raulcxw opened a new pull request, #19236:
URL: https://github.com/apache/nuttx/pull/19236
## Summary
Add NuttX support for two Realtek Ameba dual-core **WHC (WiFi Host
Controller)** SoCs and their evaluation boards:
| SoC | Board | AP core (NuttX) | NP core (WiFi) |
|------------|--------------|-----------------|----------------|
| RTL8721Dx | `pke8721daf` | km4 (Cortex-M33)| km0 |
| RTL8720F | `rtl8720f_evb`| km4tz (Cortex-M33)| km4ns |
On these parts NuttX runs on the **application (AP) core**; the WiFi
MAC/PHY firmware runs on the **network (NP) core**, and the two cores talk
over the vendor IPC. The host WiFi stack is driven through a WHC glue layer.
What this PR adds:
- `arch/arm/src/rtl8721dx/` and `arch/arm/src/rtl8720f/` chip support, plus a
shared `arch/arm/src/common/ameba/` layer (IPC, WHC WiFi host glue, flash
MTD, LOGUART console, SDK fetch/build tooling).
- `boards/arm/rtl8721dx/pke8721daf/` and `boards/arm/rtl8720f/rtl8720f_evb/`
with an `nsh` defconfig each.
- Platform/board documentation under `Documentation/platforms/arm/`.
Working features (both boards): NSH over LOGUART, WiFi **STA scan +
connect**,
WiFi **SoftAP**, **littlefs** on the on-chip flash (MTD), and AP↔NP IPC.
### How the dual-core / vendor-SDK integration works
- **Out-of-tree, pinned SDK — no vendored blobs.** The build auto-fetches a
pinned commit of the public `ameba-rtos` SDK (shallow clone) into
`arch/arm/src/common/ameba/`, provisions its toolchain/venv, and compiles
the
needed register-layer (fwlib) and WHC glue sources *from SDK source* into
per-board archives. The SDK tree is kept **pristine (zero patches)** — it
natively supports the single-core / boot build entry points we use.
- **NuttX owns the image2 entry.** `arch/arm/src/<chip>/ameba_app_start.c`
is a
NuttX-licensed adaptation of the SDK `app_start()` that performs the
OS-independent silicon init and then calls NuttX `main()`. No SDK source
file
is modified.
- **NP/boot built from the same pinned SDK every build**, fed NuttX's own
disassembly so the SDK's "noused" WiFi-API generator keeps exactly the host
APIs NuttX references (avoids an NP deadlock). This guarantees the two
cores
never drift.
- All vendor build artifacts live in a **git-ignored** `prebuilt/` staging
dir;
the SDK kconfig snapshots the packaging step needs are regenerated from the
pinned SDK on every build (never committed).
## Impact
- **New architecture/boards only** — adds new files under `arch/arm/src/...`
and `boards/arm/...`; the only edits to existing files are the additive
registration entries in `arch/arm/Kconfig` and `boards/Kconfig`. No
existing
board or architecture is affected.
- **Build system:** `make` only. The board `CMakeLists.txt` intentionally
emits
a clear "CMake build not yet supported" `FATAL_ERROR` for these boards.
- **Network:** standard NuttX netdev / wireless ioctls; no core net changes.
- **Documentation:** new pages only.
- **Security:** none (no changes to common code paths).
## Testing
Built and run on real hardware for both boards.
Build (host: Ubuntu, `arm-none-eabi` from the SDK-provisioned toolchain):
```
./tools/configure.sh pke8721daf:nsh && make # -> app.bin, boot.bin,
km0_image2_all.bin
./tools/configure.sh rtl8720f_evb:nsh && make # -> app.bin, boot.bin,
km4ns_image2_all.bin
```
The same configs are built in CI on a clean container using the official
`apache-nuttx-ci-linux` image (fresh SDK fetch from the pinned commit), and
the
resulting firmware was flashed and verified on hardware:
- NSH prompt over LOGUART, basic shell commands.
- `wapi`/`iwconfig` WiFi **scan** and **connect** to a WPA2 AP; DHCP lease
and
ping over the air.
- **SoftAP** brought up; a client associates and obtains a DHCP address.
- **littlefs** mounted on the flash data partition (read/write/persist across
reboot).
### Notes for reviewers
- The vendor SDK is **auto-fetched (pinned)**, not vendored — there are no
binary blobs in the tree, and `prebuilt/` is git-ignored.
- nxstyle emits "Mixed case identifier" on vendor SDK symbol names
(e.g. `Img2EntryFun0`, `SYSTIMER_Init`) referenced from the adaptation
files.
These are the SDK's public API spellings and cannot be renamed.
- RTL8720F links the SDK `lib_rom.a` with `--whole-archive` (its ROM symbols
must all be present); this is required by the silicon's ROM layout.
- A fork-only GitHub Actions workflow used to produce/verify the CI firmware
is
**not** part of this PR.
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