VCHIQ(4) | Device Drivers Manual | VCHIQ(4)

# NAME

`vchiq` — Broadcom VideoCore Host Interface device driver

# SYNOPSIS

`vchiq* at simplebus?`
`vchiq* at acpi?`

# DESCRIPTION

The `vchiq` driver provides support for the VideoCore 4 GPU messaging interface in Broadcom SoCs found in boards such as the Raspberry Pi.

Libraries in pkgsrc provide OpenGL ES support and video decoding acceleration for the VideoCore 4 using the /dev/vchiq interface exposed to userland.

Audio output support is provided by the kernel through vcaudio(4), which uses this messaging interface to the GPU internally.

Debugging information may be obtained reading the device with cat(1). eg:

`cat /dev/vchiq`

Information such as slots and usage by particular functions of the VideoCore 4 device are displayed.

# SEE ALSO

cat(1), acpi(4), bcmgpio(4), vcaudio(4), pkgsrc/misc/raspberrypi-userland, pkgsrc/multimedia/omxplayer

# HISTORY

The `vchiq` device driver appeared in NetBSD 7.0.

# BUGS

/dev/vchiq does not follow the standard model for graphical acceleration on Unix-like systems, so applications have to be specially built to take advantage of it. The interface to userland also cannot be exposed by 64-bit or big endian kernels due to problems in the upstream Broadcom code.

December 11, 2021 | NetBSD 10.99