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authorMarek Vasut <marek.vasut@gmail.com>2012-08-08 01:42:17 +0000
committerWolfgang Denk <wd@denx.de>2012-09-02 17:55:53 +0200
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dm: Initial import of design documents
This patch contains UDM-design.txt, which is document containing general description of the driver model. The remaining files contains descriptions of conversion process of particular subsystems. Signed-off-by: Marek Vasut <marek.vasut@gmail.com>
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+The U-Boot Driver Model Project
+===============================
+I/O system analysis
+===================
+Marek Vasut <marek.vasut@gmail.com>
+2012-02-20
+
+I) Overview
+-----------
+
+The console input and output is currently done using the STDIO subsystem in
+U-Boot. The design of this subsystem is already flexible enough to be easily
+converted to new driver model approach. Minor changes will need to be done
+though.
+
+Each device that wants to register with STDIO subsystem has to define struct
+stdio_dev, defined in include/stdio_dev.h and containing the following fields:
+
+struct stdio_dev {
+ int flags; /* Device flags: input/output/system */
+ int ext; /* Supported extensions */
+ char name[16]; /* Device name */
+
+/* GENERAL functions */
+
+ int (*start) (void); /* To start the device */
+ int (*stop) (void); /* To stop the device */
+
+/* OUTPUT functions */
+
+ void (*putc) (const char c); /* To put a char */
+ void (*puts) (const char *s); /* To put a string (accelerator) */
+
+/* INPUT functions */
+
+ int (*tstc) (void); /* To test if a char is ready... */
+ int (*getc) (void); /* To get that char */
+
+/* Other functions */
+
+ void *priv; /* Private extensions */
+ struct list_head list;
+};
+
+Currently used flags are DEV_FLAGS_INPUT, DEV_FLAGS_OUTPUT and DEV_FLAGS_SYSTEM,
+extensions being only one, the DEV_EXT_VIDEO.
+
+The private extensions are now used as a per-device carrier of private data and
+finally list allows this structure to be a member of linked list of STDIO
+devices.
+
+The STDIN, STDOUT and STDERR routing is handled by environment variables
+"stdin", "stdout" and "stderr". By configuring the variable to the name of a
+driver, functions of such driver are called to execute that particular
+operation.
+
+II) Approach
+------------
+
+ 1) Similarity of serial, video and keyboard drivers
+ ---------------------------------------------------
+
+ All of these drivers can be unified under the STDIO subsystem if modified
+ slightly. The serial drivers basically define both input and output functions
+ and need function to configure baudrate. The keyboard drivers provide only
+ input. On the other hand, video drivers provide output, but need to be
+ configured in certain way. This configuration might be dynamic, therefore the
+ STDIO has to be modified to provide such flexibility.
+
+ 2) Unification of serial, video and keyboard drivers
+ ----------------------------------------------------
+
+ Every STDIO device would register a structure containing operation it supports
+ with the STDIO core by calling:
+
+ int stdio_device_register(struct instance *i, struct stdio_device_ops *o);
+
+ The structure being defined as follows:
+
+ struct stdio_device_ops {
+ void (*putc)(struct instance *i, const char c);
+ void (*puts)(struct instance *i, const char *s); /* OPTIONAL */
+
+ int (*tstc)(struct instance *i);
+ int (*getc)(struct instance *i);
+
+ int (*init)(struct instance *i);
+ int (*exit)(struct instance *i);
+ int (*conf)(struct instance *i, enum stdio_config c, const void *data);
+ };
+
+ The "putc()" function will emit a character, the "puts()" function will emit a
+ string. If both of these are set to NULL, the device is considered STDIN only,
+ aka input only device.
+
+ The "getc()" retrieves a character from a STDIN device, while "tstc()" tests
+ if there is a character in the buffer of STDIN device. In case these two are
+ set to NULL, this device is STDOUT / STDERR device.
+
+ Setting all "putc()", "puts()", "getc()" and "tstc()" calls to NULL isn't an
+ error condition, though such device does nothing. By instroducing tests for
+ these functions being NULL, the "flags" and "ext" fields from original struct
+ stdio_dev can be eliminated.
+
+ The "init()" and "exit()" calls are replacement for "start()" and "exit()"
+ calls in the old approach. The "priv" part of the old struct stdio_dev will be
+ replaced by common private data in the driver model and the struct list_head
+ list will be eliminated by introducing common STDIO core, that tracks all the
+ STDIO devices.
+
+ Lastly, the "conf()" call will allow the user to configure various options of
+ the driver. The enum stdio_config contains all possible configuration options
+ available to the STDIO devices, const void *data being the argument to be
+ configured. Currently, the enum stdio_config will contain at least the
+ following options:
+
+ enum stdio_config {
+ STDIO_CONFIG_SERIAL_BAUDRATE,
+ };
+
+ 3) Transformation of stdio routing
+ ----------------------------------
+
+ By allowing multiple instances of drivers, the environment variables "stdin",
+ "stdout" and "stderr" can no longer be set to the name of the driver.
+ Therefore the STDIO core, tracking all of the STDIO devices in the system will
+ need to have a small amount of internal data for each device:
+
+ struct stdio_device_node {
+ struct instance *i;
+ struct stdio_device_ops *ops;
+ uint8_t id;
+ uint8_t flags;
+ struct list_head list;
+ }
+
+ The "id" is the order of the instance of the same driver. The "flags" variable
+ allows multiple drivers to be used at the same time and even for different
+ purpose. The following flags will be defined:
+
+ STDIO_FLG_STDIN ..... This device will be used as an input device. All input
+ from all devices with this flag set will be received
+ and passed to the upper layers.
+ STDIO_FLG_STDOUT .... This device will be used as an output device. All
+ output sent to stdout will be routed to all devices
+ with this flag set.
+ STDIO_FLG_STDERR .... This device will be used as an standard error output
+ device. All output sent to stderr will be routed to
+ all devices with this flag set.
+
+ The "list" member of this structure allows to have a linked list of all
+ registered STDIO devices.
+
+III) Analysis of in-tree drivers
+--------------------------------
+
+For in-depth analysis of serial port drivers, refer to [ UDM-serial.txt ].
+For in-depth analysis of keyboard drivers, refer to [ UDM-keyboard.txt ].
+For in-depth analysis of video drivers, refer to [ UDM-video.txt ].
+
+ 1) arch/blackfin/cpu/jtag-console.c
+ -----------------------------------
+ This driver is a classic STDIO driver, no problem with conversion is expected.
+
+ 2) board/mpl/pati/pati.c
+ ------------------------
+ This driver registers with the STDIO framework, though it uses a lot of ad-hoc
+ stuff which will need to be sorted out.
+
+ 3) board/netphone/phone_console.c
+ ---------------------------------
+ This driver is a classic STDIO driver, no problem with conversion is expected.
+
+ 4) drivers/net/netconsole.c
+ ---------------------------
+ This driver is a classic STDIO driver, no problem with conversion is expected.
+
+IV) Other involved files (To be removed)
+----------------------------------------
+
+common/cmd_console.c
+common/cmd_log.c
+common/cmd_terminal.c
+common/console.c
+common/fdt_support.c
+common/iomux.c
+common/lcd.c
+common/serial.c
+common/stdio.c
+common/usb_kbd.c
+doc/README.iomux