Colibri IMX8X enable LCDIF in U-Boot

Technical Support
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1

How can i enable a RGB LCD panel connected to lcdif in u-boot for a colibri imx8x?

2

Hi @dmray and Welcome to the Toradex Community!

Could you provide the version of the hardware (including carrier board) and software of your module?

What is your application?
What exactly are you trying to do?

Best regards,
Jaski

3

Hi Jaski

I have a Colibri iMX8 QuadXPlus 2GB Wi-Fi / Bluetooth IT V1.0B on our own carrier board.
System is an open-embedded Linux build with yocto from the git toradex-bsp-platform branch LinuxImage3.0, we use the tdx-xwayland distro.

I need to enable our LCD display in u-boot to display a logo.
The display is enable during kernel boot with the standard LCDIF, Backlight and Panel definitions in the fsl-imx8qxp-colibri-eval-v3.dts device-tree. I was able to copy those definition in the u-boot device tree but I don’t know how to enable them.

Best regards,
Daniel

4

So far we have not brought up graphics in this obsolete bring-up U-Boot version. Our plan is to further integrate mainline U-Boot functionality and eventually move to use that one.

5

When are you planning to have a u-boot version with LCDIF support for colibri imx8qxp?

6

There is no ETA on this as of yet.

7

Hi @dmray

As @marcel.tx pointed out, this feature is not planned yet. Do you have a deadline, when you need this feature?

Best regards,
Jaski

8

Hi @jaski.tx

We will need it in April.

Best regards,
Daniel

9

Hi Daniel

Thanks for your Input. I will check this topic our R&D Team and come back to you.

Best regards,
Jaski

11

Hi @jaski.tx

Do you have any news about this feature?

Best regards,
Daniel

12

HI Daniel
We discussed this feature internally and we don’t think we will provide any support for graphics in U-Boot.

For the splash screen, you can use the linux kernel splash screen.

Best regards,
Jaski

13

Hi @jaski.tx

These are really bad news.

I’m already able to display the linux kernel splash screen, but it take long before it is displayed. From the moment the user switch on the device it take about 2-3 seconds before he can see something. This is a very bad user experience.

I was already able to display the u-boot logo with a colibri imx6. For colibri imx8, i only missed the function that enable the lcdif (and backlight) interface.

Which reason do you have for not providing this functionnality?

Best regards,
Daniel

14

HI Daniel

You can disable the console output and debug parameters for Kernel, which will reduce the boot time and the linux splash screen is shown faster than in regular boot process.

The issue with U-Boot splash screen is first of all, it will be limited to one specific interface and there will be flickering when frame-buffer is switched from U-Boot to Linux Kernel. The issue with flickering maybe solved but also this would be a special case and might work only for one specific interface.

Toradex tries to provide general solutions which might fit most of the customers. That’s why we think not enabling the graphics in U-Boot is the way, we should go.

However since U-Boot is OpenSource, you may customize it for your use-case and enable graphics in U-Boot for iMX8X.

Best regards,
Jaski