Re: [PATCH v2 61/66] dt-bindings: media: Add Allwinner A31 ISP bindings documentation

Laurent Pinchart
2022-03-04T12:01:53Z

Hi Paul,

On Tue, Mar 01, 2022 at 04:38:59PM +0100, Paul Kocialkowski wrote:
> On Tue 15 Feb 22, 12:16, Laurent Pinchart wrote:
> > On Tue, Feb 15, 2022 at 11:10:52AM +0100, Paul Kocialkowski wrote:
> > > On Mon 14 Feb 22, 19:09, Laurent Pinchart wrote:
> > > > On Mon, Feb 14, 2022 at 05:18:07PM +0100, Paul Kocialkowski wrote:
> > > > > On Mon 07 Feb 22, 17:51, Laurent Pinchart wrote:
> > > > > > On Sat, Feb 05, 2022 at 07:54:24PM +0100, Paul Kocialkowski wrote:
> > > > > > > This introduces YAML bindings documentation for the Allwinner A31 Image
> > > > > > > Signal Processor (ISP).
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Signed-off-by: Paul Kocialkowski <paul.kocialkowski@bootlin.com>
> > > > > > > ---
> > > > > > > .../media/allwinner,sun6i-a31-isp.yaml | 117 ++++++++++++++++++
> > > > > > > 1 file changed, 117 insertions(+)
> > > > > > > create mode 100644 Documentation/devicetree/bindings/media/allwinner,sun6i-a31-isp.yaml
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > diff --git a/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/media/allwinner,sun6i-a31-isp.yaml b/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/media/allwinner,sun6i-a31-isp.yaml
> > > > > > > new file mode 100644
> > > > > > > index 000000000000..2d87022c43ce
> > > > > > > --- /dev/null
> > > > > > > +++ b/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/media/allwinner,sun6i-a31-isp.yaml
> > > > > > > @@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
> > > > > > > +# SPDX-License-Identifier: (GPL-2.0 OR BSD-2-Clause)
> > > > > > > +%YAML 1.2
> > > > > > > +---
> > > > > > > +$id: http://devicetree.org/schemas/media/allwinner,sun6i-a31-isp.yaml#
> > > > > > > +$schema: http://devicetree.org/meta-schemas/core.yaml#
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > +title: Allwinner A31 Image Signal Processor Driver (ISP) Device Tree Bindings
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > +maintainers:
> > > > > > > + - Paul Kocialkowski <paul.kocialkowski@bootlin.com>
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > +properties:
> > > > > > > + compatible:
> > > > > > > + enum:
> > > > > > > + - allwinner,sun6i-a31-isp
> > > > > > > + - allwinner,sun8i-v3s-isp
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > + reg:
> > > > > > > + maxItems: 1
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > + interrupts:
> > > > > > > + maxItems: 1
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > + clocks:
> > > > > > > + items:
> > > > > > > + - description: Bus Clock
> > > > > > > + - description: Module Clock
> > > > > > > + - description: DRAM Clock
> > > > > >
> > > > > > That's interesting, does the ISP have a dedicated DRAM ?
> > > > >
> > > > > It doesn't, it actually uses the main DRAM with the "mbus" interconnect.
> > > > > The clock is probably for the DMA engine.
> > > > >
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > + clock-names:
> > > > > > > + items:
> > > > > > > + - const: bus
> > > > > > > + - const: mod
> > > > > > > + - const: ram
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > + resets:
> > > > > > > + maxItems: 1
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > + ports:
> > > > > > > + $ref: /schemas/graph.yaml#/properties/ports
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > + properties:
> > > > > > > + port@0:
> > > > > > > + $ref: /schemas/graph.yaml#/$defs/port-base
> > > > > > > + description: CSI0 input port
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > + properties:
> > > > > > > + reg:
> > > > > > > + const: 0
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > + endpoint:
> > > > > > > + $ref: video-interfaces.yaml#
> > > > > > > + unevaluatedProperties: false
> > > > > >
> > > > > > If no other property than remote-endpoint are allowed, I'd write
> > > > > >
> > > > > > endpoint:
> > > > > > $ref: video-interfaces.yaml#
> > > > > > remote-endpoint: true
> > > > > > additionalProperties: false
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Same below.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > + additionalProperties: false
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > + port@1:
> > > > > > > + $ref: /schemas/graph.yaml#/$defs/port-base
> > > > > > > + description: CSI1 input port
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > + properties:
> > > > > > > + reg:
> > > > > > > + const: 0
> > > > > >
> > > > > > This should be 1.
> > > > >
> > > > > Correct, thanks!
> > > > >
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > + endpoint:
> > > > > > > + $ref: video-interfaces.yaml#
> > > > > > > + unevaluatedProperties: false
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > + additionalProperties: false
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > + anyOf:
> > > > > > > + - required:
> > > > > > > + - port@0
> > > > > > > + - required:
> > > > > > > + - port@1
> > > > > >
> > > > > > As ports are an intrinsic property of the ISP, both should be required,
> > > > > > but they don't have to be connected.
> > > > >
> > > > > Well the ISP does have the ability to source from either CSI0 and CSI1
> > > > > but I don't really get the point of declaring both ports when only one
> > > > > of the two controllers is present.
> > > >
> > > > If it's within an SoC I don't mind too much. What I usually insist on is
> > > > declaring all ports even when no external devices are connected on the
> > > > board. It may however be easier to implement things on the driver side
> > > > when all the ports are declared, even for internal devices. I won't
> > > > insist either way here.
> > > >
> > > > > > By the way, how do you select at runtime which CSI-2 RX the ISP gets its
> > > > > > image stream from ? Is it configured through registers of the ISP ?
> > > > >
> > > > > Actually what the ISP gets is fully dependent on what is received by the
> > > > > CSI controller it is connected to (which can be the mipi csi-2 controller
> > > > > or its direct parallel pins), so the configuration happens on the CSI side.
> > > >
> > > > OK, then how do you select at runtime which CSI the ISP gets its image
> > > > stream from ? :-)
> > >
> > > What is done in the driver is that all available csi(s) entities pads are linked
> > > to a single csi sink media pad, which allows userspace to enable one or the
> > > other. If there's only one, it's enabled by default.
> > >
> > > The actual stream source (isp_dev->proc.source) is selected at link_validate
> > > time and the source bit is set in sun6i_isp_proc_enable.
> > >
> > > I hope this answers your question!
> >
> > Yes it does, thank you.
> >
> > While this works, it makes life a bit more complicated for userspace, as
> > switching between the two sources require disabling the link first and
> > then enabling the new one. This is something that caused issues in the
> > libcamera simple pipeline handler, I ended up having to implement a
> > workaround.
>
> That surprises me a bit, I thought this was a typical use-case for links.
> So the fact that it's a two-step process causes issues somehow?

It's not so much that the links have to be configured in two steps
(although it would be nice if that could be fixed), but the fact that
the order of the operations matter. Userspace has to know what
combination of links is acceptable in order to determine the order of
the enable/disable operations, otherwise errors may be returned. That
makes it more difficult to write generic userspace code.

> > Could you instead have two sink pads for the ISP, and select the sensor
> > at stream on time instead of link validation time by checking which link
> > is enabled ? If no links or both links are enabled, you can then return
> > an error.
>
> Yes that's totally doable.
>
> There's a similar situation with the sun6i-csi bridge where the source pad
> has two possible links: one for routing to sun6i-csi capture (video device)
> and one for routing to the isp entity.
>
> Would that also be best represented as two pads?

Are the two outputs mutually exclusive ? Sorry if I've asked before.

> > Ideally I'd say such internal routing should use the new V4L2 subdev
> > routing API that is currently being implemented (see [1]), but I don't
> > know when it will land, and I don't want to delay your patch series.
> >
> > [1] https://lore.kernel.org/linux-media/20211130141536.891878-28-tomi.valkeinen@ideasonboard.com
>
> I'm still a bit confused what problem this is trying to solve.
> My understanding was that the current pad/link API allows representing complex
> topologies and switching different paths with link enable/disable.

That was the intent of the MEDIA_IOC_SETUP_LINK ioctl, but we ended up
with something that is fairly ill-defined, and doesn't have the ability
to set multiple links atomically. It turned out to be less usable for
userspace than expected. Mistakes happen (and I'll blame myself here,
having designed that API) when we don't have real test cases during
kernel development.

> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > +required:
> > > > > > > + - compatible
> > > > > > > + - reg
> > > > > > > + - interrupts
> > > > > > > + - clocks
> > > > > > > + - clock-names
> > > > > > > + - resets
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > +additionalProperties: false
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > +examples:
> > > > > > > + - |
> > > > > > > + #include <dt-bindings/interrupt-controller/arm-gic.h>
> > > > > > > + #include <dt-bindings/clock/sun8i-v3s-ccu.h>
> > > > > > > + #include <dt-bindings/reset/sun8i-v3s-ccu.h>
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > + isp: isp@1cb8000 {
> > > > > > > + compatible = "allwinner,sun8i-v3s-isp";
> > > > > > > + reg = <0x01cb8000 0x1000>;
> > > > > > > + interrupts = <GIC_SPI 83 IRQ_TYPE_LEVEL_HIGH>;
> > > > > > > + clocks = <&ccu CLK_BUS_CSI>,
> > > > > > > + <&ccu CLK_CSI1_SCLK>,
> > > > > > > + <&ccu CLK_DRAM_CSI>;
> > > > > > > + clock-names = "bus", "mod", "ram";
> > > > > > > + resets = <&ccu RST_BUS_CSI>;
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > + ports {
> > > > > > > + #address-cells = <1>;
> > > > > > > + #size-cells = <0>;
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > + port@0 {
> > > > > > > + reg = <0>;
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > + isp_in_csi0: endpoint {
> > > > > > > + remote-endpoint = <&csi0_out_isp>;
> > > > > > > + };
> > > > > > > + };
> > > > > > > + };
> > > > > > > + };
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > +...

--
Regards,

Laurent Pinchart