1======================= 2Display Core Next (DCN) 3======================= 4 5To equip our readers with the basic knowledge of how AMD Display Core Next 6(DCN) works, we need to start with an overview of the hardware pipeline. Below 7you can see a picture that provides a DCN overview, keep in mind that this is a 8generic diagram, and we have variations per ASIC. 9 10.. kernel-figure:: dc_pipeline_overview.svg 11 12Based on this diagram, we can pass through each block and briefly describe 13them: 14 15* **Display Controller Hub (DCHUB)**: This is the gateway between the Scalable 16 Data Port (SDP) and DCN. This component has multiple features, such as memory 17 arbitration, rotation, and cursor manipulation. 18 19* **Display Pipe and Plane (DPP)**: This block provides pre-blend pixel 20 processing such as color space conversion, linearization of pixel data, tone 21 mapping, and gamut mapping. 22 23* **Multiple Pipe/Plane Combined (MPC)**: This component performs blending of 24 multiple planes, using global or per-pixel alpha. 25 26* **Output Pixel Processing (OPP)**: Process and format pixels to be sent to 27 the display. 28 29* **Output Pipe Timing Combiner (OPTC)**: It generates time output to combine 30 streams or divide capabilities. CRC values are generated in this block. 31 32* **Display Output (DIO)**: Codify the output to the display connected to our 33 GPU. 34 35* **Display Writeback (DWB)**: It provides the ability to write the output of 36 the display pipe back to memory as video frames. 37 38* **Multi-Media HUB (MMHUBBUB)**: Memory controller interface for DMCUB and DWB 39 (Note that DWB is not hooked yet). 40 41* **DCN Management Unit (DMU)**: It provides registers with access control and 42 interrupts the controller to the SOC host interrupt unit. This block includes 43 the Display Micro-Controller Unit - version B (DMCUB), which is handled via 44 firmware. 45 46* **DCN Clock Generator Block (DCCG)**: It provides the clocks and resets 47 for all of the display controller clock domains. 48 49* **Azalia (AZ)**: Audio engine. 50 51The above diagram is an architecture generalization of DCN, which means that 52every ASIC has variations around this base model. Notice that the display 53pipeline is connected to the Scalable Data Port (SDP) via DCHUB; you can see 54the SDP as the element from our Data Fabric that feeds the display pipe. 55 56Always approach the DCN architecture as something flexible that can be 57configured and reconfigured in multiple ways; in other words, each block can be 58setup or ignored accordingly with userspace demands. For example, if we 59want to drive an 8k@60Hz with a DSC enabled, our DCN may require 4 DPP and 2 60OPP. It is DC's responsibility to drive the best configuration for each 61specific scenario. Orchestrate all of these components together requires a 62sophisticated communication interface which is highlighted in the diagram by 63the edges that connect each block; from the chart, each connection between 64these blocks represents: 65 661. Pixel data interface (red): Represents the pixel data flow; 672. Global sync signals (green): It is a set of synchronization signals composed 68 by VStartup, VUpdate, and VReady; 693. Config interface: Responsible to configure blocks; 704. Sideband signals: All other signals that do not fit the previous one. 71 72These signals are essential and play an important role in DCN. Nevertheless, 73the Global Sync deserves an extra level of detail described in the next 74section. 75 76All of these components are represented by a data structure named dc_state. 77From DCHUB to MPC, we have a representation called dc_plane; from MPC to OPTC, 78we have dc_stream, and the output (DIO) is handled by dc_link. Keep in mind 79that HUBP accesses a surface using a specific format read from memory, and our 80dc_plane should work to convert all pixels in the plane to something that can 81be sent to the display via dc_stream and dc_link. 82 83Front End and Back End 84---------------------- 85 86Display pipeline can be broken down into two components that are usually 87referred as **Front End (FE)** and **Back End (BE)**, where FE consists of: 88 89* DCHUB (Mainly referring to a subcomponent named HUBP) 90* DPP 91* MPC 92 93On the other hand, BE consist of 94 95* OPP 96* OPTC 97* DIO (DP/HDMI stream encoder and link encoder) 98 99OPP and OPTC are two joining blocks between FE and BE. On a side note, this is 100a one-to-one mapping of the link encoder to PHY, but we can configure the DCN 101to choose which link encoder to connect to which PHY. FE's main responsibility 102is to change, blend and compose pixel data, while BE's job is to frame a 103generic pixel stream to a specific display's pixel stream. 104 105Data Flow 106--------- 107 108Initially, data is passed in from VRAM through Data Fabric (DF) in native pixel 109formats. Such data format stays through till HUBP in DCHUB, where HUBP unpacks 110different pixel formats and outputs them to DPP in uniform streams through 4 111channels (1 for alpha + 3 for colors). 112 113The Converter and Cursor (CNVC) in DPP would then normalize the data 114representation and convert them to a DCN specific floating-point format (i.e., 115different from the IEEE floating-point format). In the process, CNVC also 116applies a degamma function to transform the data from non-linear to linear 117space to relax the floating-point calculations following. Data would stay in 118this floating-point format from DPP to OPP. 119 120Starting OPP, because color transformation and blending have been completed 121(i.e alpha can be dropped), and the end sinks do not require the precision and 122dynamic range that floating points provide (i.e. all displays are in integer 123depth format), bit-depth reduction/dithering would kick in. In OPP, we would 124also apply a regamma function to introduce the gamma removed earlier back. 125Eventually, we output data in integer format at DIO. 126 127Global Sync 128----------- 129 130Many DCN registers are double buffered, most importantly the surface address. 131This allows us to update DCN hardware atomically for page flips, as well as 132for most other updates that don't require enabling or disabling of new pipes. 133 134(Note: There are many scenarios when DC will decide to reserve extra pipes 135in order to support outputs that need a very high pixel clock, or for 136power saving purposes.) 137 138These atomic register updates are driven by global sync signals in DCN. In 139order to understand how atomic updates interact with DCN hardware, and how DCN 140signals page flip and vblank events it is helpful to understand how global sync 141is programmed. 142 143Global sync consists of three signals, VSTARTUP, VUPDATE, and VREADY. These are 144calculated by the Display Mode Library - DML (drivers/gpu/drm/amd/display/dc/dml) 145based on a large number of parameters and ensure our hardware is able to feed 146the DCN pipeline without underflows or hangs in any given system configuration. 147The global sync signals always happen during VBlank, are independent from the 148VSync signal, and do not overlap each other. 149 150VUPDATE is the only signal that is of interest to the rest of the driver stack 151or userspace clients as it signals the point at which hardware latches to 152atomically programmed (i.e. double buffered) registers. Even though it is 153independent of the VSync signal we use VUPDATE to signal the VSync event as it 154provides the best indication of how atomic commits and hardware interact. 155 156Since DCN hardware is double-buffered the DC driver is able to program the 157hardware at any point during the frame. 158 159The below picture illustrates the global sync signals: 160 161.. kernel-figure:: global_sync_vblank.svg 162 163These signals affect core DCN behavior. Programming them incorrectly will lead 164to a number of negative consequences, most of them quite catastrophic. 165 166The following picture shows how global sync allows for a mailbox style of 167updates, i.e. it allows for multiple re-configurations between VUpdate 168events where only the last configuration programmed before the VUpdate signal 169becomes effective. 170 171.. kernel-figure:: config_example.svg 172
