diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/userspace-api/gpio/chardev.rst')
-rw-r--r-- | Documentation/userspace-api/gpio/chardev.rst | 116 |
1 files changed, 116 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/userspace-api/gpio/chardev.rst b/Documentation/userspace-api/gpio/chardev.rst new file mode 100644 index 000000000000..c58dd9771ac9 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/userspace-api/gpio/chardev.rst @@ -0,0 +1,116 @@ +.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0 + +=================================== +GPIO Character Device Userspace API +=================================== + +This is latest version (v2) of the character device API, as defined in +``include/uapi/linux/gpio.h.`` + +First added in 5.10. + +.. note:: + Do NOT abuse userspace APIs to control hardware that has proper kernel + drivers. There may already be a driver for your use case, and an existing + kernel driver is sure to provide a superior solution to bitbashing + from userspace. + + Read Documentation/driver-api/gpio/drivers-on-gpio.rst to avoid reinventing + kernel wheels in userspace. + + Similarly, for multi-function lines there may be other subsystems, such as + Documentation/spi/index.rst, Documentation/i2c/index.rst, + Documentation/driver-api/pwm.rst, Documentation/w1/index.rst etc, that + provide suitable drivers and APIs for your hardware. + +Basic examples using the character device API can be found in ``tools/gpio/*``. + +The API is based around two major objects, the :ref:`gpio-v2-chip` and the +:ref:`gpio-v2-line-request`. + +.. _gpio-v2-chip: + +Chip +==== + +The Chip represents a single GPIO chip and is exposed to userspace using device +files of the form ``/dev/gpiochipX``. + +Each chip supports a number of GPIO lines, +:c:type:`chip.lines<gpiochip_info>`. Lines on the chip are identified by an +``offset`` in the range from 0 to ``chip.lines - 1``, i.e. `[0,chip.lines)`. + +Lines are requested from the chip using gpio-v2-get-line-ioctl.rst +and the resulting line request is used to access the GPIO chip's lines or +monitor the lines for edge events. + +Within this documentation, the file descriptor returned by calling `open()` +on the GPIO device file is referred to as ``chip_fd``. + +Operations +---------- + +The following operations may be performed on the chip: + +.. toctree:: + :titlesonly: + + Get Line <gpio-v2-get-line-ioctl> + Get Chip Info <gpio-get-chipinfo-ioctl> + Get Line Info <gpio-v2-get-lineinfo-ioctl> + Watch Line Info <gpio-v2-get-lineinfo-watch-ioctl> + Unwatch Line Info <gpio-get-lineinfo-unwatch-ioctl> + Read Line Info Changed Events <gpio-v2-lineinfo-changed-read> + +.. _gpio-v2-line-request: + +Line Request +============ + +Line requests are created by gpio-v2-get-line-ioctl.rst and provide +access to a set of requested lines. The line request is exposed to userspace +via the anonymous file descriptor returned in +:c:type:`request.fd<gpio_v2_line_request>` by gpio-v2-get-line-ioctl.rst. + +Within this documentation, the line request file descriptor is referred to +as ``req_fd``. + +Operations +---------- + +The following operations may be performed on the line request: + +.. toctree:: + :titlesonly: + + Get Line Values <gpio-v2-line-get-values-ioctl> + Set Line Values <gpio-v2-line-set-values-ioctl> + Read Line Edge Events <gpio-v2-line-event-read> + Reconfigure Lines <gpio-v2-line-set-config-ioctl> + +Types +===== + +This section contains the structs and enums that are referenced by the API v2, +as defined in ``include/uapi/linux/gpio.h``. + +.. kernel-doc:: include/uapi/linux/gpio.h + :identifiers: + gpio_v2_line_attr_id + gpio_v2_line_attribute + gpio_v2_line_changed_type + gpio_v2_line_config + gpio_v2_line_config_attribute + gpio_v2_line_event + gpio_v2_line_event_id + gpio_v2_line_flag + gpio_v2_line_info + gpio_v2_line_info_changed + gpio_v2_line_request + gpio_v2_line_values + gpiochip_info + +.. toctree:: + :hidden: + + error-codes |