SDAA069 August   2025 TDA4VL-Q1

 

  1.   1
  2.   Abstract
  3.   Trademarks
  4. 1Introduction
    1. 1.1 Overview of TDA4VL SoC
    2. 1.2 Purpose of the Document
    3. 1.3 Target Audience and Applications
    4. 1.4 Problem Statement
  5. 2Dynamic Frequency Scaling (DFS) in Linux
    1. 2.1 What is DFS?
    2. 2.2 Linux CPUFREQ Framework
    3. 2.3 Supported CPUFREQ Governors
    4. 2.4 DFS Support Status on TI SoCs
  6. 3Linux Thermal Framework
    1. 3.1 Thermal Zones and Trip Points
    2. 3.2 Cooling Mechanisms: Passive vs Active
    3. 3.3 Role of DFS in Passive Cooling
  7. 4Thermal Support on TDA4VL Devices
    1. 4.1 VTM and Bandgap Sensor Initialization
    2. 4.2 Temperature Monitoring via k3_j7xxx_bandgap Driver
  8. 5Enabling CPU Cooling on TDA4VL
    1. 5.1 Patch to Enable CPU Cooling
    2. 5.2 Testing the Cooling Functionality on TDA4VL
  9. 6Scalability Across TDA4 and Sitara Devices
    1. 6.1 Adapting the Implementation
  10. 7Summary
  11. 8References

Abstract

This application note describes how the Texas Instruments TDA4VL/J721S2 processor can leverage Linux based Dynamic Frequency Scaling (DFS) and the thermal framework to implement efficient CPU thermal management. This document addresses the current thermal sensor support available through the k3_j7xxx_bandgap driver and outlines steps to enable passive cooling using DFS. Targeted at Embedded Linux developers and system architects, this guide is intended for applications in Automotive and Industrial markets where power and thermal efficiency are critical. The information helps developers understand how to monitor thermal zones and implement scalable software controlled cooling strategies on TDA4VL/J721S2 based systems. This example demonstrates the implementation on TDA4VL and can be extended across other TDA4 and Sitara devices for thermal management on Linux.