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+DT compatible string versioning for SiFive open-source IP blocks
+
+This document describes the version specification for DT "compatible"
+strings for open-source SiFive IP blocks.  HDL for these IP blocks
+can be found in this public repository:
+
+https://github.com/sifive/sifive-blocks
+
+IP block-specific DT compatible strings are contained within the HDL,
+in the form "sifive,<ip-block-name><integer version number>".
+
+An example is "sifive,uart0" from:
+
+https://github.com/sifive/sifive-blocks/blob/v1.0/src/main/scala/devices/uart/UART.scala#L43
+
+Until these IP blocks (or IP integration) support version
+auto-discovery, the maintainers of these IP blocks intend to increment
+the suffixed number in the compatible string whenever the software
+interface to these IP blocks changes, or when the functionality of the
+underlying IP blocks changes in a way that software should be aware of.
+
+Driver developers can use compatible string "match" values such as
+"sifive,uart0" to indicate that their driver is compatible with the
+register interface and functionality associated with the relevant
+upstream sifive-blocks commits.  It is expected that most drivers will
+match on these IP block-specific compatible strings.
+
+DT data authors, when writing data for a particular SoC, should
+continue to specify an SoC-specific compatible string value, such as
+"sifive,fu540-c000-uart".  This way, if SoC-specific
+integration-specific bug fixes or workarounds are needed, the kernel
+or other system software can match on this string to apply them.  The
+IP block-specific compatible string (such as "sifive,uart0") should
+then be specified as a subsequent value.
+
+An example of this style:
+
+    compatible = "sifive,fu540-c000-uart", "sifive,uart0";