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| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/power/regulator/consumer.txt | 182 |
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diff --git a/Documentation/power/regulator/consumer.txt b/Documentation/power/regulator/consumer.txt new file mode 100644 index 000000000000..82b7a43aadba --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/power/regulator/consumer.txt @@ -0,0 +1,182 @@ +Regulator Consumer Driver Interface +=================================== + +This text describes the regulator interface for consumer device drivers. +Please see overview.txt for a description of the terms used in this text. + + +1. Consumer Regulator Access (static & dynamic drivers) +======================================================= + +A consumer driver can get access to it's supply regulator by calling :- + +regulator = regulator_get(dev, "Vcc"); + +The consumer passes in it's struct device pointer and power supply ID. The core +then finds the correct regulator by consulting a machine specific lookup table. +If the lookup is successful then this call will return a pointer to the struct +regulator that supplies this consumer. + +To release the regulator the consumer driver should call :- + +regulator_put(regulator); + +Consumers can be supplied by more than one regulator e.g. codec consumer with +analog and digital supplies :- + +digital = regulator_get(dev, "Vcc"); /* digital core */ +analog = regulator_get(dev, "Avdd"); /* analog */ + +The regulator access functions regulator_get() and regulator_put() will +usually be called in your device drivers probe() and remove() respectively. + + +2. Regulator Output Enable & Disable (static & dynamic drivers) +==================================================================== + +A consumer can enable it's power supply by calling:- + +int regulator_enable(regulator); + +NOTE: The supply may already be enabled before regulator_enabled() is called. +This may happen if the consumer shares the regulator or the regulator has been +previously enabled by bootloader or kernel board initialization code. + +A consumer can determine if a regulator is enabled by calling :- + +int regulator_is_enabled(regulator); + +This will return > zero when the regulator is enabled. + + +A consumer can disable it's supply when no longer needed by calling :- + +int regulator_disable(regulator); + +NOTE: This may not disable the supply if it's shared with other consumers. The +regulator will only be disabled when the enabled reference count is zero. + +Finally, a regulator can be forcefully disabled in the case of an emergency :- + +int regulator_force_disable(regulator); + +NOTE: this will immediately and forcefully shutdown the regulator output. All +consumers will be powered off. + + +3. Regulator Voltage Control & Status (dynamic drivers) +====================================================== + +Some consumer drivers need to be able to dynamically change their supply +voltage to match system operating points. e.g. CPUfreq drivers can scale +voltage along with frequency to save power, SD drivers may need to select the +correct card voltage, etc. + +Consumers can control their supply voltage by calling :- + +int regulator_set_voltage(regulator, min_uV, max_uV); + +Where min_uV and max_uV are the minimum and maximum acceptable voltages in +microvolts. + +NOTE: this can be called when the regulator is enabled or disabled. If called +when enabled, then the voltage changes instantly, otherwise the voltage +configuration changes and the voltage is physically set when the regulator is +next enabled. + +The regulators configured voltage output can be found by calling :- + +int regulator_get_voltage(regulator); + +NOTE: get_voltage() will return the configured output voltage whether the +regulator is enabled or disabled and should NOT be used to determine regulator +output state. However this can be used in conjunction with is_enabled() to +determine the regulator physical output voltage. + + +4. Regulator Current Limit Control & Status (dynamic drivers) +=========================================================== + +Some consumer drivers need to be able to dynamically change their supply +current limit to match system operating points. e.g. LCD backlight driver can +change the current limit to vary the backlight brightness, USB drivers may want +to set the limit to 500mA when supplying power. + +Consumers can control their supply current limit by calling :- + +int regulator_set_current_limit(regulator, min_uV, max_uV); + +Where min_uA and max_uA are the minimum and maximum acceptable current limit in +microamps. + +NOTE: this can be called when the regulator is enabled or disabled. If called +when enabled, then the current limit changes instantly, otherwise the current +limit configuration changes and the current limit is physically set when the +regulator is next enabled. + +A regulators current limit can be found by calling :- + +int regulator_get_current_limit(regulator); + +NOTE: get_current_limit() will return the current limit whether the regulator +is enabled or disabled and should not be used to determine regulator current +load. + + +5. Regulator Operating Mode Control & Status (dynamic drivers) +============================================================= + +Some consumers can further save system power by changing the operating mode of +their supply regulator to be more efficient when the consumers operating state +changes. e.g. consumer driver is idle and subsequently draws less current + +Regulator operating mode can be changed indirectly or directly. + +Indirect operating mode control. +-------------------------------- +Consumer drivers can request a change in their supply regulator operating mode +by calling :- + +int regulator_set_optimum_mode(struct regulator *regulator, int load_uA); + +This will cause the core to recalculate the total load on the regulator (based +on all it's consumers) and change operating mode (if necessary and permitted) +to best match the current operating load. + +The load_uA value can be determined from the consumers datasheet. e.g.most +datasheets have tables showing the max current consumed in certain situations. + +Most consumers will use indirect operating mode control since they have no +knowledge of the regulator or whether the regulator is shared with other +consumers. + +Direct operating mode control. +------------------------------ +Bespoke or tightly coupled drivers may want to directly control regulator +operating mode depending on their operating point. This can be achieved by +calling :- + +int regulator_set_mode(struct regulator *regulator, unsigned int mode); +unsigned int regulator_get_mode(struct regulator *regulator); + +Direct mode will only be used by consumers that *know* about the regulator and +are not sharing the regulator with other consumers. + + +6. Regulator Events +=================== +Regulators can notify consumers of external events. Events could be received by +consumers under regulator stress or failure conditions. + +Consumers can register interest in regulator events by calling :- + +int regulator_register_notifier(struct regulator *regulator, + struct notifier_block *nb); + +Consumers can uregister interest by calling :- + +int regulator_unregister_notifier(struct regulator *regulator, + struct notifier_block *nb); + +Regulators use the kernel notifier framework to send event to thier interested +consumers. |