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OSS Report: raspberrypi/pico-sdk

Raspberry Pi Pico SDK Development Faces Increased Issue Activity Amidst Performance Optimization Efforts

The Raspberry Pi Pico SDK, a toolkit for programming RP-series microcontrollers, has seen a rise in issue activity, focusing on performance optimization and documentation improvements.

Recent Activity

Recent issues and pull requests (PRs) highlight concerns with USB communication, I2C/SPI bugs, and RISC-V performance. These indicate a trajectory towards refining hardware interactions and enhancing SDK capabilities. The community's active engagement in discussions reflects a proactive approach to addressing these challenges.

Team Members and Their Recent Activities

  1. Graham Sanderson (kilograham)

    • Commits: 17
    • Key Contributions: Improvements in hardware clocks, GPIO configurations, and RP2350 features.

  2. Andrew Scheller (lurch)

    • Commits: 4
    • Key Contributions: Documentation enhancements and board header checks.

  3. Peter Harper (peterharperuk)

    • Commits: 1
    • Key Contributions: USB functionality fixes.

  4. David Goffredo (dgoffredo)

    • Commits: 1
    • Key Contributions: Documentation typo fixes.

  5. Armando Montanez (armandomontanez)

    • Commits: 2
    • Key Contributions: Bazel build support improvements.

  6. Mete Balcı (metebalci)

    • Commits: 1
    • Key Contributions: CMSIS device header updates.

  7. Will Vinnicombe (will-v-pi)

    • Commits: 2
    • Key Contributions: CI build fixes.

Of Note

  1. Increased Issue Activity: A rise in open issues, particularly around USB and I2C/SPI functionalities.

  2. RISC-V Performance: Ongoing efforts to optimize RISC-V support (#1937).

  3. USB Communication Challenges: High-priority issues like USB serial lockups (#1932).

  4. Documentation Gaps: Frequent mentions of the need for clearer guidance.

  5. Bluetooth Mesh Support: New feature integration expanding SDK capabilities (#1692).

Quantified Reports

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Recent GitHub Issues Activity

Timespan Opened Closed Comments Labeled Milestones
7 Days 8 5 25 8 2
30 Days 47 24 124 45 3
90 Days 109 94 268 100 5
1 Year 268 188 870 181 6
All Time 992 784 - - -

Like all software activity quantification, these numbers are imperfect but sometimes useful. Comments, Labels, and Milestones refer to those issues opened in the timespan in question.

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Quantified Commit Activity Over 30 Days

Developer Avatar Branches PRs Commits Files Changes
Luke Wren (Wren6991) 1 1/1/0 1 12 3060
Graham Sanderson (kilograham) 2 7/6/0 17 28 1070
Andrew Scheller (lurch) 2 3/2/0 4 22 718
Peter Harper (peterharperuk) 1 1/1/0 1 6 436
None (armandomontanez) 1 2/2/0 2 17 136
Sylwester (DatanoiseTV) 1 0/1/0 1 2 64
Nhan Cao (AnhNhan2803) 1 0/1/0 1 2 41
Mete Balcı (metebalci) 1 1/1/0 1 2 24
Thomas Watson (tpwrules) 1 1/1/0 1 2 14
None (seesturm) 1 1/1/0 1 2 11
Stefan Kerkmann (KarlK90) 1 1/1/0 1 1 8
David Goffredo (dgoffredo) 1 1/1/0 1 1 8
None (will-v-pi) 1 1/2/0 2 2 5
CMD (iCMDdev) 1 1/1/0 1 1 2
Dranoel (Dranoel2) 1 0/1/0 1 1 2
Koji KITAYAMA (kkitayam) 1 1/1/0 1 1 2
Liviu Ionescu (ilg-ul) 0 1/0/0 0 0 0
Łukasz (lukstep) 0 1/0/1 0 0 0
Matt Bennett (mattmyne) 0 1/0/0 0 0 0
Dave Roth (davexroth) 0 1/0/0 0 0 0
Stanislav Rubint (theMladyPan) 0 1/0/0 0 0 0
Corn (LordOfDeadbush) 0 1/0/1 0 0 0
Earle F. Philhower, III (earlephilhower) 0 1/0/0 0 0 0
Peter S. Hollander (recursivenomad) 0 0/0/1 0 0 0

PRs: created by that dev and opened/merged/closed-unmerged during the period

Detailed Reports

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Recent Activity Analysis

The Raspberry Pi Pico SDK has seen a notable increase in GitHub issue activity, with 208 open issues currently. Recent discussions reflect a range of concerns, from specific bugs in the I2C and SPI implementations to feature requests for enhanced functionality in the SDK. A recurring theme is the need for better documentation and clarity regarding function behaviors, particularly in relation to hardware interactions.

Several issues highlight potential bugs or limitations in the current implementation, such as problems with USB communication, I2C slave mode errors, and inconsistencies in clock configurations. The community appears actively engaged, with many contributors suggesting enhancements and fixes.

Issue Details

Most Recently Created Issues

  1. Issue #1940: Dangling #ifdef __cplusplus in metrotech_xerxes_rp2040.h

    • Priority: Low
    • Status: Open
    • Created: 1 day ago

  2. Issue #1937: Poor RISC-V pico_riscv_gcc_zcb_zcmp performance

    • Priority: Medium
    • Status: Open
    • Created: 4 days ago
    • Updated: 1 day ago

  3. Issue #1936: stdio_uart and stdio_uart_init_full don't play nice with flush

    • Priority: Medium
    • Status: Open
    • Created: 6 days ago

  4. Issue #1934: Cannot use USB stdio and USB host (PIO) at the same time

    • Priority: High
    • Status: Open
    • Created: 7 days ago

  5. Issue #1932: USB serial locks up under load

    • Priority: High
    • Status: Open
    • Created: 9 days ago
    • Updated: 4 days ago

Most Recently Updated Issues

  1. Issue #1937 (as above) was edited recently, indicating ongoing investigation into compiler performance issues.

  2. Issue #1929: Compilation issue after upgrading to 2.0.0 from 1.5.1

    • Priority: High
    • Status: Open
    • Created: 11 days ago

  3. Issue #1928: ADC module lacks simple useful #defines.

    • Priority: Medium
    • Status: Open
    • Created: 12 days ago

  4. Issue #1927: Add more asserts to catch bad changes.

    • Priority: Low
    • Status: Open
    • Created: 12 days ago

  5. Issue #1924: Update GPOUTx fractional divider to work with RP2350.

    • Priority: Medium
    • Status: Open
    • Created: 13 days ago

Themes and Implications

The recent activity indicates a strong focus on performance optimization, particularly concerning RISC-V support and USB functionalities. The presence of multiple issues related to I2C and SPI suggests that these areas may require further testing and refinement to ensure reliability.

Moreover, the community's engagement in discussing potential bugs reflects a proactive approach to improving the SDK's robustness. However, the frequent mentions of documentation gaps point to a critical need for clearer guidance on using various features effectively.

Overall, the ongoing discussions reveal both challenges and opportunities for enhancement within the Raspberry Pi Pico SDK, emphasizing the importance of community feedback in driving future improvements.

Report On: Fetch pull requests



Overview

The analysis of the provided pull request data for the Raspberry Pi Pico SDK reveals a dynamic and active development environment. The project is characterized by a diverse range of contributions, addressing various aspects of the SDK, from minor documentation fixes to significant feature enhancements and bug fixes. The involvement of multiple contributors and the rapid response to issues indicate a well-maintained project with a focus on continuous improvement and community engagement.

Summary of Pull Requests

Open Pull Requests

  1. PR #1945: Fix doxygen typo

    • A minor fix to correct a typo in the doxygen comments, enhancing documentation clarity.

  2. PR #1944: Export linker scripts in the bazel build

    • This PR aims to make linker scripts available in downstream projects' Bazel builds, facilitating easier integration and build processes for users.

  3. PR #1942: Clarify that RP2350 gets its unique id from OTP

    • An important clarification in the documentation regarding how the RP2350 obtains its unique ID, addressing previous ambiguities.

  4. PR #1941: removed dangling #ifdef __cplusplus, Fixes #1940

    • A cleanup PR that removes unnecessary preprocessor directives, improving code readability and maintainability.

  5. PR #1939: Very minor typos in contributing.md

    • A trivial fix to correct typos in the contributing guidelines, ensuring professionalism and clarity in community documentation.

  6. PR #1926: Change div_int_frac methods to be suffixed by the number of bits of fraction e.g. div_int_frac8

    • A significant enhancement that improves method naming conventions for clarity and consistency across the SDK.

  7. PR #1892: Fixes #1891 Update pico_configure_ip4_address comments

    • An update to comments in pico_configure_ip4_address function, correcting compile definition names and improving user understanding.

  8. PR #1879: Specify minimum cmake version for generic_board.cmake

    • This PR specifies the minimum required CMake version for generic_board.cmake, preventing potential build issues for users with older CMake versions.

  9. PR #1811: Update i2c_slave.c: clock stretching comment fix

    • A minor fix to update comments in i2c_slave.c, reflecting changes since a previous commit and improving code documentation accuracy.

  10. PR #1692: Add Bluetooth Mesh build support

    • An exciting addition that integrates Bluetooth Mesh capabilities into the SDK, expanding its functionality and application scope.

Closed Pull Requests

  • Numerous closed pull requests indicate active maintenance and development efforts, with contributions ranging from bug fixes (e.g., PR #1928 fixing enum gpio_irq_level value comments) to feature enhancements (e.g., PR #1692 adding Bluetooth Mesh build support).

Analysis of Pull Requests

The analysis of open and closed pull requests reveals several key themes:

  1. Documentation Improvements: Many pull requests focus on enhancing documentation clarity and accuracy (e.g., PRs #1945, #1942, #1939). This reflects an ongoing effort to improve developer experience and reduce confusion regarding SDK usage.

  2. Feature Enhancements: Significant contributions like PR #1692 highlight active efforts to expand the SDK's capabilities, making it more versatile for developers working on various applications.

  3. Bug Fixes and Code Quality Improvements: Regular updates addressing bugs (e.g., PRs #1941, #1926) and code quality (e.g., PRs #1811, #1879) demonstrate a commitment to maintaining high standards of code reliability and readability.

  4. Community Engagement: The variety of contributors and the rapid response to pull requests suggest strong community involvement and effective project management practices within the Raspberry Pi Pico SDK development team.

  5. Adaptability and Forward Planning: The inclusion of features like Bluetooth Mesh support (PR #1692) indicates forward-thinking development aimed at keeping pace with emerging technologies and expanding the SDK's applicability in new domains.

In conclusion, the Raspberry Pi Pico SDK is under active development with a clear focus on enhancing functionality, improving documentation, maintaining code quality, and engaging with its user community effectively. The project's adaptability to include new features suggests a robust roadmap aligned with technological advancements and user needs.

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Recent Activities of the Development Team

Team Members and Their Recent Activities

1. Graham Sanderson (kilograham)

  • Recent Commits: 17 commits with 1070 changes.
  • Key Contributions:
    • Fixes and improvements in various libraries, including hardware clocks and GPIO configurations.
    • Addressed issues related to the boot stage and linker scripts.
    • Collaborated on the integration of new features for the RP2350 architecture.
    • Worked on maintaining backward compatibility and fixing bugs in existing code.

2. Andrew Scheller (lurch)

  • Recent Commits: 4 commits with 718 changes.
  • Key Contributions:
    • Focused on fixing typos and improving documentation (Doxygen).
    • Made enhancements to board header checks for both RP2040 and RP2350 boards.
    • Contributed to the development of configuration scripts.

3. Peter Harper (peterharperuk)

  • Recent Commits: 1 commit with 436 changes.
  • Key Contributions:
    • Worked on fixing issues related to USB functionality and improving the overall stability of the SDK.

4. David Goffredo (dgoffredo)

  • Recent Commits: 1 commit with 8 changes.
  • Key Contributions:
    • Fixed documentation typos related to time-critical functions.

5. Armando Montanez (armandomontanez)

  • Recent Commits: 2 commits with 136 changes.
  • Key Contributions:
    • Addressed Bazel build issues and added support for new configurations.

6. Mete Balcı (metebalci)

  • Recent Commits: 1 commit with 24 changes.
  • Key Contributions:
    • Made updates to CMSIS device headers for RP2350.

7. Will Vinnicombe (will-v-pi)

  • Recent Commits: 2 commits with 5 changes.
  • Key Contributions:
    • Worked on fixes related to CI builds and improvements in platform path handling.

Patterns and Themes

  • Active Collaboration: Multiple team members are collaborating on enhancements, particularly around board definitions and hardware configurations, indicating a strong focus on supporting new hardware.
  • Documentation Improvements: There is a consistent effort towards improving documentation, which is crucial for user engagement and ease of use.
  • Bug Fixes and Stability Enhancements: A significant portion of recent activities revolves around fixing bugs, enhancing stability, and ensuring backward compatibility, reflecting a commitment to maintaining high-quality software.
  • Focus on New Features: The team is actively integrating new features for both existing boards and upcoming architectures like RP2350, showcasing adaptability to evolving technology needs.

Conclusion

The development team is actively engaged in enhancing the Raspberry Pi Pico SDK through collaborative efforts focused on bug fixes, documentation improvements, and feature integrations. Their work reflects a commitment to quality and adaptability in response to community needs.