Files
LEDMatrix/scripts/frame_soak.py
T
ChuckandClaude Opus 5.5 3eb7a2e349 feat(perf): time every presented frame, and a soak script to judge a rig
Each scroller already logs its own stats line, but in different formats,
per source, and Vegas logs a healthy window only at DEBUG. None of it
answers the question a release has to answer on each rig: over a long
run, how often did a moving frame reach the panel late?

Every frame reaches the panel through DisplayManager.update_display, so
it is timed there once, whoever drew it: the blit (SetImage), the vsync
wait, and the interval since the previous frame. The render thread only
appends a tuple. A worker thread aggregates cumulative counters and
histograms and rewrites /dev/shm/ledmatrix_frame_stats.json every 10s
(RAM, so no SD wear).

A frame due after `hold` refreshes that lands one or more refreshes
later is "late": the panel repeated the previous frame, a visible hitch.
Gaps of 250ms+ inside a scroll are "freezes" (recomposes, handovers,
blocking calls), counted separately so one handover does not read as 40
missed refreshes. Static frames, the first frame of a scroll and gaps
between scrolls are not timed. The refresh period is estimated from the
frames themselves.

scripts/frame_soak.py runs next to the service as any user, diffs two
snapshots over a run (default 10 minutes), optionally keeps the web
preview's viewer marker fresh, and exits non-zero above 0.1% late
frames. It also reports whether the loaded rgbmatrix binding releases
the GIL. Documented under "Soaking a rig" in docs/SCROLL_PERFORMANCE.md.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-09-23 21:51:32 -04:00

310 lines
13 KiB
Python

#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""Soak a running display and report how often moving frames reached the panel late.
Runs NEXT TO the display service, as any user: it only reads the stats file the
service writes (src/common/frame_timing.py) at the start and end of the run and
reports the difference. Nothing is stopped, restarted or drawn.
# 10 minutes, as the display is now
python3 scripts/frame_soak.py
# the same with the web preview open (the preview's PNG encodes are one of
# the things that used to make the render loop miss refreshes)
python3 scripts/frame_soak.py --preview
# quick look at the totals since the service started
python3 scripts/frame_soak.py --show
# keep the report for a before/after comparison
python3 scripts/frame_soak.py --duration 600 --json soak-before.json
Exit status: 0 when the late-frame rate is within ``--max-late-pct``, 1 when it
is not, 2 when there was nothing to measure (no stats file, the service
restarted mid-run, or nothing scrolled).
What the numbers mean
---------------------
late frames frames that reached the panel one or more refreshes after they
were due -- the panel showed the previous frame again, which on
a moving strip is a visible hitch. This is the pass/fail number.
freezes gaps of 250ms+ inside a scroll: recomposes, plugin handovers,
blocking calls on the render thread. Reported, not failed on,
since some are handovers between plugins rather than faults.
blit copying the frame into the matrix canvas (rgbmatrix SetImage).
Grows with width x height x pwm_bits.
wait blocked in SwapOnVSync, i.e. slack before the refresh.
work everything else between two frames: drawing, scrolling, and
waiting for the GIL.
"""
from __future__ import annotations
import argparse
import json
import os
import sys
import time
from pathlib import Path
from typing import Any, Dict, Optional
sys.path.insert(0, str(Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent))
from src.common.frame_timing import ( # noqa: E402
BUCKET_COUNT,
SCHEMA_VERSION,
default_stats_path,
)
#: Touched by the web UI while someone has the preview open; a fresh marker
#: puts the display service's snapshot writer at full rate. Same path as
#: DisplayManager._viewer_marker_path.
VIEWER_MARKER = "/tmp/led_matrix_preview_viewer" # nosec B108 - fixed path shared with the service
#: A stats file not rewritten for this long means nothing is being presented.
STALE_SECONDS = 30.0
def load(path: str) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
try:
with open(path, encoding="utf-8") as handle:
stats = json.load(handle)
except (OSError, ValueError):
return None
if not isinstance(stats, dict) or stats.get("version") != SCHEMA_VERSION:
return None
return stats
def _histogram(stats: Dict[str, Any], name: str) -> Dict[int, int]:
raw = (stats.get("histograms") or {}).get(name) or {}
return {int(k): int(v) for k, v in raw.items()}
def diff(before: Dict[str, Any], after: Dict[str, Any]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
"""What happened between two snapshots of the same process."""
tb, ta = before["totals"], after["totals"]
totals = {}
for key, value in ta.items():
if key == "late_by":
totals[key] = {k: v - tb[key].get(k, 0) for k, v in value.items()}
elif key == "worst_interval_ms":
# A running maximum can't be differenced; it is reported as the
# worst since the service started.
totals[key] = value
else:
totals[key] = value - tb[key]
histograms = {}
for name in (after.get("histograms") or {}):
hb, ha = _histogram(before, name), _histogram(after, name)
histograms[name] = {k: v - hb.get(k, 0) for k, v in ha.items()
if v - hb.get(k, 0) > 0}
return {"totals": totals, "histograms": histograms,
"seconds": after["updated"] - before["updated"]}
def percentiles(histogram: Dict[int, int], bucket_ms: float) -> Dict[str, Any]:
"""p50/p95/p99/max from a sparse histogram, as each bucket's upper edge."""
count = sum(histogram.values())
if not count:
return {}
out = {}
targets = {"p50": 0.50, "p95": 0.95, "p99": 0.99}
running = 0
for index in sorted(histogram):
running += histogram[index]
for name, fraction in list(targets.items()):
if running >= fraction * count:
out[name] = _edge(index, bucket_ms)
del targets[name]
out["max"] = _edge(max(histogram), bucket_ms)
return out
def _edge(index: int, bucket_ms: float):
if index >= BUCKET_COUNT - 1:
return f">={index * bucket_ms:g}"
return round((index + 1) * bucket_ms, 2)
def build_report(before, after, preview: bool) -> Dict[str, Any]:
delta = diff(before, after)
totals = delta["totals"]
frames = totals["scroll_frames"]
hours = delta["seconds"] / 3600.0 if delta["seconds"] > 0 else 0.0
bucket_ms = after.get("bucket_ms", 0.25)
return {
"seconds": round(delta["seconds"], 1),
"preview": preview,
"info": after.get("info"),
"binding_releases_gil": after.get("binding_releases_gil"),
"measured_refresh_hz": after.get("measured_refresh_hz"),
"scroll_frames": frames,
"static_frames": totals["static_frames"],
"late_frames": totals["late_frames"],
"late_pct": round(100.0 * totals["late_frames"] / frames, 3) if frames else None,
"missed_refreshes": totals["missed_refreshes"],
"late_by": totals["late_by"],
"freezes": totals["freezes"],
"freezes_per_hour": round(totals["freezes"] / hours, 1) if hours else None,
"freeze_seconds": round(totals["freeze_seconds"], 2),
"worst_interval_ms": (round(totals["worst_interval_ms"], 1)
if totals["worst_interval_ms"] else None),
"timing_ms": {name: percentiles(h, bucket_ms)
for name, h in delta["histograms"].items()},
}
def print_report(report: Dict[str, Any], limit: float) -> None:
info = report.get("info") or {}
size = "{}x{}".format(
(info.get("cols") or 0) * (info.get("chain_length") or 1),
(info.get("rows") or 0) * (info.get("parallel") or 1))
gil = {True: "releases the GIL", False: "STOCK (holds the GIL in SwapOnVSync)",
None: "unknown"}[report.get("binding_releases_gil")]
print(f"Rig {info.get('pi_model') or 'unknown'}")
print(f"Panel {size} chain {info.get('chain_length')} x parallel "
f"{info.get('parallel')} pwm_bits {info.get('pwm_bits')} "
f"slowdown {info.get('gpio_slowdown')} mapping {info.get('hardware_mapping')}")
print(f"Refresh {report.get('measured_refresh_hz') or '?'} Hz measured, "
f"cap {info.get('limit_refresh_rate_hz')}")
print(f"Binding {gil}")
print(f"Run {report['seconds']:.0f}s, preview "
f"{'open (simulated)' if report['preview'] else 'as-is'}")
print()
frames = report["scroll_frames"]
print(f"Scrolling frames {frames}")
if frames:
late_by = report["late_by"]
print(f"Late frames {report['late_frames']} ({report['late_pct']}%)"
f" missed refreshes {report['missed_refreshes']}"
f" [by 1: {late_by['1']}, 2: {late_by['2']}, "
f"3-5: {late_by['3-5']}, 6+: {late_by['6+']}]")
print(f"Freezes >=250ms {report['freezes']}"
f" ({report['freezes_per_hour']}/h, {report['freeze_seconds']}s total)"
f" worst gap since start {report['worst_interval_ms'] or '-'} ms")
print()
print(f"{'ms':<18}{'p50':>8}{'p95':>8}{'p99':>8}{'max':>8}")
for name in ("blit", "wait", "work", "interval_per_hold"):
row = report["timing_ms"].get(name) or {}
print(f"{name:<18}" + "".join(f"{str(row.get(k, '-')):>8}"
for k in ("p50", "p95", "p99", "max")))
print()
if report["late_pct"] is None:
print("RESULT nothing scrolled - no verdict")
elif report["late_pct"] <= limit:
print(f"RESULT PASS {report['late_pct']}% late <= {limit}%")
else:
print(f"RESULT FAIL {report['late_pct']}% late > {limit}%")
def touch_marker() -> bool:
try:
with open(VIEWER_MARKER, "a"):
pass
os.utime(VIEWER_MARKER, None)
return True
except OSError:
return False
def wait_for_fresh(path: str, timeout: float) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
"""The first snapshot written after now, so both ends of the run are exact."""
first = load(path)
deadline = time.time() + timeout
while time.time() < deadline:
current = load(path)
if current and (first is None or current["updated"] != first["updated"]):
return current
time.sleep(0.5)
return None
def main(argv=None) -> int:
parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__.split("\n")[0])
parser.add_argument("--duration", type=float, default=600.0,
help="seconds to soak (default 600)")
parser.add_argument("--preview", action="store_true",
help="keep the web-preview viewer marker fresh, as an "
"open preview tab does")
parser.add_argument("--max-late-pct", type=float, default=0.1,
help="fail above this percentage of late frames (default 0.1)")
parser.add_argument("--stats", default=default_stats_path(),
help="stats file written by the display service")
parser.add_argument("--json", metavar="PATH",
help="also write the report as JSON")
parser.add_argument("--show", action="store_true",
help="print totals since the service started and exit")
args = parser.parse_args(argv)
current = load(args.stats)
if current is None:
print(f"No frame stats at {args.stats}. Is the display service running a "
"build with frame timing, and has anything scrolled for ~10s?",
file=sys.stderr)
return 2
if time.time() - current["updated"] > STALE_SECONDS:
print(f"Frame stats are {time.time() - current['updated']:.0f}s old: nothing "
"has been presented recently (static screen, or the service stopped).",
file=sys.stderr)
if not args.show:
return 2
if args.show:
empty = json.loads(json.dumps(current))
for key, value in empty["totals"].items():
empty["totals"][key] = ({k: 0 for k in value} if isinstance(value, dict)
else 0)
empty["histograms"] = {}
empty["updated"] = current["started"]
report = build_report(empty, current, preview=False)
print_report(report, args.max_late_pct)
return 0
if args.preview and not touch_marker():
print(f"Cannot touch {VIEWER_MARKER}; run as the web service's user to "
"simulate an open preview.", file=sys.stderr)
return 2
print(f"Waiting for a fresh baseline from {args.stats} ...", flush=True)
before = wait_for_fresh(args.stats, timeout=60.0)
if before is None:
print("The stats file stopped updating.", file=sys.stderr)
return 2
end = time.time() + args.duration
next_progress = time.time() + 60.0
while time.time() < end:
if args.preview:
touch_marker()
time.sleep(1.0)
if time.time() >= next_progress:
now = load(args.stats)
if now and now.get("pid") == before["pid"]:
done = now["totals"]["scroll_frames"] - before["totals"]["scroll_frames"]
late = now["totals"]["late_frames"] - before["totals"]["late_frames"]
print(f" {int(end - time.time())}s left: {done} scrolling frames, "
f"{late} late", flush=True)
next_progress += 60.0
after = wait_for_fresh(args.stats, timeout=60.0)
if after is None:
print("The stats file stopped updating during the run.", file=sys.stderr)
return 2
if after.get("pid") != before.get("pid"):
print("The display service restarted during the run; results discarded.",
file=sys.stderr)
return 2
report = build_report(before, after, preview=args.preview)
print()
print_report(report, args.max_late_pct)
if args.json:
with open(args.json, "w", encoding="utf-8") as handle:
json.dump(report, handle, indent=2)
if report["late_pct"] is None:
return 2
return 0 if report["late_pct"] <= args.max_late_pct else 1
if __name__ == "__main__":
sys.exit(main())