Re: [PATCH 1/9] mtd: nand: qcom: use the ecc strength from device parameter

[Miquel Raynal <miquel.raynal@bootlin.com>]

> Hi Abhishek,
> 
> On Tue, 10 Apr 2018 11:39:35 +0530, Abhishek Sahu
> <absahu@codeaurora.org> wrote:
> 
> > On 2018-04-06 18:01, Miquel Raynal wrote:  
> > > Hi Abhishek,
> > > 
> > > On Wed,  4 Apr 2018 18:12:17 +0530, Abhishek Sahu
> > > <absahu@codeaurora.org> wrote:
> > >     
> > >> Currently the driver uses the ECC strength specified in
> > >> device tree. The ONFI or JEDEC device parameter page
> > >> contains the ‘ECC correctability’ field which indicates the
> > >> number of bits that the host should be able to correct per
> > >> 512 bytes of data.    
> > > 
> > > This is misleading. This field is not about the controller but rather
> > > the chip requirements in terms of minimal strength for nominal use.
> > >     
> > 
> >   Thanks Miquel.
> > 
> >   Yes. Its NAND chip requirement. I have used the description for
> >   NAND ONFI param page
> > 
> >   5.6.1.24. Byte 112: Number of bits ECC correctability
> >   This field indicates the number of bits that the host should be
> >   able to correct per 512 bytes of data.
> >   
> > >> The ecc correctability is assigned in
> > >> chip parameter during device probe time. QPIC/EBI2 NAND
> > >> supports 4/8-bit ecc correction. The Same kind of board
> > >> can have different NAND parts so use the ecc strength
> > >> from device parameter (if its non zero) instead of
> > >> device tree.    
> > > 
> > > That is not what you do.
> > > 
> > > What you do is forcing the strength to be 8-bit per ECC chunk if the
> > > NAND chip requires at least 8-bit/chunk strength.
> > > 
> > > The DT property is here to force a strength. Otherwise, Linux will
> > > propose to the NAND controller to use the minimum strength required by
> > > the chip (from either the ONFI/JEDEC parameter page or from a static
> > > table).
> > >     
> > 
> >   The main problem is that the same kind of boards can have different
> >   NAND parts.
> > 
> >   Lets assume, we have following 2 cases.
> > 
> >   1. Non ONFI/JEDEC device for which chip->ecc_strength_ds
> >      will be zero. In this case, the ecc->strength from DT
> >      will be used  
> 
> No, the strength from DT will always be used if the property is
> present, no matter the type of chip.
> 
> >   2. ONFI/JEDEC device for which chip->ecc_strength_ds > 8.
> >      Since QCOM nand controller can not support
> >      ECC correction greater than 8 bits so we can use 8 bit ECC
> >      itself instead of failing NAND boot completely.  
> 
> I understand that. But this is still not what you do.
> 
> >   
> > > IMHO, you have two solutions:
> > > 1/ Remove these properties from the board DT (breaks DT backward
> > > compatibility though);    
> > 
> >   - nand-ecc-strength: This is optional property in nand.txt and
> >     Required property in qcom_nandc.txt.  
> 
> Well, this property is not controller specific but chip specific. The
> controller driver does not rely on it, so this property should not be
> required.
> 
> > We can't remove since
> >     if the device is Non ONFI/JEDEC, then ecc strength will come
> >     from DT only.  
> 
> We can remove it and let the core handle this (as this is generic to
> all raw NANDs and not specific to this controller driver). Try it out!
> 
> However if the defaults value do not match your expectations, I think
> you can add your non-ONFI/JEDEC chip in 'nand_ids.c', this should fill
> your strength_ds field and let you avoid using these properties.

Actually nand_ids.c should not be filled anymore, instead you can
implement this detection thanks to the part full name in the vendor
code nand_samsung.c, nand_micron.c, nand_macronix.c, nand_hynix.c, etc.
Depending on what part you are using, it might already work.

> 
> >   
> > > 2/ Create another DT for the board.
> > >     
> > 
> >   Its not about board but about part. We have IPQ8074 HK01 board
> >   with 4 bit ECC chip/8 bit ECC chip/non ONFI/JEDEC chip.
> >   
> > > However, there is something to do in this driver: the strength chosen
> > > should be limited to the controller capabilities (8-bit/512B if I
> > > understand correctly). In this case you have two options: either you
> > > limit the strength like the size [1] if (ecc->strength > 8);    
> > 
> >   Limiting the strength will make all the boards with ecc strength > 8
> >   to fail completely
> >   
> > > just limit the maximum strength to 8 like this [2] and the core will
> > > spawn a warning in the dmesg telling that the ECC strength used is
> > > below the NAND chip requirements.    
> > 
> >   Yes its good idea. I can update the patch with dmesg warning.
> > 
> >   Thanks,
> >   Abhishek
> >   
> > > 
> > > Thanks,
> > > Miquèl
> > > 
> > > [1]
> > > https://elixir.bootlin.com/linux/latest/source/drivers/mtd/nand/qcom_nandc.c#L2332
> > > [2] http://code.bulix.org/nyf63w-315268
> > > 
> > >     
> > >> 
> > >> Signed-off-by: Abhishek Sahu <absahu@codeaurora.org>
> > >> ---
> > >>  drivers/mtd/nand/qcom_nandc.c | 8 ++++++++
> > >>  1 file changed, 8 insertions(+)
> > >> 
> > >> diff --git a/drivers/mtd/nand/qcom_nandc.c 
> > >> b/drivers/mtd/nand/qcom_nandc.c
> > >> index 563b759..8dd40de 100644
> > >> --- a/drivers/mtd/nand/qcom_nandc.c
> > >> +++ b/drivers/mtd/nand/qcom_nandc.c
> > >> @@ -2334,6 +2334,14 @@ static int qcom_nand_host_setup(struct 
> > >> qcom_nand_host *host)
> > >>  		return -EINVAL;
> > >>  	}
> > >> 
> > >> +	/*
> > >> +	 * Read the required ecc strength from NAND device and overwrite
> > >> +	 * the device tree ecc strength for devices which require
> > >> +	 * ecc correctability bits >= 8
> > >> +	 */
> > >> +	if (chip->ecc_strength_ds >= 8)
> > >> +		ecc->strength = 8;
> > >> +
> > >>  	wide_bus = chip->options & NAND_BUSWIDTH_16 ? true : false;
> > >> 
> > >>  	if (ecc->strength >= 8) {    
> > 
> > ______________________________________________________
> > Linux MTD discussion mailing list
> > http://lists.infradead.org/mailman/listinfo/linux-mtd/  
> 
> 

Thanks,
Miquèl


-- 
Miquel Raynal, Bootlin (formerly Free Electrons)
Embedded Linux and Kernel engineering
https://bootlin.com