[PATCH 0/3] serial: 8250_dw: describe the Allwinner H616 UART configuration

[PATCH 0/3] serial: 8250_dw: describe the Allwinner H616 UART configuration

[James Hilliard]

H616 has 256-byte UART FIFOs, but lacks the DesignWare component parameter
register used to discover their capacity. Its debug-divisor and RS485
registers also overlap offsets used to probe optional DesignWare features.

Add an H616 compatible and select a fixed port configuration with the
documented FIFO capacity and receive trigger levels. Preserve the
BUSY-safe integer divisor path and keep the UART gate enabled during
termios changes. Attach the existing 8250 DMA path using single-byte
peripheral bursts, with channel acquisition and PIO fallback handled
by the normal startup path.

The patches add the binding, driver configuration and SoC DTS compatible
in that order. Based on tty-next at 1184f87e2790.

Assisted-by: Codex:gpt-6-astra
Signed-off-by: James Hilliard <james.hilliard1@gmail.com>
---
James Hilliard (3):
      dt-bindings: serial: snps-dw-apb-uart: add Allwinner H616
      serial: 8250_dw: configure the Allwinner H616 UART
      arm64: dts: allwinner: h616: identify the UART integration

 .../bindings/serial/snps-dw-apb-uart.yaml          |  1 +
 arch/arm64/boot/dts/allwinner/sun50i-h616.dtsi     | 12 +++---
 drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250.h                     |  1 +
 drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250_dw.c                  | 45 ++++++++++++++++++----
 drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250_port.c                |  8 ++++
 5 files changed, 54 insertions(+), 13 deletions(-)
---
base-commit: 1184f87e2790e8af9be3116f608d2e86b4792d7d
change-id: 20261022-submit-h616-uart-fifo-v1-c5afcdfe5cb0

Best regards,
--  
James Hilliard <james.hilliard1@gmail.com>

[PATCH 1/3] dt-bindings: serial: snps-dw-apb-uart: add Allwinner H616

[James Hilliard]

The Allwinner H616 UART has 256-byte FIFOs but does not implement the
DesignWare component parameter register used to discover their size.

Add a compatible to identify this integration and its fixed FIFO
configuration. Retain snps,dw-apb-uart as a fallback.

Signed-off-by: James Hilliard <james.hilliard1@gmail.com>
---
 Documentation/devicetree/bindings/serial/snps-dw-apb-uart.yaml | 1 +
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+)

diff --git a/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/serial/snps-dw-apb-uart.yaml b/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/serial/snps-dw-apb-uart.yaml
index e2ca126d58ba..fc1289073241 100644
--- a/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/serial/snps-dw-apb-uart.yaml
+++ b/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/serial/snps-dw-apb-uart.yaml
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ properties:
           - const: renesas,rzn1-uart
       - items:
           - enum:
+              - allwinner,sun50i-h616-uart
               - anlogic,dr1v90-uart
               - brcm,bcm11351-dw-apb-uart
               - brcm,bcm21664-dw-apb-uart

-- 
2.53.0

[PATCH 2/3] serial: 8250_dw: configure the Allwinner H616 UART

[James Hilliard]

H616 has 256-byte transmit and receive FIFOs, but its optional DesignWare
component parameter register reads as zero. Generic 16550 probing leaves
the port using the 16-byte FIFO configuration and its trigger-level table.
DMA attachment also depends on a FIFO size being available during probe,
so these ports do not reach the existing 8250 DMA path.

Use a fixed port configuration for the H616 compatible, with a 256-byte
transmit load and the documented receive thresholds of 1, 64, 128 and 254
bytes. Select the quarter-full receive trigger by default.

Skip optional-register probing for this fixed configuration. H616 has
debug-divisor and RS485 control registers at the offsets used to detect
DesignWare hardware RS485 and fractional-divisor support. Probing these
offsets writes unrelated registers and can select incompatible callbacks.
Keep the BUSY-safe integer divisor hook and software RS485 handling.

Use the existing SKIP_SET_RATE quirk to keep the UART clock enabled during
termios changes. Its clock is a gate on the shared APB2 source, rather than
an independent baud-rate generator.

Attach DMA from the fixed configuration before registering the port. The
8250 core installs its FIFO defaults during registration, after the probe's
FIFO-size test. Configure single-byte RX and TX bursts because the
peripheral request can correspond to just one character. The existing
startup path requests the firmware-described channels and falls back to
PIO when they are unavailable or the port is a kernel console.

Signed-off-by: James Hilliard <james.hilliard1@gmail.com>
---
 drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250.h      |  1 +
 drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250_dw.c   | 45 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++------
 drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250_port.c |  8 +++++++
 3 files changed, 47 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250.h b/drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250.h
index 21ed9c41b751..0f8c1b0b4a71 100644
--- a/drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250.h
+++ b/drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250.h
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ enum uart_port_type {
 	/* Internal 8250 only */
 	UART_PORT_AIROHA		= 124,
 	UART_PORT_AIROHA_HS		= 125,
+	UART_PORT_DW_APB_256	= 126,
 };
 
 #define UART_CAP_FIFO	BIT(8)	/* UART has FIFO */
diff --git a/drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250_dw.c b/drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250_dw.c
index eca02e8bd6d1..f03051740be0 100644
--- a/drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250_dw.c
+++ b/drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250_dw.c
@@ -63,6 +63,9 @@
 struct dw8250_platform_data {
 	u8 usr_reg;
 	u32 cpr_value;
+	/* Use a fixed configuration instead of probing optional registers. */
+	unsigned int type;
+	unsigned int dma_maxburst;
 	unsigned int quirks;
 };
 
@@ -630,6 +633,18 @@ static void dw8250_shutdown(struct uart_port *port)
 	d->no_int_count = 0;
 }
 
+static void dw8250_setup_port_fixed(struct uart_8250_port *up, unsigned int type)
+{
+	struct uart_port *p = &up->port;
+
+	p->type = type;
+	p->flags |= UPF_FIXED_TYPE;
+	p->rs485_config = serial8250_em485_config;
+	p->rs485_supported = serial8250_em485_supported;
+	up->rs485_start_tx = serial8250_em485_start_tx;
+	up->rs485_stop_tx = serial8250_em485_stop_tx;
+}
+
 static int dw8250_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 {
 	struct uart_8250_port uart = {}, *up = &uart;
@@ -765,14 +780,21 @@ static int dw8250_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 
 	dw8250_setup_dma_filter(p, data);
 
-	if (!data->skip_autocfg)
-		dw8250_setup_port(p);
-
-	/* If we have a valid fifosize, try hooking up DMA */
-	if (p->fifosize) {
-		data->data.dma.rxconf.src_maxburst = p->fifosize / 4;
-		data->data.dma.txconf.dst_maxburst = p->fifosize / 4;
+	if (data->pdata && data->pdata->type) {
+		dw8250_setup_port_fixed(up, data->pdata->type);
+		data->data.dma.rxconf.src_maxburst = data->pdata->dma_maxburst;
+		data->data.dma.txconf.dst_maxburst = data->pdata->dma_maxburst;
 		up->dma = &data->data.dma;
+	} else {
+		if (!data->skip_autocfg)
+			dw8250_setup_port(p);
+
+		/* If we have a valid fifosize, try hooking up DMA */
+		if (p->fifosize) {
+			data->data.dma.rxconf.src_maxburst = p->fifosize / 4;
+			data->data.dma.txconf.dst_maxburst = p->fifosize / 4;
+			up->dma = &data->data.dma;
+		}
 	}
 
 	data->data.uport = serial8250_register_8250_port(up);
@@ -854,6 +876,14 @@ static const struct dw8250_platform_data dw8250_dw_apb = {
 	.usr_reg = DW_UART_USR,
 };
 
+static const struct dw8250_platform_data dw8250_h616_data = {
+	.usr_reg = DW_UART_USR,
+	.type = UART_PORT_DW_APB_256,
+	/* A peripheral request can correspond to just one character. */
+	.dma_maxburst = 1,
+	.quirks = DW_UART_QUIRK_SKIP_SET_RATE,
+};
+
 static const struct dw8250_platform_data dw8250_octeon_3860_data = {
 	.usr_reg = OCTEON_UART_USR,
 	.quirks = DW_UART_QUIRK_OCTEON,
@@ -904,6 +934,7 @@ static const struct dw8250_platform_data dw8250_tda54 = {
 
 static const struct of_device_id dw8250_of_match[] = {
 	{ .compatible = "snps,dw-apb-uart", .data = &dw8250_dw_apb },
+	{ .compatible = "allwinner,sun50i-h616-uart", .data = &dw8250_h616_data },
 	{ .compatible = "cavium,octeon-3860-uart", .data = &dw8250_octeon_3860_data },
 	{ .compatible = "marvell,armada-38x-uart", .data = &dw8250_armada_38x_data },
 	{ .compatible = "renesas,rzn1-uart", .data = &dw8250_renesas_rzn1_data },
diff --git a/drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250_port.c b/drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250_port.c
index db066a42f61d..e99d35880a68 100644
--- a/drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250_port.c
+++ b/drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250_port.c
@@ -335,6 +335,14 @@ static const struct serial8250_config uart_config[] = {
 		.rxtrig_bytes	= {1, 4},
 		.flags		= UART_CAP_FIFO,
 	},
+	[UART_PORT_DW_APB_256] = {
+		.name		= "DW APB UART 256",
+		.fifo_size	= 256,
+		.tx_loadsz	= 256,
+		.fcr		= UART_FCR_ENABLE_FIFO | UART_FCR_R_TRIG_01,
+		.rxtrig_bytes	= {1, 64, 128, 254},
+		.flags		= UART_CAP_FIFO | UART_CAP_NOTEMT,
+	},
 };
 
 /* Uart divisor latch read */

-- 
2.53.0

Re: [PATCH 2/3] serial: 8250_dw: configure the Allwinner H616 UART

[Andy Shevchenko]

On Fri, Oct 23, 2026 at 01:33:50AM -0600, James Hilliard wrote:
> H616 has 256-byte transmit and receive FIFOs, but its optional DesignWare
> component parameter register reads as zero. Generic 16550 probing leaves
> the port using the 16-byte FIFO configuration and its trigger-level table.
> DMA attachment also depends on a FIFO size being available during probe,
> so these ports do not reach the existing 8250 DMA path.
> 
> Use a fixed port configuration for the H616 compatible, with a 256-byte
> transmit load and the documented receive thresholds of 1, 64, 128 and 254
> bytes. Select the quarter-full receive trigger by default.
> 
> Skip optional-register probing for this fixed configuration. H616 has
> debug-divisor and RS485 control registers at the offsets used to detect
> DesignWare hardware RS485 and fractional-divisor support. Probing these
> offsets writes unrelated registers and can select incompatible callbacks.
> Keep the BUSY-safe integer divisor hook and software RS485 handling.
> 
> Use the existing SKIP_SET_RATE quirk to keep the UART clock enabled during
> termios changes. Its clock is a gate on the shared APB2 source, rather than
> an independent baud-rate generator.
> 
> Attach DMA from the fixed configuration before registering the port. The
> 8250 core installs its FIFO defaults during registration, after the probe's
> FIFO-size test. Configure single-byte RX and TX bursts because the
> peripheral request can correspond to just one character. The existing
> startup path requests the firmware-described channels and falls back to
> PIO when they are unavailable or the port is a kernel console.

...

>  	/* Internal 8250 only */
>  	UART_PORT_AIROHA		= 124,
>  	UART_PORT_AIROHA_HS		= 125,
> +	UART_PORT_DW_APB_256	= 126,

Why? Besides the poorly chosen name, what prevents us from modifying the
corresponding parameters at probe time by leaving the one of the existing
types?

...

>  struct dw8250_platform_data {
>  	u8 usr_reg;
>  	u32 cpr_value;
> +	/* Use a fixed configuration instead of probing optional registers. */
> +	unsigned int type;
> +	unsigned int dma_maxburst;

This sounds like a hack.  Why do we need type here? The address of platform
data is enough, no?

>  	unsigned int quirks;

-- 
With Best Regards,
Andy Shevchenko

Re: [PATCH 2/3] serial: 8250_dw: configure the Allwinner H616 UART

[James Hilliard]

On Fri, Oct 23, 2026 at 2:44 AM Andy Shevchenko
<andriy.shevchenko@linux.intel.com> wrote:
>
> On Fri, Oct 23, 2026 at 01:33:50AM -0600, James Hilliard wrote:
> > H616 has 256-byte transmit and receive FIFOs, but its optional DesignWare
> > component parameter register reads as zero. Generic 16550 probing leaves
> > the port using the 16-byte FIFO configuration and its trigger-level table.
> > DMA attachment also depends on a FIFO size being available during probe,
> > so these ports do not reach the existing 8250 DMA path.
> >
> > Use a fixed port configuration for the H616 compatible, with a 256-byte
> > transmit load and the documented receive thresholds of 1, 64, 128 and 254
> > bytes. Select the quarter-full receive trigger by default.
> >
> > Skip optional-register probing for this fixed configuration. H616 has
> > debug-divisor and RS485 control registers at the offsets used to detect
> > DesignWare hardware RS485 and fractional-divisor support. Probing these
> > offsets writes unrelated registers and can select incompatible callbacks.
> > Keep the BUSY-safe integer divisor hook and software RS485 handling.
> >
> > Use the existing SKIP_SET_RATE quirk to keep the UART clock enabled during
> > termios changes. Its clock is a gate on the shared APB2 source, rather than
> > an independent baud-rate generator.
> >
> > Attach DMA from the fixed configuration before registering the port. The
> > 8250 core installs its FIFO defaults during registration, after the probe's
> > FIFO-size test. Configure single-byte RX and TX bursts because the
> > peripheral request can correspond to just one character. The existing
> > startup path requests the firmware-described channels and falls back to
> > PIO when they are unavailable or the port is a kernel console.
>
> ...
>
> >       /* Internal 8250 only */
> >       UART_PORT_AIROHA                = 124,
> >       UART_PORT_AIROHA_HS             = 125,
> > +     UART_PORT_DW_APB_256    = 126,
>
> Why? Besides the poorly chosen name, what prevents us from modifying the
> corresponding parameters at probe time by leaving the one of the existing
> types?

The new type was primarily a way to reuse the core's FIFO configuration
table, including the RX trigger mapping. H616 uses thresholds of 1, 64,
128 and 254 bytes, whereas PORT_16550A maps the same FCR bits to 1, 4, 8
and 14 bytes. Overriding only fifosize and tx_loadsz would leave
rx_trig_bytes reporting and selecting the wrong thresholds.

The core already has get_rxtrig/set_rxtrig callbacks, though. I'll rework
this to retain PORT_16550A, supply the H616 FIFO parameters during setup,
and use those callbacks for the correct trigger mapping.

>
> ...
>
> >  struct dw8250_platform_data {
> >       u8 usr_reg;
> >       u32 cpr_value;
> > +     /* Use a fixed configuration instead of probing optional registers. */
> > +     unsigned int type;
> > +     unsigned int dma_maxburst;
>
> This sounds like a hack.  Why do we need type here? The address of platform
> data is enough, no?

The type member selected the new table entry and also identified the
fixed-configuration path. The matched platform-data pointer can select
the H616 setup directly, including bypassing the incompatible optional
register probes. I'll remove the type member and use that instead.

>
> >       unsigned int quirks;
>
> --
> With Best Regards,
> Andy Shevchenko
>
>

[PATCH 3/3] arm64: dts: allwinner: h616: identify the UART integration

[James Hilliard]

Use the H616 UART compatible for all six controllers so the driver can
select their fixed 256-byte FIFO configuration and register layout.
Retain the generic DesignWare compatible as a fallback for older kernels.

Signed-off-by: James Hilliard <james.hilliard1@gmail.com>
---
 arch/arm64/boot/dts/allwinner/sun50i-h616.dtsi | 12 ++++++------
 1 file changed, 6 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)

diff --git a/arch/arm64/boot/dts/allwinner/sun50i-h616.dtsi b/arch/arm64/boot/dts/allwinner/sun50i-h616.dtsi
index 1598e86259ab..6905c9eaa249 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/boot/dts/allwinner/sun50i-h616.dtsi
+++ b/arch/arm64/boot/dts/allwinner/sun50i-h616.dtsi
@@ -538,7 +538,7 @@ mmc2: mmc@4022000 {
 		};
 
 		uart0: serial@5000000 {
-			compatible = "snps,dw-apb-uart";
+			compatible = "allwinner,sun50i-h616-uart", "snps,dw-apb-uart";
 			reg = <0x05000000 0x400>;
 			interrupts = <GIC_SPI 0 IRQ_TYPE_LEVEL_HIGH>;
 			reg-shift = <2>;
@@ -551,7 +551,7 @@ uart0: serial@5000000 {
 		};
 
 		uart1: serial@5000400 {
-			compatible = "snps,dw-apb-uart";
+			compatible = "allwinner,sun50i-h616-uart", "snps,dw-apb-uart";
 			reg = <0x05000400 0x400>;
 			interrupts = <GIC_SPI 1 IRQ_TYPE_LEVEL_HIGH>;
 			reg-shift = <2>;
@@ -564,7 +564,7 @@ uart1: serial@5000400 {
 		};
 
 		uart2: serial@5000800 {
-			compatible = "snps,dw-apb-uart";
+			compatible = "allwinner,sun50i-h616-uart", "snps,dw-apb-uart";
 			reg = <0x05000800 0x400>;
 			interrupts = <GIC_SPI 2 IRQ_TYPE_LEVEL_HIGH>;
 			reg-shift = <2>;
@@ -577,7 +577,7 @@ uart2: serial@5000800 {
 		};
 
 		uart3: serial@5000c00 {
-			compatible = "snps,dw-apb-uart";
+			compatible = "allwinner,sun50i-h616-uart", "snps,dw-apb-uart";
 			reg = <0x05000c00 0x400>;
 			interrupts = <GIC_SPI 3 IRQ_TYPE_LEVEL_HIGH>;
 			reg-shift = <2>;
@@ -590,7 +590,7 @@ uart3: serial@5000c00 {
 		};
 
 		uart4: serial@5001000 {
-			compatible = "snps,dw-apb-uart";
+			compatible = "allwinner,sun50i-h616-uart", "snps,dw-apb-uart";
 			reg = <0x05001000 0x400>;
 			interrupts = <GIC_SPI 4 IRQ_TYPE_LEVEL_HIGH>;
 			reg-shift = <2>;
@@ -603,7 +603,7 @@ uart4: serial@5001000 {
 		};
 
 		uart5: serial@5001400 {
-			compatible = "snps,dw-apb-uart";
+			compatible = "allwinner,sun50i-h616-uart", "snps,dw-apb-uart";
 			reg = <0x05001400 0x400>;
 			interrupts = <GIC_SPI 5 IRQ_TYPE_LEVEL_HIGH>;
 			reg-shift = <2>;

-- 
2.53.0