6.1. TI Apps Launcher - User Guide

6.1.1. Overview

TI Apps Launcher is a QT Based Application launcher for TI Platforms. Currently, TI Apps Launcher incorporates following applications across all supported platforms,

• Industrial HMI

• Live Camera

• Benchmarks

• GPU Performance

• Seva Store

• Chromium

• Settings

Additionally, The below demos are also available on the AM62x platform specifically:

• ARM Analytics

• 3D Demo

All of the necessary equipment requirement and instructions are provided here.

Note

Not all of the above set of applications are supported by each platform. So there will be differences between each.

6.1.2. Hardware Prerequisites

• TI AM62x SK / TI AM62x-LP SK / TI AM62xSIP SK

• PC (Windows or Linux, to use serial terminal console)

• HDMI Monitor (to view the Demo on Display)

• Ethernet Cable (to connect AM62x SK to internet)

• USB Camera or OV5640 camera sensor module (for Live Camera)

• Keyboard & Mouse (to control the TI Apps Launcher)

• SD card (minimum 16GB)

6.1.3. Launching and Using the TI Apps Launcher

The TI Apps Launcher launches on Linux startup. Follow the below instructions to use it.

1. Flash an SD card with the tisdk-default-image. User can download the tisdk-default-image-am62xx-evm.wic.xz image from the SDK downloads page. Please follow the instructions from here to Flash an SD card.

Note

Images may vary between each platform based on the number of supported applications.

2. Insert the flashed SD card to the board, connect the display, mouse, ethernet cable, keyboard and power on the TI AM62x SK. The TI Apps Launcher will launch automatically when the device is fully booted.

Note

TI-Apps-Launcher on AM62SIP is minimal due to it’s memory constraints. This experience on AM62SIP looks like the following.

6.1.3.1. Launching the Industrial HMI

Note

Industrial HMI on AM62xSIP SK varies from the one documented here. This is only valid for AM62x SK and AM62x-LP SK.

1. To launch the Industrial HMI demo, click on the Industrial HMI button on the left menu.

2. You can click on the Auto-Manual slider button to switch modes.

3. In Manual mode, you can use the ^ and v buttons of each motor to control the RPM.

6.1.3.2. Launching the Camera App

1. Ensure you have enabled the camera sensors which you have connected to TI AM62x SK. Refer this to know the list of camera modules supported and how to enable the sensor overlays for them.

2. To launch the Live Camera demo, click on the Live Camera button on the left panel.

Note

It takes around 3-5 seconds for Live Camera to start.

3. The Live Camera demo starts streaming the output of the camera connected in the centre window of TI Apps Launcher. The image below is captured using USB Camera.

6.1.3.3. Launching the ARM Analytics Demo

Note

ARM Analytics Demo is only supported on AM62x SK, AM62x-LP SK and AM62PX. AM62SIP doesn’t support it.

1. This app tries to showcase the ARM optimized models for Object Detection, Face Detection and Image Classification.

2. To launch the ARM Analytics demo, click on the ARM Analytics button on the left panel.

3. By default, the ARM Analytics demo shows the results of Object Detection Model on existing data.

4. To test Face Detection or Image Classification, Click on the respective buttons available at the bottom of the main window.

6.1.3.4. Launching the Benchmarks Demo

Note

Benchmarks Demo is not supported on AM62xSIP because it depends on weston-terminal. AM62xSIP uses EGLFS to run the ti-apps-launcher.

1. The Benchmarks Demo includes various System Benchmarks like dhrystone, linpack, nbench, etc. and GPU benchmarks like glmark2.

2. Click on the Benchmarks button on the left panel.

3. User will now see the list of Benchmarks available to test on TI AM62x. Click on the play button infront of the benchmark you like to test. The image below is captured while running the glmark2.

4. Once after the entire benchmark has been run, the FPS & Score will get populated in the table.

6.1.3.5. Launching the GPU Performance Demo

Note

GPU Performance Demo is not supported on AM62xSIP because it depends on weston or requires the ownership of EGLFS context.

1. The GPU Performance demo allows users to vary the GPU loads using glmark2. Click on the GPU Performance button on the left panel.

2. Now you can choose the GPU Load Level from the buttons available on the right. Choose from ‘0’ which is no load to ‘4’ max load.

3. You will see the updated values of FPS & Score metrices getting populated in the table.

6.1.3.6. Launching the Seva Store

Note

Seva Store is not supported on AM62xSIP due to it’s memory constraints.

1. AM62x SDK now supports Seva Store. Seva Store is a TI developed demo gallery which allows users to download and install demos on the go. Developers can host their demos as Docker Images on any public Docker Registry and link them to Seva Design Gallery.

2. Refer Seva Store - User Guide to know more about Seva Store.

6.1.3.7. Launching the Chromium Browser

Note

Chromium Browser is not supported on AM62xSIP due to it’s memory constraints.

1. AM62x SDK now supports GPU Accelarated Chromium Browser. Click on the Chromium button on the left panel.

2. Click Launch button to launch the Chromium Browser. The Browser launches with WebGL Aquarium as the first tab by default.

   

3. Refer Chromium Browser - User Guide to know more about Chromium Browser.

6.1.3.8. Launching the 3D Demo

Note

3D Demo requires weston to be running or EGLFS context to run. ti-apps-launcher is run on EGLFS so it is not supported on AM62xSIP.

1. Click on the 3D Demo button on the left panel.

2. Click Launch button to launch the 3D Demo by Imagination. By default, you would see the Skinning Model running on the screen.

3. You can use mouse buttons or spacebar to pause the 3D Demo and press ESC to exit & go back to TI Apps Launcher.

6.1.3.9. Using the Settings Button

1. The Settings button on the left panel can be used to set docker’s systemd-proxy and system proxy if your TI AM62x SK is connected to a VPN.

2. Once the user clicks on the Settings button, it will ask for a HTTPS Proxy and No proxy values.

3. Once you enter the necessary values for both HTTPS and No proxy, click on Set Proxy to set the proxy configuration.

6.1.3.10. Power Menu

1. The top right corner of the TI Apps Launcher is dedicated for the Power Menu.

2. The Power Menu supports Shutdown, Reboot, Suspend to RAM and Exit (from TI Apps Launcher) functions.

6.1.4. Building the TI Apps Launcher

The TI Apps Launcher is enabled by default in yocto for AM62x Linux and RT-Linux.

The source code is available at TI Apps Launcher and can be re-compiled with the following steps

1. To setup the environment, from the root of the SDK installation directory, source environment-setup script.

   $ source linux-devkit/environment-setup
   

2. Go to the root of TI Apps Launcher repository and run the following command to build the application.

   $ qmake "SOURCES += configs/am62xx-evm.cpp" "DEFINES += SOC_AM62" ./ti-apps-launcher.pro ; make # For AM62x SK
   $ qmake "SOURCES += configs/am62xx-lp-evm.cpp" "DEFINES += SOC_AM62_LP" ./ti-apps-launcher.pro ; make # For AM62x LP SK
   $ qmake "SOURCES += configs/am62xxsip-evm.cpp" "DEFINES += SOC_AM62_LP" ./ti-apps-launcher.pro ; make # For AM62xSIP SK
   

   
   

3. Copy the compiled binary to /usr/bin directory of the device

   $ scp ti-apps-launcher root@<ip-addr-of-device>:/usr/bin/
   

4. If you have modified the scripts under the ti-apps-launcher scripts directory then copy the same to the device

   $ scp -r scripts/ root@<ip-addr-of-device>:/opt/ti-apps-launcher/