[RFC v3 01/12] Documentation: Add HTE subsystem guide

Dipen Patel
2021-11-23T19:29:31Z

Adding hte document which can help understand various APIs implemented
in HTE framework for the HTE producers and the consumers.

Signed-off-by: Dipen Patel <dipenp@nvidia.com>
---
Changes in v2:
- Removed explanation, instead added kernel-doc references.

Changes in v3:
- Addressed grammatical errors.

Documentation/hte/hte.rst | 84 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 file changed, 84 insertions(+)
create mode 100644 Documentation/hte/hte.rst

diff --git a/Documentation/hte/hte.rst b/Documentation/hte/hte.rst
new file mode 100644
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+============================================
+The Linux Hardware Timestamping Engine (HTE)
+============================================
+
+:Author: Dipen Patel
+
+Introduction
+------------
+
+Certain devices have built in hardware timestamping engines which can
+monitor sets of system signals, lines, buses etc... in realtime for state
+change; upon detecting the change they can automatically store the timestamp at
+the moment of occurrence. Such functionality may help achieve better accuracy
+in obtaining timestamps than using software counterparts i.e. ktime and
+friends.
+
+This document describes the API that can be used by hardware timestamping
+engine provider and consumer drivers that want to use the hardware timestamping
+engine (HTE) framework. Both consumers and providers must
+#include <linux/hte.h>.
+
+The HTE framework APIs for the providers
+----------------------------------------
+
+.. kernel-doc:: drivers/hte/hte.c
+ :functions: devm_hte_register_chip hte_push_ts_ns
+
+The HTE framework APIs for the consumers
+----------------------------------------
+
+.. kernel-doc:: drivers/hte/hte.c
+ :functions: devm_of_hte_request_ts hte_req_ts_by_hte_name hte_release_ts hte_enable_ts hte_disable_ts hte_get_clk_src_info
+
+The HTE framework public structures
+-----------------------------------
+.. kernel-doc:: include/linux/hte.h
+
+
+More on the HTE timestamp data
+------------------------------
+The struct hte_ts_data is used to pass timestamp details between the consumers
+and the providers. It expresses timestamp data in nanoseconds in u64 data
+type. For now all the HTE APIs using struct hte_ts_data require tsc to be in
+nanoseconds. An example of the typical hte_ts_data data life cycle, for the
+GPIO line is as follows::
+
+ - Monitors GPIO line change.
+ - Detects the state change on GPIO line.
+ - Converts timestamps in nanoseconds and stores it in tsc.
+ - Stores GPIO direction in dir variable if the provider has that hardware
+ capability.
+ - Pushes this hte_ts_data object to HTE subsystem.
+ - HTE subsystem increments seq counter and invokes consumer provided callback.
+ Based on callback return value, the HTE starts a kernel thread and invokes
+ secondary callback in the thread context.
+
+HTE subsystem debugfs attributes
+--------------------------------
+HTE subsystem creates debugfs attributes at ``/sys/kernel/debug/hte/``.
+It also creates line/signal-related debugfs attributes at
+``/sys/kernel/debug/hte/<provider>/ /``.
+
+`ts_requested`
+ The total number of entities requested from the given provider,
+ where entity is specified by the provider and could represent
+ lines, GPIO, chip signals, buses etc...
+ The attribute will be available at
+ ``/sys/kernel/debug/hte/<provider>/``.
+
+ Read-only value
+
+`total_ts`
+ The total number of entities supported by the provider.
+ The attribute will be available at
+ ``/sys/kernel/debug/hte/<provider>/``.
+
+ Read-only value
+
+`dropped_timestamps`
+ The dropped timestamps for a given line.
+ The attribute will be available at
+ ``/sys/kernel/debug/hte/<provider>/ /``.
+
+ Read-only value
--
2.17.1