[PATCH v13 1/4] docs: driver-api: gpio: rpmsg gpio driver over rpmsg bus

Shenwei Wang
2026-04-22T21:30:28Z

Describes the gpio rpmsg transport protocol over the rpmsg bus between
the remote system and Linux.

Signed-off-by: Shenwei Wang <shenwei.wang@nxp.com>
---
Documentation/driver-api/gpio/gpio-rpmsg.rst | 266 +++++++++++++++++++
Documentation/driver-api/gpio/index.rst | 1 +
2 files changed, 267 insertions(+)
create mode 100644 Documentation/driver-api/gpio/gpio-rpmsg.rst

diff --git a/Documentation/driver-api/gpio/gpio-rpmsg.rst b/Documentation/driver-api/gpio/gpio-rpmsg.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..abfde68c9b0a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/driver-api/gpio/gpio-rpmsg.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,266 @@
+.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later
+
+GPIO RPMSG (Remote Processor Messaging) Protocol
+================================================
+
+The GPIO RPMSG transport protocol is used for communication and interaction
+with GPIO controllers on remote processors via the RPMSG bus.
+
+Message Format
+--------------
+
+The RPMSG message consists of a 6-byte packet with the following layout:
+
+.. code-block:: none
+
+ +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+
+ |0x00 |0x01 |0x02 |0x03 |0x04 |0x05|
+ |type |cmd |port |line | data |
+ +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+
+
+- **type (Message Type)**: The message type can be one of:
+
+ - 0: GPIO_RPMSG_SEND
+ - 1: GPIO_RPMSG_REPLY
+ - 2: GPIO_RPMSG_NOTIFY
+
+- **cmd**: Command code, used for GPIO_RPMSG_SEND messages.
+
+- **port**: The GPIO port (bank) index.
+
+- **line**: The GPIO line (pin) index of the port.
+
+- **data**: See details in the command description below.
+
+- **reply err**: Error code from the remote core.
+
+ - 0: Success
+ - 1: General error (Early remote software only returns this unclassified error)
+ - 2: Not supported (A command is not supported by the remote firmware)
+ - 3: Resource not available (The resource is not allocated to Linux)
+ - 4: Resource busy (The resource is already in use)
+ - 5: Parameter error
+
+
+GPIO Commands
+-------------
+
+Commands are specified in the **Cmd** field for **GPIO_RPMSG_SEND** (Type=0) messages.
+
+The SEND message is always sent from Linux to the remote firmware. Each
+SEND corresponds to a single REPLY message. The GPIO driver should
+serialize messages and determine whether a REPLY message is required. If a
+REPLY message is expected but not received within the specified timeout
+period (currently 1 second in the Linux driver), the driver should return
+-ETIMEOUT.
+
+GET_DIRECTION (Cmd=2)
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+**Request:**
+
+.. code-block:: none
+
+ +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+
+ |0x00 |0x01 |0x02 |0x03 |0x04 |0x05|
+ | 0 | 2 |port |line | 0 | 0 |
+ +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+
+
+**Reply:**
+
+.. code-block:: none
+
+ +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+
+ |0x00 |0x01 |0x02 |0x03 |0x04 |0x05|
+ | 1 | 2 |port |line | err | dir|
+ +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+
+
+- **err**: See above for definitions.
+
+- **dir**: Direction.
+
+ - 0: None
+ - 1: Output
+ - 2: Input
+
+SET_DIRECTION (Cmd=3)
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+**Request:**
+
+.. code-block:: none
+
+ +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+
+ |0x00 |0x01 |0x02 |0x03 |0x04 |0x05|
+ | 0 | 3 |port |line | dir | 0 |
+ +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+
+
+- **dir**: Direction.
+
+ - 0: None
+ - 1: Output
+ - 2: Input
+
+**Reply:**
+
+.. code-block:: none
+
+ +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+
+ |0x00 |0x01 |0x02 |0x03 |0x04 |0x05|
+ | 1 | 3 |port |line | err | 0 |
+ +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+
+
+- **err**: See above for definitions.
+
+
+GET_VALUE (Cmd=4)
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+**Request:**
+
+.. code-block:: none
+
+ +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+
+ |0x00 |0x01 |0x02 |0x03 |0x04 |0x05|
+ | 0 | 4 |port |line | 0 | 0 |
+ +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+
+
+**Reply:**
+
+.. code-block:: none
+
+ +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+
+ |0x00 |0x01 |0x02 |0x03 |0x04 |0x05|
+ | 1 | 4 |port |line | err | val|
+ +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+
+
+- **err**: See above for definitions.
+
+- **val**: Line level.
+
+ - 0: Low
+ - 1: High
+
+SET_VALUE (Cmd=5)
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+**Request:**
+
+.. code-block:: none
+
+ +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+
+ |0x00 |0x01 |0x02 |0x03 |0x04 |0x05|
+ | 0 | 5 |port |line | val | 0 |
+ +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+
+
+- **val**: Output level.
+
+ - 0: Low
+ - 1: High
+
+**Reply:**
+
+.. code-block:: none
+
+ +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+
+ |0x00 |0x01 |0x02 |0x03 |0x04 |0x05|
+ | 1 | 5 |port |line | err | 0 |
+ +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+
+
+- **err**: See above for definitions.
+
+SET_IRQ_TYPE (Cmd=6)
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+**Request:**
+
+.. code-block:: none
+
+ +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+
+ |0x00 |0x01 |0x02 |0x03 |0x04 |0x05|
+ | 0 | 6 |port |line | val | wk |
+ +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+
+
+- **val**: IRQ types.
+
+ - 0: Interrupt disabled
+ - 1: Rising edge trigger
+ - 2: Falling edge trigger
+ - 3: Both edge trigger
+ - 4: High level trigger
+ - 8: Low level trigger
+
+- **wk**: Wakeup enable.
+
+ The remote system should always aim to stay in a power-efficient state by
+ shutting down or clock-gating the GPIO blocks that aren't in use. Since
+ the remoteproc driver is responsible for managing the power states of the
+ remote firmware, the GPIO driver does not require to know the firmware's
+ running states.
+
+ When the wakeup bit is set, the remote firmware should configure the line
+ as a wakeup source. The firmware should send the notification message to
+ Linux after it is woken from the GPIO line.
+
+ - 0: Disable wakeup from GPIO
+ - 1: Enable wakeup from GPIO
+
+**Reply:**
+
+.. code-block:: none
+
+ +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+
+ |0x00 |0x01 |0x02 |0x03 |0x04 |0x05|
+ | 1 | 6 |port |line | err | 0 |
+ +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+
+
+- **err**: See above for definitions.
+
+NOTIFY_REPLY (Cmd=10)
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+The reply message for the notification is optional. The remote firmware can
+implement it to simulate the interrupt acknowledgment behavior.
+
+**Request:**
+
+.. code-block:: none
+
+ +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+
+ |0x00 |0x01 |0x02 |0x03 |0x04 |0x05|
+ | 0 | 10 |port |line |level| 0 |
+ +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+
+
+- **port**: The GPIO port (bank) index.
+
+- **line**: The GPIO line (pin) index of the port.
+
+- **level**: GPIO line status.
+
+Notification Message
+--------------------
+
+Notifications are sent by the remote core and they have
+**Type=2 (GPIO_RPMSG_NOTIFY)**:
+
+When a GPIO line asserts an interrupt on the remote processor, the firmware
+should immediately mask the corresponding interrupt source and send a
+notification message to the Linux. Upon completion of the interrupt
+handling on the Linux side, the driver should issue a
+command **SET_IRQ_TYPE** to the firmware to unmask the interrupt.
+
+A Notification message can arrive between a SEND and its REPLY message,
+and the driver is expected to handle this scenario.
+
+.. code-block:: none
+
+ +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+
+ |0x00 |0x01 |0x02 |0x03 |0x04 |0x05|
+ | 2 | 0 |port |line |type | 0 |
+ +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+
+
+- **port**: The GPIO port (bank) index.
+
+- **line**: The GPIO line (pin) index of the port.
+
+- **type**: Optional parameter to indicate the trigger event type.
+
diff --git a/Documentation/driver-api/gpio/index.rst b/Documentation/driver-api/gpio/index.rst
index bee58f709b9a..e5eb1f82f01f 100644
--- a/Documentation/driver-api/gpio/index.rst
+++ b/Documentation/driver-api/gpio/index.rst
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ Contents:
drivers-on-gpio
bt8xxgpio
pca953x
+ gpio-rpmsg

Core
====
--
2.43.0