Re: [PATCH 2/4] pinmux: Add TB10x pinmux driver

[Stephen Warren <swarren@wwwdotorg.org>]

On 07/05/2013 03:49 AM, Christian Ruppert wrote:
> On Wed, Jun 26, 2013 at 11:40:42AM -0600, Stephen Warren wrote:
>> On 06/26/2013 05:50 AM, Christian Ruppert wrote:
>>> On Wed, Jun 19, 2013 at 04:35:14PM -0600, Stephen Warren wrote:
>>>> On 06/18/2013 03:29 AM, Christian Ruppert wrote:
>> [...]
>>>>> +Example
>>>>> +-------
>>>>> +
>>>>> +iomux: iomux@FF10601c {
>>>>> +	compatible = "abilis,tb10x-iomux";
>>>>> +	reg = <0xFF10601c 0x4>;
>>>>> +	pctl_gpio_a: pctl-gpio-a {
>>>>> +		pingrp = "gpioa_pins";
>>>>> +	};
>>>>> +	pctl_uart0: pctl-uart0 {
>>>>> +		pingrp = "uart0_pins";
>>>>> +	};
>>>>> +};
>>>>
>>>> The two nodes pctl-gpio-a and pctl-uart0 seem to be missing data. The
>>>> idea here is that you define nodes that says:
>>>>
>>>> * This node applies to these pin(s)/group(s).
>>>> * Select mux function X on those pins/groups and/or apply these pin
>>>> configuration options to those pins/groups.
>>>>
>>>> The examples above don't include any mux/config options, nor does the
>>>> binding say how to do specify them.
>>>>
>>>> The set of pin groups defined by this binding should correspond directly
>>>> to the set of pin groups that actually exist in HW. So, if you have 3
>>>> pin groups (A, B, C) in HW each of which has two mux functions (X, Y),
>>>> your DT binding should define just 3 pin groups (A, B, C), not 6 (A_X,
>>>> A_Y, B_X, B_Y, C_X, C_Y). In other words, the pin group name shouldn't
>>>> imply the mux function.
>>>
>>> Can we consider it as agreed now that this implementation is acceptable
>>> for the TB10x pin controller?
>>
>> There are two issues here:
>>
>> 1) What is a pin group:
>>
>> 1a) Must it solely represent a group of pins that actually exists in HW
>> (e.g. it's an RTL port, or a set of pins all controlled at once by a
>> single bit/field in a register)
>>
>> 1b) A SW-defined group of pins, simply because it's convenient to talk
>> about that set of pins at once, even though HW doesn't impose that those
>> pins are in a group in any way.
>>
>> Defining groups for either of those reasons is fine, although this is
>> the area where my preference and LinusW's differ.
>>
>> 2) Can groups represent just a set of pins, or can it also imply that a
>> particular mux function is selected on that group?
>>
>> I believe that both LinusW and I are in agreement that a group is simply
>> a list/set/group of pins. You select mux functions onto groups. A
>> groups's definition can't imply that a particular mux function is
>> selected onto it.
>>
>> If we don't follow this rule, then you end up with a combinatorial
>> explosion of groups; the cross-product of all possible groups of pins
>> vs. the mux function to select on them, rather than simply having a list
>> of groups of pins, which is a much smaller set/list.
>>
>> So, in the DT example above, I still believe that you need an extra
>> property that defines which mux function to select onto the specified
>> group. The group name can't imply this, so there needs to be some way of
>> specifying it.
> 
> In your opinion, would something in the lines of
> 
> pctl_spi1: pctl-spi1 {
> 	abilis,pingrp = "spi1";

So that defines a list of pins.

> 	abilis,ioport = <4>;   /* spi1 is routed to port4 inside the
> 				pin controller */

I assume that defines the mux function value; the value that's
programmed into the HW register to select which HW module's signals are
routed out to the pins specified by abilis,pingrp.

> 	abilis,ioconf = <1>;   /* spi1 is available in configuration 1
> 				of that port. */

But I don't understand what that is. ...

...
> In future, this could even be extended to allow several alternative
> configurations for a given function, e.g.
> 
> pctl_spi3: pctl-spi3 {
> 	abilis,pingrp = "spi3";
> 	abilis,ioport = <6>;
> 	abilis,ioconf = <0 3>; /* spi3 is available in both
> 				configurations 0 and 3. Depending on
> 				what other functions are requested, the
> 				pinctrl driver can choose either of the
> 				two. */

... especially if you're talking about "spi3 being available in multiple
configurations". What's a configuration?