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Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/driver-api/device_connection.rst')
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diff --git a/Documentation/driver-api/device_connection.rst b/Documentation/driver-api/device_connection.rst new file mode 100644 index 000000000..ba364224c --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/driver-api/device_connection.rst @@ -0,0 +1,43 @@ +================== +Device connections +================== + +Introduction +------------ + +Devices often have connections to other devices that are outside of the direct +child/parent relationship. A serial or network communication controller, which +could be a PCI device, may need to be able to get a reference to its PHY +component, which could be attached for example to the I2C bus. Some device +drivers need to be able to control the clocks or the GPIOs for their devices, +and so on. + +Device connections are generic descriptions of any type of connection between +two separate devices. + +Device connections alone do not create a dependency between the two devices. +They are only descriptions which are not tied to either of the devices directly. +A dependency between the two devices exists only if one of the two endpoint +devices requests a reference to the other. The descriptions themselves can be +defined in firmware (not yet supported) or they can be built-in. + +Usage +----- + +Device connections should exist before device ``->probe`` callback is called for +either endpoint device in the description. If the connections are defined in +firmware, this is not a problem. It should be considered if the connection +descriptions are "built-in", and need to be added separately. + +The connection description consists of the names of the two devices with the +connection, i.e. the endpoints, and unique identifier for the connection which +is needed if there are multiple connections between the two devices. + +After a description exists, the devices in it can request reference to the other +endpoint device, or they can request the description itself. + +API +--- + +.. kernel-doc:: drivers/base/devcon.c + :functions: device_connection_find_match device_connection_find device_connection_add device_connection_remove |