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diff --git a/Documentation/DocBook/kernel-api.tmpl b/Documentation/DocBook/kernel-api.tmpl index 488dd4a4945b..617c2d979975 100644 --- a/Documentation/DocBook/kernel-api.tmpl +++ b/Documentation/DocBook/kernel-api.tmpl | |||
@@ -645,4 +645,58 @@ X!Idrivers/video/console/fonts.c | |||
645 | !Edrivers/i2c/i2c-core.c | 645 | !Edrivers/i2c/i2c-core.c |
646 | </chapter> | 646 | </chapter> |
647 | 647 | ||
648 | <chapter id="clk"> | ||
649 | <title>Clock Framework</title> | ||
650 | |||
651 | <para> | ||
652 | The clock framework defines programming interfaces to support | ||
653 | software management of the system clock tree. | ||
654 | This framework is widely used with System-On-Chip (SOC) platforms | ||
655 | to support power management and various devices which may need | ||
656 | custom clock rates. | ||
657 | Note that these "clocks" don't relate to timekeeping or real | ||
658 | time clocks (RTCs), each of which have separate frameworks. | ||
659 | These <structname>struct clk</structname> instances may be used | ||
660 | to manage for example a 96 MHz signal that is used to shift bits | ||
661 | into and out of peripherals or busses, or otherwise trigger | ||
662 | synchronous state machine transitions in system hardware. | ||
663 | </para> | ||
664 | |||
665 | <para> | ||
666 | Power management is supported by explicit software clock gating: | ||
667 | unused clocks are disabled, so the system doesn't waste power | ||
668 | changing the state of transistors that aren't in active use. | ||
669 | On some systems this may be backed by hardware clock gating, | ||
670 | where clocks are gated without being disabled in software. | ||
671 | Sections of chips that are powered but not clocked may be able | ||
672 | to retain their last state. | ||
673 | This low power state is often called a <emphasis>retention | ||
674 | mode</emphasis>. | ||
675 | This mode still incurs leakage currents, especially with finer | ||
676 | circuit geometries, but for CMOS circuits power is mostly used | ||
677 | by clocked state changes. | ||
678 | </para> | ||
679 | |||
680 | <para> | ||
681 | Power-aware drivers only enable their clocks when the device | ||
682 | they manage is in active use. Also, system sleep states often | ||
683 | differ according to which clock domains are active: while a | ||
684 | "standby" state may allow wakeup from several active domains, a | ||
685 | "mem" (suspend-to-RAM) state may require a more wholesale shutdown | ||
686 | of clocks derived from higher speed PLLs and oscillators, limiting | ||
687 | the number of possible wakeup event sources. A driver's suspend | ||
688 | method may need to be aware of system-specific clock constraints | ||
689 | on the target sleep state. | ||
690 | </para> | ||
691 | |||
692 | <para> | ||
693 | Some platforms support programmable clock generators. These | ||
694 | can be used by external chips of various kinds, such as other | ||
695 | CPUs, multimedia codecs, and devices with strict requirements | ||
696 | for interface clocking. | ||
697 | </para> | ||
698 | |||
699 | !Iinclude/linux/clk.h | ||
700 | </chapter> | ||
701 | |||
648 | </book> | 702 | </book> |