Published Project release Sound Open Firmware 2.0 (SOF), originally created by Intel to care from the practice of supplying closed firmware for DSP chips associated with sound processing. Subsequently, the project was transferred under the wing of the Linux Foundation organization and is now being developed with the involvement of the community and with the participation of AMD, Google and NXP companies. The project develops an SDK to simplify the firmware development, the sound driver for the Linux kernel and a set of finished firmware for various DSP chips For which, among other things, binary builds , certified by a digital signature. The firmware code is written in C language with assembler inserts and spreads under a BSD license.
Thanks to the modular Sound Open Firmware structure can be ported On various DSP architectures and hardware platforms. For example, among the supported platforms approved support different Intel chips (Broadwell, Icelake, Tigerlake, Alderlake, etc. .), MEDIATEK (MT8195), NXP (I.MX8 *) and AMD (Renoir),
Complete DSP based on architectures xtensa hifi 2, 3 and 4 . During the development process, a special emulator or QEMU can be applied. Using open firmware for DSP allows you to more quickly correct and diagnose problems in the firmware, and also gives users the ability to independently adapt the firmware for their needs, to make specific optimization and create lightweight options for firmware containing only the functionality needed in the product.
Project provides framework for developing, optimizing and testing solutions related to sound processing, as well as with the creation of drivers and programs for interacting with DSP. The composition includes firmware implementation, tools for testing firmware, utilities for converting ELF files in the image of firmware, suitable for installation on equipment, debugging tools, DSP emulator, host platform emulator (based on QEMU), Tools for tracing firmware, scripts on MATLAB / OCTAVE for fine tuning coefficients for sound components, applications for organizing interaction and exchanging data with firmware, ready-made examples of sound processing topologies.
