Video Engine

This page is related to the hardware, for software see:

• Cedrus The project for a 100% libre open source driver and software.
• CedarX Allwinner's media framework software libraries.

What should this hardware block be called?

Video Engine is the plain name used by Allwinner for the hardware block responsible for the task of decoding and encoding video formats.

Naming

There is some confusion around how to name this video engine, with the principal reason been the non-existent clear branding by Allwinner.

• CedarX

is the name given to the proprietary software libraries for video and audio de-/encoding (CedarV + CedarA).

• Cedar Engine

is found in the kernel driver (/dev/cedar_dev) source code where it has been directly referred to as "cedar engine" in error/information messages and internal variables. Take note that this is the kernel driver that was made for the proprietary libraries that already existed in Melis OS, were the media player application goes by the name "cedar".

• MACC - Media ACCelerate video engine

is also found in the kernel driver and respective headers, where the mmio area (registers) is referenced by macc as a prefix for the definition of the register base address.

• VE - Video Engine

is the most common name used in all the places for this hardware block. It is believed that VE is a short form of VCE (Video Codec Engine) to be in accordance with ACE (Audio Codec Engine) and is also the best generic name to describe this type of hardware block.

Naming in the datasheets and user manuals.

SOC	features label	block diagram	related registers
A10	VPU	VE	VE
A10s	VPU	VPU	VE
A13	VPU	VPU	VE
A20	Video Engine (Phoenix 3.0)	Video Engine	VE
A23	Video Engine	Video Engine	VE
A31	Video Engine	Video Engine	VE
A31s	Video Engine	Video Engine	VE
A33	Video Engine	Video Engine	VE
A80	Video Engine	Video Engine	VE
A83T	Video Engine	claims decoder/encoder is part of the GPU block	VE
H3	Video Engine	Video Engine	VE
A64	Video Engine	Video Engine	VE