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-rw-r--r--Documentation/i2c/summary29
-rw-r--r--Documentation/i2c/writing-clients82
2 files changed, 92 insertions, 19 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/i2c/summary b/Documentation/i2c/summary
index 41dde8776791..aea60bf7e8f0 100644
--- a/Documentation/i2c/summary
+++ b/Documentation/i2c/summary
@@ -4,17 +4,23 @@ I2C and SMBus
4============= 4=============
5 5
6I2C (pronounce: I squared C) is a protocol developed by Philips. It is a 6I2C (pronounce: I squared C) is a protocol developed by Philips. It is a
7slow two-wire protocol (10-400 kHz), but it suffices for many types of 7slow two-wire protocol (variable speed, up to 400 kHz), with a high speed
8devices. 8extension (3.4 MHz). It provides an inexpensive bus for connecting many
9types of devices with infrequent or low bandwidth communications needs.
10I2C is widely used with embedded systems. Some systems use variants that
11don't meet branding requirements, and so are not advertised as being I2C.
9 12
10SMBus (System Management Bus) is a subset of the I2C protocol. Many 13SMBus (System Management Bus) is based on the I2C protocol, and is mostly
11modern mainboards have a System Management Bus. There are a lot of 14a subset of I2C protocols and signaling. Many I2C devices will work on an
12devices which can be connected to a SMBus; the most notable are modern 15SMBus, but some SMBus protocols add semantics beyond what is required to
13memory chips with EEPROM memories and chips for hardware monitoring. 16achieve I2C branding. Modern PC mainboards rely on SMBus. The most common
17devices connected through SMBus are RAM modules configured using I2C EEPROMs,
18and hardware monitoring chips.
14 19
15Because the SMBus is just a special case of the generalized I2C bus, we 20Because the SMBus is mostly a subset of the generalized I2C bus, we can
16can simulate the SMBus protocol on plain I2C busses. The reverse is 21use its protocols on many I2C systems. However, there are systems that don't
17regretfully impossible. 22meet both SMBus and I2C electrical constraints; and others which can't
23implement all the common SMBus protocol semantics or messages.
18 24
19 25
20Terminology 26Terminology
@@ -29,6 +35,7 @@ When we talk about I2C, we use the following terms:
29An Algorithm driver contains general code that can be used for a whole class 35An Algorithm driver contains general code that can be used for a whole class
30of I2C adapters. Each specific adapter driver depends on one algorithm 36of I2C adapters. Each specific adapter driver depends on one algorithm
31driver. 37driver.
38
32A Driver driver (yes, this sounds ridiculous, sorry) contains the general 39A Driver driver (yes, this sounds ridiculous, sorry) contains the general
33code to access some type of device. Each detected device gets its own 40code to access some type of device. Each detected device gets its own
34data in the Client structure. Usually, Driver and Client are more closely 41data in the Client structure. Usually, Driver and Client are more closely
@@ -40,6 +47,10 @@ a separate Adapter and Algorithm driver), and drivers for your I2C devices
40in this package. See the lm_sensors project http://www.lm-sensors.nu 47in this package. See the lm_sensors project http://www.lm-sensors.nu
41for device drivers. 48for device drivers.
42 49
50At this time, Linux only operates I2C (or SMBus) in master mode; you can't
51use these APIs to make a Linux system behave as a slave/device, either to
52speak a custom protocol or to emulate some other device.
53
43 54
44Included Bus Drivers 55Included Bus Drivers
45==================== 56====================
diff --git a/Documentation/i2c/writing-clients b/Documentation/i2c/writing-clients
index fbcff96f4ca1..54255fd68ec7 100644
--- a/Documentation/i2c/writing-clients
+++ b/Documentation/i2c/writing-clients
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
1This is a small guide for those who want to write kernel drivers for I2C 1This is a small guide for those who want to write kernel drivers for I2C
2or SMBus devices. 2or SMBus devices, using Linux as the protocol host/master (not slave).
3 3
4To set up a driver, you need to do several things. Some are optional, and 4To set up a driver, you need to do several things. Some are optional, and
5some things can be done slightly or completely different. Use this as a 5some things can be done slightly or completely different. Use this as a
@@ -29,8 +29,16 @@ static struct i2c_driver foo_driver = {
29 .driver = { 29 .driver = {
30 .name = "foo", 30 .name = "foo",
31 }, 31 },
32
33 /* iff driver uses driver model ("new style") binding model: */
34 .probe = foo_probe,
35 .remove = foo_remove,
36
37 /* else, driver uses "legacy" binding model: */
32 .attach_adapter = foo_attach_adapter, 38 .attach_adapter = foo_attach_adapter,
33 .detach_client = foo_detach_client, 39 .detach_client = foo_detach_client,
40
41 /* these may be used regardless of the driver binding model */
34 .shutdown = foo_shutdown, /* optional */ 42 .shutdown = foo_shutdown, /* optional */
35 .suspend = foo_suspend, /* optional */ 43 .suspend = foo_suspend, /* optional */
36 .resume = foo_resume, /* optional */ 44 .resume = foo_resume, /* optional */
@@ -40,7 +48,8 @@ static struct i2c_driver foo_driver = {
40The name field is the driver name, and must not contain spaces. It 48The name field is the driver name, and must not contain spaces. It
41should match the module name (if the driver can be compiled as a module), 49should match the module name (if the driver can be compiled as a module),
42although you can use MODULE_ALIAS (passing "foo" in this example) to add 50although you can use MODULE_ALIAS (passing "foo" in this example) to add
43another name for the module. 51another name for the module. If the driver name doesn't match the module
52name, the module won't be automatically loaded (hotplug/coldplug).
44 53
45All other fields are for call-back functions which will be explained 54All other fields are for call-back functions which will be explained
46below. 55below.
@@ -141,6 +150,59 @@ Writing is done the same way.
141Probing and attaching 150Probing and attaching
142===================== 151=====================
143 152
153The Linux I2C stack was originally written to support access to hardware
154monitoring chips on PC motherboards, and thus it embeds some assumptions
155that are more appropriate to SMBus (and PCs) than to I2C. One of these
156assumptions is that most adapters and devices drivers support the SMBUS_QUICK
157protocol to probe device presence. Another is that devices and their drivers
158can be sufficiently configured using only such probe primitives.
159
160As Linux and its I2C stack became more widely used in embedded systems
161and complex components such as DVB adapters, those assumptions became more
162problematic. Drivers for I2C devices that issue interrupts need more (and
163different) configuration information, as do drivers handling chip variants
164that can't be distinguished by protocol probing, or which need some board
165specific information to operate correctly.
166
167Accordingly, the I2C stack now has two models for associating I2C devices
168with their drivers: the original "legacy" model, and a newer one that's
169fully compatible with the Linux 2.6 driver model. These models do not mix,
170since the "legacy" model requires drivers to create "i2c_client" device
171objects after SMBus style probing, while the Linux driver model expects
172drivers to be given such device objects in their probe() routines.
173
174
175Standard Driver Model Binding ("New Style")
176-------------------------------------------
177
178System infrastructure, typically board-specific initialization code or
179boot firmware, reports what I2C devices exist. For example, there may be
180a table, in the kernel or from the boot loader, identifying I2C devices
181and linking them to board-specific configuration information about IRQs
182and other wiring artifacts, chip type, and so on. That could be used to
183create i2c_client objects for each I2C device.
184
185I2C device drivers using this binding model work just like any other
186kind of driver in Linux: they provide a probe() method to bind to
187those devices, and a remove() method to unbind.
188
189 static int foo_probe(struct i2c_client *client);
190 static int foo_remove(struct i2c_client *client);
191
192Remember that the i2c_driver does not create those client handles. The
193handle may be used during foo_probe(). If foo_probe() reports success
194(zero not a negative status code) it may save the handle and use it until
195foo_remove() returns. That binding model is used by most Linux drivers.
196
197Drivers match devices when i2c_client.driver_name and the driver name are
198the same; this approach is used in several other busses that don't have
199device typing support in the hardware. The driver and module name should
200match, so hotplug/coldplug mechanisms will modprobe the driver.
201
202
203Legacy Driver Binding Model
204---------------------------
205
144Most i2c devices can be present on several i2c addresses; for some this 206Most i2c devices can be present on several i2c addresses; for some this
145is determined in hardware (by soldering some chip pins to Vcc or Ground), 207is determined in hardware (by soldering some chip pins to Vcc or Ground),
146for others this can be changed in software (by writing to specific client 208for others this can be changed in software (by writing to specific client
@@ -162,8 +224,8 @@ NOTE: If you want to write a `sensors' driver, the interface is slightly
162 224
163 225
164 226
165Probing classes 227Probing classes (Legacy model)
166--------------- 228------------------------------
167 229
168All parameters are given as lists of unsigned 16-bit integers. Lists are 230All parameters are given as lists of unsigned 16-bit integers. Lists are
169terminated by I2C_CLIENT_END. 231terminated by I2C_CLIENT_END.
@@ -210,8 +272,8 @@ Note that you *have* to call the defined variable `normal_i2c',
210without any prefix! 272without any prefix!
211 273
212 274
213Attaching to an adapter 275Attaching to an adapter (Legacy model)
214----------------------- 276--------------------------------------
215 277
216Whenever a new adapter is inserted, or for all adapters if the driver is 278Whenever a new adapter is inserted, or for all adapters if the driver is
217being registered, the callback attach_adapter() is called. Now is the 279being registered, the callback attach_adapter() is called. Now is the
@@ -237,8 +299,8 @@ them (unless a `force' parameter was used). In addition, addresses that
237are already in use (by some other registered client) are skipped. 299are already in use (by some other registered client) are skipped.
238 300
239 301
240The detect client function 302The detect client function (Legacy model)
241-------------------------- 303-----------------------------------------
242 304
243The detect client function is called by i2c_probe. The `kind' parameter 305The detect client function is called by i2c_probe. The `kind' parameter
244contains -1 for a probed detection, 0 for a forced detection, or a positive 306contains -1 for a probed detection, 0 for a forced detection, or a positive
@@ -427,8 +489,8 @@ For now, you can ignore the `flags' parameter. It is there for future use.
427 } 489 }
428 490
429 491
430Removing the client 492Removing the client (Legacy model)
431=================== 493==================================
432 494
433The detach_client call back function is called when a client should be 495The detach_client call back function is called when a client should be
434removed. It may actually fail, but only when panicking. This code is 496removed. It may actually fail, but only when panicking. This code is