Cluster processing

[KA5BBC]

I am asking for a friend, I know but this time I really am..

I have a friend who is starting to get into building a Portsdown and Langstone so that we can start demonstrations on-air. during one of our conversations yesterday he asked if I thought lose any benefit to running the RPis in a cluster to improve performance of encoding H264/265 etc. I have used parallel processing and render farms full video transcription and coding in the past but never for live streaming or transmission.. I have also never built a RPi cluster so I thought it most prudent to ask here.

Would it work and would it be worth it?

[DL5BCA]

Wouldn't it be better to use a different platform, e.g. to use an ODROID-N2?

Is very similar to the Raspi, but much more powerful.

https://www.hardkernel.com/shop/odroid- ... yte-ram-2/

[G8GKQ]

Hi Andy

We use the graphics processor on the RPi for H264 encoding, and I am not aware of any cluster software for this. It was, after all, originally intended for use in mobile phones.

There could be potential in using multiple RPi main processors for H265 encoding but, like Thomas, I think that alternative hardware would be a better solution.

The NVIDIA Jetson Nano is similar the the Raspberry Pi (with even the same physical GPIO connector - although the electrical performance is not as good) and has excellent hardware H265 encoding capabilities. Cost is about 2.5 times the Raspberry Pi, and it can already be controlled by an existing Portsdown. I did write it up on the Wiki, but I am aware that my write-up needs updating as it does not work with the latest OS images supplied by NVIDIA.

Dave, G8GKQ

[DL5BCA]

I think the Jetson Nano is a good idea.
I had a DATV QSO with an OM via the QO100, which generated the H265 DATV signal with the Jetson.
It work very well.

It would be very interesting to consider doing the decoding directly in conjunction with Pluto or Lime
(this is a dream of the future)

[roland_F8CHK]

HI,

I think John G7JTT is doing that allready, transmitting and receiving simultaneously with a Jetson Nano and Portsdown combo! How he can do that is still a mystery for me!!

73,
Roland

[DL5BCA]

Hi Roland,

I meant with the Pluto/Lime transmit and receive.
No MiniTiouner. Decode the received signal from the Pluto/Lime direct in Portsdown and display it on an external monitor.

I think you can do this on Windows with SDR Angle. SDR Angle is very cumbersome to use.

But this is a dream of the future.