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+.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GFDL-1.1-no-invariants-or-later
+
+.. _cec-intro:
+
+Introduction
+============
+
+HDMI connectors provide a single pin for use by the Consumer Electronics
+Control protocol. This protocol allows different devices connected by an
+HDMI cable to communicate. The protocol for CEC version 1.4 is defined
+in supplements 1 (CEC) and 2 (HEAC or HDMI Ethernet and Audio Return
+Channel) of the HDMI 1.4a (:ref:`hdmi`) specification and the
+extensions added to CEC version 2.0 are defined in chapter 11 of the
+HDMI 2.0 (:ref:`hdmi2`) specification.
+
+The bitrate is very slow (effectively no more than 36 bytes per second)
+and is based on the ancient AV.link protocol used in old SCART
+connectors. The protocol closely resembles a crazy Rube Goldberg
+contraption and is an unholy mix of low and high level messages. Some
+messages, especially those part of the HEAC protocol layered on top of
+CEC, need to be handled by the kernel, others can be handled either by
+the kernel or by userspace.
+
+In addition, CEC can be implemented in HDMI receivers, transmitters and
+in USB devices that have an HDMI input and an HDMI output and that
+control just the CEC pin.
+
+Drivers that support CEC will create a CEC device node (/dev/cecX) to
+give userspace access to the CEC adapter. The
+:ref:`CEC_ADAP_G_CAPS` ioctl will tell userspace what it is allowed to do.
+
+In order to check the support and test it, it is suggested to download
+the `v4l-utils <https://git.linuxtv.org/v4l-utils.git/>`_ package. It
+provides three tools to handle CEC:
+
+- cec-ctl: the Swiss army knife of CEC. Allows you to configure, transmit
+  and monitor CEC messages.
+
+- cec-compliance: does a CEC compliance test of a remote CEC device to
+  determine how compliant the CEC implementation is.
+
+- cec-follower: emulates a CEC follower.