i2c: Add a sysfs interface to instantiate devices

Add a sysfs interface to instantiate and delete I2C devices. This is
primarily a replacement of the force_* module parameters implemented
by some i2c drivers. These module parameters were implemented
internally by the I2C_CLIENT_INSMOD* macros, which don't scale well.

This can also be used when developing a driver on a self-soldered
board which doesn't yet have proper I2C device declaration at the
platform level, and presumably for various debugging situations.

Signed-off-by: Jean Delvare <khali@linux-fr.org>
Cc: David Brownell <dbrownell@users.sourceforge.net>

1 files changed, 44 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/Documentation/i2c/instantiating-devices b/Documentation/i2c/instantiating-devices
index b55ce57a84db..c740b7b41088 100644
--- a/Documentation/i2c/instantiating-devices
+++ b/Documentation/i2c/instantiating-devices
@@ -165,3 +165,47 @@ was done there. Two significant differences are:
 Once again, method 3 should be avoided wherever possible. Explicit device
 instantiation (methods 1 and 2) is much preferred for it is safer and
 faster.
+
+
+Method 4: Instantiate from user-space
+-------------------------------------
+
+In general, the kernel should know which I2C devices are connected and
+what addresses they live at. However, in certain cases, it does not, so a
+sysfs interface was added to let the user provide the information. This
+interface is made of 2 attribute files which are created in every I2C bus
+directory: new_device and delete_device. Both files are write only and you
+must write the right parameters to them in order to properly instantiate,
+respectively delete, an I2C device.
+
+File new_device takes 2 parameters: the name of the I2C device (a string)
+and the address of the I2C device (a number, typically expressed in
+hexadecimal starting with 0x, but can also be expressed in decimal.)
+
+File delete_device takes a single parameter: the address of the I2C
+device. As no two devices can live at the same address on a given I2C
+segment, the address is sufficient to uniquely identify the device to be
+deleted.
+
+Example:
+# echo eeprom 0x50 > /sys/class/i2c-adapter/i2c-3/new_device
+
+While this interface should only be used when in-kernel device declaration
+can't be done, there is a variety of cases where it can be helpful:
+* The I2C driver usually detects devices (method 3 above) but the bus
+  segment your device lives on doesn't have the proper class bit set and
+  thus detection doesn't trigger.
+* The I2C driver usually detects devices, but your device lives at an
+  unexpected address.
+* The I2C driver usually detects devices, but your device is not detected,
+  either because the detection routine is too strict, or because your
+  device is not officially supported yet but you know it is compatible.
+* You are developing a driver on a test board, where you soldered the I2C
+  device yourself.
+
+This interface is a replacement for the force_* module parameters some I2C
+drivers implement. Being implemented in i2c-core rather than in each
+device driver individually, it is much more efficient, and also has the
+advantage that you do not have to reload the driver to change a setting.
+You can also instantiate the device before the driver is loaded or even
+available, and you don't need to know what driver the device needs.