The DJI P1 and S1 FPV Chipset – It’s Not All That – sUAS Information – The Enterprise of Drones

With all of the discuss on what chipset is Fats Shark and Walksnail utilizing within the new Avatar / Dominator FPV Goggles and system right this moment, I’ve been speaking with and collating a number of the data from a number of the implausible guys who’re actually digging into the DJI system. To attempt to demystify issues I’ve put this collectively primarily based on the data supplied to attempt to present that what DJI is doing with their {hardware} particularly Is absolutely nothing particular.

DJI initially used a Leadcore chipset particularly the LC1860 on their older Ocusync primarily based drone fashions together with the Ocusync Air FPV system. Ocusync was first seen on the Mavic Professional as a alternative for the Lightbridge system that DJI had beforehand used. Its huge distinction was it’s an SDR primarily based of off the shelf {hardware} relatively than hardware-based radio. After Ocusync’s introduction, It was used on a Leadcore chipset proper as much as the Mavic 2 Professional.

Simply to clarify about Leadcore, they’re a Chinese language foundry-less chip designer that makes SOC for tablets, telephones and sensible units. The Leadcore SOC is multi function with each the system processors and RF Modems on a single chip. They aren’t extensively used and in addition not notably good ones both as what DJI was utilizing was made in 2017 and never precisely leading edge, it’s not up there with snapdragon, Apple A-series and many others. The precise chipset DJI was utilizing is the LC1860.

The P1 SOC appeared for the primary time within the Mavic 2 Professional B distant and changed the Leadcore chip, the craft continued to ship with the Leadcore as I perceive it. Total nothing from Ocusync’s efficiency viewpoint modified apart from it’s DJI first use of the P1 in its Ocusync 2 system, It’s mainly like for like suitable on the Ocusync entrance.

The P1 then subsequent appeared within the new FPV system after which subsequently in all their shopper drones proper as much as the Mavic 3 and we virtually defiantly within the Mini 3 as nicely.

The P1 seems to be a customized model of that preliminary Leadcore SOC. All the additional “bits” that weren’t wanted for DJI software was eliminated and it was tweaked to make it extra particular. Once more nothing groundbreaking only a customized Asic resolution relatively than the off the shelf choice.

Contained in the P1 (Pigeon) is just about a duplicate of Leadcore’s structure. It’s obtained two huge Cortex-A7 cores, some small ones, the dsp ect and some different bits and a bucket load of on-die RAM. They’re mainly utilizing the identical CPU core + DSP setup because the Leadcore chipset and it’s seemingly operating customized software program for his or her LTE primarily based OcuSync and that is what’s making the distinction. The P1 first huge core runs Linux, 1 runs the rtos together with the dsp-s. The small cores are used for belief zone os and different issues. It additionally has very restricted capabilities for video because it’s principally an encoder, decoder, MIPI enter and HDMI output, a multi-phy LTE. For this reason it offloads digicam management ect to the AP1302 DSP on the 120fps fashions as there may be nothing onboard to do it.

There may be additionally a S1 (Sparrow) variant that solely does RF aspect of issues and makes use of Cortex-M as an alternative of Cortex-A for the applying processor and communication processor and is used within the newer remotes like RC231 and many others the place the video is offloaded to a different SOC such because the Eagle H3 chipset.

Whereas it’s clear the P1 is extraordinarily succesful primarily based on the precise efficiency we’ve seen with it within the numerous Ocusync primarily based methods it stays the case nothing within the P1 is newest tech and even that secret or spectacular. Its Arm cores, SDR, RAM, MIPI, HDMI and USB interface. There are much more highly effective and extra succesful chipsets on the market right this moment that may very well be used as an example to do the identical factor. There are some newer ones designed for the 5G market that will likely be simply be extra highly effective that this 2017 primarily based chipset DJI is utilizing.

So may somebody copy DJI Chipset or Ocusync.?

So sure we may completely see it occurring that others begin to carry one thing similar to the market. Copying the Asic shouldn’t be easy however not unattainable. Nonetheless, Ocusyncs however is an SDR. It’s not completely hardware-specific and its code may very well be tailored to run on Leadcore once more or different {hardware}.

The barrier proper now’s greater than something the price of these chipsets. DJI going the customized Asic means they may scale back the pointless components of the die, and enhance yields and value however that goes out the window as soon as these different chipsets actually begin to get traction. In the intervening time many of those new ones are just too costly and haven’t gained adoption within the cell house but. That takes a bit time and the chip scarcity has not helped.

What I need to stress is whereas DJI clearly has some particular sauce of their software program the {hardware} is nothing magical that may’t be replicated or changed with sufficient effort and time. To this point it merely might not have been viable. Primarily based on all of this it’s my opinion stays the identical as I stated in my video that DJI is extraordinarily unlikely to only licence this out and permit third events to promote the P1 below a mess of various manufacturers and names. Whereas we all know they’ve partnered with others over the FPV system it’s been extensively believed and accepted that’s really DJI nonetheless making the {hardware} and others are merely branding it permitting DJI to retain management. The P1 chipset may be very a lot DJI present tech and remains to be used within the new Mavic 3 and RC Professional. There may be nothing within the present FPV system that’s “previous” tech and never wished now by DJI.

Additionally, any dialogue of CaddX being concerned in creating DJI FPV core system shouldn’t be primarily based in actually IMO. it’s like asking a carpenter to construct a rocket to Mars. That is nicely past them and certain DJI tbh. Likelihood is the P1 was designed by Leadcore or an analogous design home to spec kind IP blocks or one of many different design homes in China primarily based on LC on behalf of DJI.

Proper now it stays the case we don’t know what Walksnail and Fatshark are doing however please don’t assume a duplicate system shouldn’t be doable as DJI have had this out for shut to three years now. Copying and cloning is inevitable I need to say an enormous because of the work Joonas, Bri3D and all the superb guys who’ve helped demystify this have completed so all of us underhand extra about how our methods work.