From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1750938AbWGCMsc (ORCPT ); Mon, 3 Jul 2006 08:48:32 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S1750992AbWGCMsb (ORCPT ); Mon, 3 Jul 2006 08:48:31 -0400 Received: from out3.smtp.messagingengine.com ([66.111.4.27]:1505 "EHLO out3.smtp.messagingengine.com") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1750938AbWGCMsb (ORCPT ); Mon, 3 Jul 2006 08:48:31 -0400 X-Sasl-enc: qGqXu2rGmSQ66YFGMv7bQHOFk8Y103IMp9RJrgrXJb2Z 1151930908 Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2006 09:48:23 -0300 From: Henrique de Moraes Holschuh To: lm-sensors@lm-sensors.org, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, hdaps-devel@lists.sourceforge.net, Stelian Pop , Michael Hanselmann Subject: Generic interface for accelerometers (AMS, HDAPS, ...) Message-ID: <20060703124823.GA18821@khazad-dum.debian.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-GPG-Fingerprint: 1024D/1CDB0FE3 5422 5C61 F6B7 06FB 7E04 3738 EE25 DE3F 1CDB 0FE3 User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.11+cvs20060403 Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org We have now (or we are about to have, anyway) two drivers that export accelerometer data: IBM's HDAPS, and Apple's AMS. More accelerometer drivers could be coming in the future. Both drivers export one common set of data (accelerometer output), and some extra information that is not related to acellerometers. Both have at least two functionality goals in common: to export accelerometer data to userspace, and also to allow somehow for HD head parking when the accelerometer detects a potentially incoming impact. User­space utilities that interface to accelerometers like hdapsd and smackpad could benefit from a common interface, so that they work with HDAPS, AMS, and any other future accelerometer drivers. If any kernel-space functionality needed by HDAPS and AMS is also shared, we would have benefits there too. Some examples I can think of are: generic HD queue-freeze and HD head parking, and a generic acellerometer-driven joystick event interface. This would also enable generic userspace notifiers that the HD heads have been parked, etc. I am posting this message as a head's up for the two projects (HDAPS, AMS) to make sure that they are actively aware of each other. I do so in hope that we can work in a joint, generic interface and port both drivers to this new interface in the near future, and also that we can make as much functionality shared between the two drivers as possible. -- "One disk to rule them all, One disk to find them. One disk to bring them all and in the darkness grind them. In the Land of Redmond where the shadows lie." -- The Silicon Valley Tarot Henrique Holschuh