simaaiprocessmla
================

This GStreamer plugin, ``simaaiprocessmla``, executes Machine Learning Accelerator (MLA) inference within a GStreamer pipeline. It takes input buffers, performs inference using a specified MLA model, and outputs the results in new buffers. The plugin handles memory allocation and management, ensuring efficient integration with the SiMa.ai hardware.

Properties
----------

============== ======= ================== ===============================================================================
Property       Type    Default Value      Description
============== ======= ================== ===============================================================================
config         string  /mnt/host/model.lm Path to the configuration JSON file containing model and processing parameters.
transmit       boolean FALSE              If TRUE, transmits KPI messages to the GstBus.
multi-pipeline boolean FALSE              If TRUE, utilizes a dispatcher enabling multiple pipelines on the device.
num-buffers    uint    5                  Number of buffers allocated for processing.
dump-data      boolean FALSE              If TRUE, dumps intermediate data to ``/tmp/[node-name]``.
silent         boolean FALSE              If TRUE, suppresses verbose output.
============== ======= ================== ===============================================================================

Usage
-----

The ``simaaiprocessmla`` plugin is integrated into a GStreamer pipeline as a ``base-transform`` element. It takes input data (the format defined in the config file), runs inference through the specified MLA model, and delivers results in a specified output format (also defined in the config file).

Example ``gst-launch-1.0`` pipeline:

.. code:: bash

   gst-launch-1.0 filesrc location=/path/to/input.file ! ...input-processing-elements... ! simaaiprocessmla name=mla config=/path/to/config.json ! ...output-processing-elements... ! fakesink

Replace ``/path/to/input.file`` with the actual path to your input file and ``/path/to/config.json`` with the path to your configuration file. The ``...input-processing-elements...`` and ``...output-processing-elements...`` should be replaced with the appropriate GStreamer elements for your input and output data formats, respectively. The config file must define the input and output data paths.

Config File Example
-------------------

.. code:: json

   {
     "version" : 0.1,
     "simaai__params" : {
       "next_cpu" : 1,
       "outputs" : [
           {
             "name": "hm_tensor",
             "size": 115200
           },
           {
             "name": "paf_tensor",
             "size": 172800
           }
       ],
       "batch_size" : 1,
       "batch_sz_model": 1,
       "model_path" : "/data/openpose.elf"
     },
     "caps": {
       "sink_pads": [
         {
           "media_type": "video/x-raw",
           "params": [
             {
               "name": "format",
               "type": "string",
               "values": "RGB, BGR",
               "json_field": null
             },
             {
               "name": "width",
               "type": "int",
               "values": "1 - 4096",
               "json_field": null
             },
             {
               "name": "height",
               "type": "int",
               "values": "1 - 4096",
               "json_field": null
             }
           ]
         }
       ],
       "src_pads": [
         {
           "media_type": "application/vnd.simaai.tensor",
           "params": [
             {
               "name": "format",
               "type": "string",
               "values": "MLA",
               "json_field": null
             }
           ]
         }
       ]
     }
   }

Installation
------------

To install the ``simaaiprocessmla`` plugin, copy the plugin files from ``/usr/local/simaai/plugin_zoo/gst-simaai-plugins-base/gst/`` into your project’s ``plugins/`` directory. The plugin needs to be placed inside a subdirectory of the same name as its plugin name, e.g. ``plugins/simaaiprocessmla/``.

Integration
-----------

The plugin integrates into a GStreamer pipeline as a ``base-transform`` element. The pipeline needs to correctly provide input caps that are compatible with the ones expected by the plugin, as specified in the config file. The plugin then processes the buffers, performing inference, and pushing the results downstream. Output caps are negotiated according to the parameters found in the config file. The plugin manages its own internal buffer pool to improve performance.