GenAVB/TSN RTOS Applications

GenAVB/TSN stack reference applications for RTOS covering both AVB and TSN use cases, running on i.MX RTxxx and MCX E series family of devices.

Overview

This repository provides a comprehensive set of AVB/TSN example applications demonstrating:

• Audio Video Bridging (AVB) capabilities
• Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) features

Supported Hardware

This release supports the following i.MX RTxxx EVK boards:

SoC	Board Name	Description
i.MX RT1150	evkbimxrt1050	i.MX RT1050 Evaluation Kit
i.MX RT1170	evkbmimxrt1170	i.MX RT1170 Evaluation Kit
i.MX RT1180	evkmimxrt1180	i.MX RT1180 Evaluation Kit
i.MX RT1186	frdmimxrt1186	i.MX RT1186 Freedom Board
MCX E24	frdmmcxe247	MCX E247 Freedom Board
MCX E31	frdmmcxe31b	MCX E31B Freedom Board

Dependencies

The example applications have dependencies on:

• MCUXpresso SDK - Provides peripheral drivers and components support
• GenAVB/TSN Stack - Core AVB/TSN protocol stack
• RTOS Abstraction Layer - OS abstraction for portability
• RTOS Application Layer - Common application framework
• FreeRTOS Kernel - Real-time operating system

All dependencies are managed through the Zephyr west tool, which helps maintain multiple repositories.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

ARM GNU Toolchain

Download and install ARM GCC toolchain version 14.2.Rel1:

Linux:

wget https://developer.arm.com/-/media/Files/downloads/gnu/14.2.rel1/binrel/arm-gnu-toolchain-14.2.rel1-x86_64-arm-none-eabi.tar.xz
sudo tar -C /opt/ -xf arm-gnu-toolchain-14.2.rel1-x86_64-arm-none-eabi.tar.xz
export ARMGCC_DIR=/opt/arm-gnu-toolchain-14.2.rel1-x86_64-arm-none-eabi

Windows:

Download the installer from ARM Developer and install it, then set the environment variable:

set ARMGCC_DIR=C:\Program Files (x86)\Arm GNU Toolchain arm-none-eabi\14.2 Rel1

Host Tools

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian):

sudo apt update
sudo apt install git python3 python3-pip cmake ninja-build
pip3 install west # you might need a wirtual environment here

Windows:

• Install Git for Windows
• Install Python 3.10+
• Install CMake 3.30.0+ - use the .msi installer
• Install west:

pip install west

Cloning the Repository

Initialize a west workspace to start the development environment:

Linux:

export tag=<release-tag>
west init -m https://github.com/NXP/GenAVB_TSN-rtos-apps --mr ${tag} <workspace>
cd <workspace>/GenAVB_TSN-rtos-apps

Windows:

set tag=<release-tag>
west init -m https://github.com/NXP/GenAVB_TSN-rtos-apps.git <workspace> --mr %tag%
cd <workspace>\GenAVB_TSN-rtos-apps

Repository Structure

GenAVB_TSN-rtos-apps/
├── boards/
│   ├── src/                          # Board-agnostic application source code
│   │   └── demo_apps/
│   │       └── avb_tsn/
│   │           ├── avb_audio_app/    # AVB audio streaming application
│   │           ├── audio_app/        # Audio application
│   │           ├── tsn_app/          # TSN networking application
│   │           ├── dsa_enetc/        # DSA ENETC application
│   │           ├── dsa_switch/       # DSA switch application
│   │           └── common/           # Application common code
│   ├── evkbimxrt1050/               # Board-specific files for RT1050
│   ├── evkbmimxrt1170/              # Board-specific files for RT1170
│   ├── evkmimxrt1180/               # Board-specific files for RT1189
│   ├── frdmimxrt1186/               # Board-specific files for RT1186
│   ├── frdmmcxe247/                 # Board-specific files for MCX E247
│   └── frdmmcxe31b/                 # Board-specific files for MCX E31B
├── devices/                          # SoC-specific shared files
├── scripts/                          # Setup scripts
│   ├── bootstrap.sh                 # Linux automated setup
│   ├── bootstrap.bat                # Windows automated setup
│   ├── setup_env.sh                 # Linux environment setup
│   ├── setup_env.bat                # Windows environment setup
│   └── requirements.txt             # Python dependencies
├── west.yml                         # West manifest for dependencies
└── README.md                        # This file

Build Instructions

Automated Setup

The bootstrap scripts automate the entire setup process including workspace initialization, toolchain download, symbolic links creation, and Python environment setup.

Linux:

cd <workspace>/GenAVB_TSN-rtos-apps/scripts
source bootstrap.sh

Windows (Run Command Prompt as Administrator):

cd <workspace>\GenAVB_TSN-rtos-apps\scripts
bootstrap.bat

The bootstrap scripts will:

• Update the west workspace with all required repositories
• Download and extract ARM GCC toolchain (if ARMGCC_DIR not set)
• Create required symbolic links
• Set up Python virtual environment
• Install all required Python packages

After bootstrap completes, the repo is ready to build applications.

Netconf Support prerequisites

GenAVB/TSN release provides Netconf support for i.MX RT1180 board. To enable Netconf support, ensure the following prerequisites are met:

Download Netconf additionals packages (sysrepo-genavb , mcux-yang and mcux-netconf) from nxp.com or contact NXP support.

Install sysrepo-genavb sources in the west workspace:

cd <workspace>/mcuxsdk/components
tar -xzf  sysrepo-genavb-<version>.tar.gz

Install mcux-yang sources in the workspace:

cd <workspace>/mcuxsdk/components
tar -xzf mcux-yang-<version>.tar.gz

Install mcux-netconf sources in the workspace:

cd <workspace>
unzip mcux-netconf-<version>.zip

Building Applications

Navigate to the SDK root directory and use the west build command:

cd <workspace>/mcuxsdk
west build -p always examples/demo_apps/avb_tsn/tsn_app --toolchain armgcc --config release -b evkbmimxrt1170 -Dcore_id=cm7

Build artifacts will be in the build/ directory.

Build Command Parameters:

• -p always - Pristine build (clean before building)
• --toolchain armgcc - Use ARM GCC toolchain
• --config release - Build in release configuration (use debug for debug build)
• -b <board> - Target board name (e.g., evkbmimxrt1170, evkmimxrt1180)
• -Dcore_id=<core> - Target core (cm7, cm33, etc.)
• -d <dir> - Build directory (optional, defaults to build/)

Activating the Virtual Environment

After the initial setup, when opening a new terminal session, you need to activate the virtual environment:

Linux:

cd <workspace>
source .venv/bin/activate
export ARMGCC_DIR=/opt/arm-gnu-toolchain-14.2.rel1-x86_64-arm-none-eabi

Windows:

cd <workspace>
.venv\Scripts\activate.bat
set ARMGCC_DIR=C:\Program Files (x86)\Arm GNU Toolchain arm-none-eabi\14.2 Rel1