SL1620 New Features
No SL1620 specific features were added in this release.
SL1640 New Features
No SL1640 specific features were added in this release.
SL1680 New Features
No SL1680 specific features were added in this release.
SoC Core Feature Summary
This section summarizes the hardware features of Astra Machina SoCs.
Feature |
SoC |
|---|---|
2D and 3D Graphics with GPU |
SL1620, SL1640, and SL1680 |
DRM-KMS |
SL1620, SL1640, and SL1680 |
Multi-standard Video Encoding/Decoding |
SL1640 and SL1680 |
Cortex-M core boot |
SL1620, SL1640, and SL1680 |
HIFI4 DSP |
SL1640 |
NPU |
SL1640 and SL1680 |
Security for CPU, BOOT, and DRM engine |
SL1620, SL1640, and SL1680 |
MIPI CSI & ISP |
SL1680 |
Specific Modules and Features
General Modules, Peripherals, and Interfaces Supported
General |
|
|---|---|
Kernel |
Kernel Version 6.12.11 |
Yocto |
Scarthgap: 5.0.9 |
U-Boot |
SPI U-Boot version: v1.1.1 USB SU-Boot version: v1.7 *Synaptics U-Boot based on U-Boot 2025.01 |
USB Tool |
astra-update: 1.0.2 |
OP-TEE |
OP-TEE version: 4.5.0 |
Gstreamer (GST) |
GST version: 1.22.12 |
ISP Firmware |
version: 6.5.1 |
Memory |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Memory - DDR |
SL1620 |
DDR3 |
1GB 1866 Mbps |
2GB 1866 Mbps |
|||
4GB 1866 Mbps |
|||
DDR4 |
1GB 2133 Mbps |
||
2GB 2133 Mbps |
|||
4GB 2133 Mbps |
|||
DDR4x16 |
1GB 2133 Mbps |
||
2GB 2133 Mbps |
|||
SL1640 |
DDR4 |
1GB 3200 Mbps |
|
2GB 2400 / 2666 / 3200 Mbps |
|||
4GB 3200 Mbps |
|||
DDRx16 |
1GB 3200 Mbps |
||
2GB 3200 Mbps |
|||
LPDDR4 |
2GB 3733 Mbps |
||
3GB 3733 Mbps |
|||
4GB 3733 Mbps |
|||
LPDDR4x |
3733 Mbps |
||
3GB 3733 Mbps |
|||
4GB 3733 Mbps |
|||
SL1680 |
LPDDR4 |
2GB 3733 Mbps |
|
3GB 3733 Mbps |
|||
4GB 3733 Mbps |
|||
LPDDR4x |
2GB 3200 / 3733 Mbps |
||
3GB 3200 / 3733 Mbps |
|||
4GB 3733 Mbps |
|||
Memory - eMMC |
up to 32GB |
||
General Peripherals |
|
|---|---|
Interrupt |
GIC |
Clock |
Controls the system frequency and clock tree distribution |
Timer |
|
GPIO |
GPIO is initialized in earlier phase according to hardware design |
SDMA |
Conforms to the DMA engine framework |
UART |
|
USB 2.0 (OTG) |
|
USB 3.0 (Host) |
|
I2C |
|
SPI |
|
Network |
|
|---|---|
Ethernet |
SL1620: 10 / 100 / 1000 Mbps SL1640: 10 / 100 Mbps SL1680: 10 /100 / 1000 Mbps |
Wireless Connectivity |
Supports WIFI & BT |
GPU and Display |
|
|---|---|
GPU |
|
Direct Rendering Manager (DRM) Display |
|
RGB Parallel Output |
Supported on SL1620 |
HDMI-TX |
Supported on SL1620/SL1640/SL1680 |
HDMI-RX |
Supported on SL1680 |
MIPI-DSI |
SL1680/SL1640/SL1620. On SL1640 it needs to be enabled via DTS |
Camera |
|
|---|---|
MIPI-CSI |
SL1680 |
ISP |
SL1680 |
Audio Interfaces |
|
|---|---|
PDM |
SL1620 |
SPDIF |
None |
I2S |
SL1620, SL1640, SL1680 |
Supported Camera Modules
Sensor |
Module |
Resolution |
Interface (Device Tree Overlay if Required) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
IMX258 |
Synaptics IMX258 Camera Module |
3840x2160 30fps (mode 0) 1920x1080 30fps (mode 1) |
MIPI-CSI 0 w/ dolphin-csi0-with-expander.dtbo |
Synaptics SL1680 MIPI CSI Adaptor Board Required |
IMX415 |
Synaptics IMX415 Camera Module |
3840x2160 30fps (mode 0) 1920x1080 30fps (mode 1) |
MIPI-CSI 0 w/ dolphin-csi0-with-expander.dtbo |
Synaptics SL1680 MIPI CSI Adaptor Board Required |
OV5647 |
640x480 60fps (mode 0) 1920x1080 30fps (mode 1) |
MIPI-CSI0 |
1920x1080 30fps output is non-calibrated |
|
MIPI-CSI 1 w/ dolphin-csi1-without-expander.dtbo |
||||
IMX477 |
3840x2160 30fps (mode 0) |
MIPI-CSI0 |
Single Sensor Support Only 3840x2160 30fps output is non-calibrated |
|
MIPI-CSI 1 w/ dolphin-csi1-without-expander.dtbo |
Known Issues and Limitations
Note
Versions of U-Boot included in the Astra SDK v0.9.0 release are not compatible with Astra SDK releases v1.0 or later. Please ensure that you are using USB Tool v1.0 or later when flashing using USB. Or U-Boot v1.0.0 or later when updating with internal SPI flash. See Updating Internal SPI Flash Images using U-Boot for instructions on updating the internal SPI flash.
Note
U-Boot version v1.1.0 improves emmc flash times significantly. We recommend updating to U-Boot v1.1.0 to benefit from these improvements.
Note
SD Boot with release v1.3 and later requires updating to U-Boot v1.1.1 or later. See Updating Internal SPI Flash Images using U-Boot for instructions on updating the internal SPI flash.
Note
In Astra v1.3, the default display output for the SL1620 is set to HDMI via a DSI-to-HDMI conversion. Starting with Astra v1.4, the onboard DSI-to-HDMI converter for the SL1620 Rev D core module has been enabled. For older core modules, an external DSI-to-HDMI adapter board is required. The default display output can be switched to MIPI by following the instructions provided in the User Guides. Haier Panel Configuration Guide and Waveshare Panel Configuration Guide.
Note
In Astra v1.4, the default MIPI display on SL1680 was changed to the Waveshare 7” Panel.
Note
In Astra v1.4, ISP IOMMU only supports the NV12 format. When using RGB888 format, set the v4l2src parameters extra-controls="c,mmu_enable=0"
to disable IOMMU.
Note
In Astra v1.5, the rootfs partition sizes increased to accommodate the extra packages in the OOBE images. This interferes with OTA since SWUpdate expects the rootfs partition size to be the same. To perform OTA on a system with v1.4 installed, please build an image using v1.4’s partition sizes. (See eMMC Partition Customization on Astra Machina)
Note
Network Manager can be supported in Astra 1.7, but it’s disabled by default as there are some stability issues found. If needed, Network Manager can be enabled. Please, contact the Synaptics Astra support team for more information.
Note
SyNAP AI features are NOT currently available in the Astra Scarthgap v2.0.0 Alpha release. SyNAP will be included in a future release.
Known Issues
SL1620 |
SL1640 |
SL1680 |
Module |
ID |
Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Y |
N/A |
N/A |
Gstreamer Pipeline |
34977 |
Gstreamer freezes at the beginning of video playback. |
Y |
N/A |
N/A |
Display |
34979 |
Inverted colors observed when playing secret_640x480.264 with live555MediaServer on TFT Panel. |
Y |
N/A |
N/A |
Audio |
34969 |
Arecord reports “Sample format non available” when recording at 24 and 32 bit. |
Y |
N/A |
N/A |
Display |
34567 |
Observed garbage output on the TFT Panel while in U-Boot. |
Y |
N/A |
N/A |
Display |
34580 |
Observed garbage output on TFT panel after reboot. |
Y |
N/A |
N/A |
Networking |
34587 |
Hostapd is not available. |
N/A |
Y |
Y |
Bluetooth |
35007 35009 |
BT SCO behaves abnormally and fails to record voice by BT headphone. |
N/A |
Y |
Y |
Display |
35004 |
Last frame retained after playback has stopped when using kmssink. |
N/A |
Y |
N/A |
Display |
35002 |
Observe horizontal lines during playback when using kmssink. |
N/A |
Y |
Y |
Display |
35003 |
Met a green flash at the beginning of playback when using kmssink. |
N/A |
Y |
Y |
Gstreamer Pipeline |
34997 |
Debug message “[berlin_bm kernel driver] pt freed trying 0 times, addr 0x0000000004a0d000” printed during playback. |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Linux Kernel |
34382 |
Failure to automatically mount USB disk. |
N/A |
Y |
Y |
Suspend / Resume |
34557 |
Pressing key fails to wake system from Low Power Standby. |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Suspend / Resume |
34564 |
System hangs when entering Suspend to RAM. |
N/A |
Y |
N/A |
Display |
34935 |
System takes a long time to show Weston UI during boot. |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Fastlogo |
34944 |
No fastlogo output on HDMI / MIPI Panel. |
N/A |
Y |
Y |
Graphics |
34947 |
Observe “Error: Failed to restore original CRTC: -2” at the end of glmark2-es2-drm test. |
N/A |
Y |
Y |
SD Boot |
34959 |
get_sd.sh script reported “home.subimg has unsupported feature(s): FEATURE_C12” when generating SD Card image. |
N/A |
Y |
N/A |
Display |
34970 |
No video when using Waveshare 7.1” panel (only backlight turns on). |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Video Player Demo |
34971 |
syna-video-player freezes on first frame when using FFMPEG playback. |
N/A |
N/A |
Y |
Display |
34995 |
No output displayed on Waveshare 7.1” panel after setting the DTBO for the panel. |
N/A |
N/A |
Y |
Display |
35005 |
Observed garbage on screen during playback when using playbin and kmssink. |
N/A |
N/A |
Y |
HDMI-RX |
35024 |
Console prints “[avio] avio_devices_dhub_isr:220: Spurious interrupt - 25/0/0” during testing. |
N/A |
N/A |
Y |
Linux Kernel |
34949 |
Randomly observed hang while booting with the Waveshare 13” panel. |
N/A |
N/A |
Y |
ISP |
34950 |
Output shows green and noise artifacts when testing OV5647 sensor. |
N/A |
N/A |
Y |
Display |
34958 |
Randomly observed “No Signal” when switching from 4K TV to 2K TV. |
N/A |
N/A |
Y |
HDMI-RX |
34962 |
HDMI-RX gets darker after resolution change. |
N/A |
N/A |
Y |
ISP |
34963 |
Output is a solid green screen when testing downscaling on ISP camera with NV12 input. |
N/A |
N/A |
Y |
HDMI-RX |
34965 |
Random hang occurs when switching resolution from resolution 4k60 RGB 8bit to 1080P60 YUV444 10bit. |
N/A |
N/A |
Y |
HDMI-RX |
34967 |
Randomly abnormal output will be displayed when switching from 1080P60 YUV444 10bit to 720P60 YUV444 8bit. |
N/A |
N/A |
Y |
Video Player Demo |
34973 |
Fourth video is displayed on top of first video during mult-video playback. |
N/A |
N/A |
Y |
Gstreamer Pipeline |
34975 |
YUV 420 10bit format is not supported. |
N/A |
N/A |
Y |
HDMI-RX |
34980 |
Random black scren and error “not programming full PHY” when switch resolution from 4k60 RGB 8bit to 1080P60 RGB 8bit. |