1 GPIO Descriptor Consumer Interface
2 ==================================
4 This document describes the consumer interface of the GPIO framework. Note that
5 it describes the new descriptor-based interface. For a description of the
6 deprecated integer-based GPIO interface please refer to gpio-legacy.txt.
9 Guidelines for GPIOs consumers
10 ==============================
12 Drivers that can't work without standard GPIO calls should have Kconfig entries
13 that depend on GPIOLIB or select GPIOLIB. The functions that allow a driver to
14 obtain and use GPIOs are available by including the following file:
16 #include <linux/gpio/consumer.h>
18 There are static inline stubs for all functions in the header file in the case
19 where GPIOLIB is disabled. When these stubs are called they will emit
20 warnings. These stubs are used for two use cases:
22 - Simple compile coverage with e.g. COMPILE_TEST - it does not matter that
23 the current platform does not enable or select GPIOLIB because we are not
24 going to execute the system anyway.
26 - Truly optional GPIOLIB support - where the driver does not really make use
27 of the GPIOs on certain compile-time configurations for certain systems, but
28 will use it under other compile-time configurations. In this case the
29 consumer must make sure not to call into these functions, or the user will
30 be met with console warnings that may be perceived as intimidating.
32 All the functions that work with the descriptor-based GPIO interface are
33 prefixed with gpiod_. The gpio_ prefix is used for the legacy interface. No
34 other function in the kernel should use these prefixes. The use of the legacy
35 functions is strongly discouraged, new code should use <linux/gpio/consumer.h>
36 and descriptors exclusively.
39 Obtaining and Disposing GPIOs
40 =============================
42 With the descriptor-based interface, GPIOs are identified with an opaque,
43 non-forgeable handler that must be obtained through a call to one of the
44 gpiod_get() functions. Like many other kernel subsystems, gpiod_get() takes the
45 device that will use the GPIO and the function the requested GPIO is supposed to
48 struct gpio_desc *gpiod_get(struct device *dev, const char *con_id,
49 enum gpiod_flags flags)
51 If a function is implemented by using several GPIOs together (e.g. a simple LED
52 device that displays digits), an additional index argument can be specified:
54 struct gpio_desc *gpiod_get_index(struct device *dev,
55 const char *con_id, unsigned int idx,
56 enum gpiod_flags flags)
58 For a more detailed description of the con_id parameter in the DeviceTree case
59 see Documentation/gpio/board.txt
61 The flags parameter is used to optionally specify a direction and initial value
62 for the GPIO. Values can be:
64 * GPIOD_ASIS or 0 to not initialize the GPIO at all. The direction must be set
65 later with one of the dedicated functions.
66 * GPIOD_IN to initialize the GPIO as input.
67 * GPIOD_OUT_LOW to initialize the GPIO as output with a value of 0.
68 * GPIOD_OUT_HIGH to initialize the GPIO as output with a value of 1.
70 Both functions return either a valid GPIO descriptor, or an error code checkable
71 with IS_ERR() (they will never return a NULL pointer). -ENOENT will be returned
72 if and only if no GPIO has been assigned to the device/function/index triplet,
73 other error codes are used for cases where a GPIO has been assigned but an error
74 occurred while trying to acquire it. This is useful to discriminate between mere
75 errors and an absence of GPIO for optional GPIO parameters. For the common
76 pattern where a GPIO is optional, the gpiod_get_optional() and
77 gpiod_get_index_optional() functions can be used. These functions return NULL
78 instead of -ENOENT if no GPIO has been assigned to the requested function:
80 struct gpio_desc *gpiod_get_optional(struct device *dev,
82 enum gpiod_flags flags)
84 struct gpio_desc *gpiod_get_index_optional(struct device *dev,
87 enum gpiod_flags flags)
89 Note that gpio_get*_optional() functions (and their managed variants), unlike
90 the rest of gpiolib API, also return NULL when gpiolib support is disabled.
91 This is helpful to driver authors, since they do not need to special case
92 -ENOSYS return codes. System integrators should however be careful to enable
93 gpiolib on systems that need it.
95 For a function using multiple GPIOs all of those can be obtained with one call:
97 struct gpio_descs *gpiod_get_array(struct device *dev,
99 enum gpiod_flags flags)
101 This function returns a struct gpio_descs which contains an array of
106 struct gpio_desc *desc[];
109 The following function returns NULL instead of -ENOENT if no GPIOs have been
110 assigned to the requested function:
112 struct gpio_descs *gpiod_get_array_optional(struct device *dev,
114 enum gpiod_flags flags)
116 Device-managed variants of these functions are also defined:
118 struct gpio_desc *devm_gpiod_get(struct device *dev, const char *con_id,
119 enum gpiod_flags flags)
121 struct gpio_desc *devm_gpiod_get_index(struct device *dev,
124 enum gpiod_flags flags)
126 struct gpio_desc *devm_gpiod_get_optional(struct device *dev,
128 enum gpiod_flags flags)
130 struct gpio_desc *devm_gpiod_get_index_optional(struct device *dev,
133 enum gpiod_flags flags)
135 struct gpio_descs *devm_gpiod_get_array(struct device *dev,
137 enum gpiod_flags flags)
139 struct gpio_descs *devm_gpiod_get_array_optional(struct device *dev,
141 enum gpiod_flags flags)
143 A GPIO descriptor can be disposed of using the gpiod_put() function:
145 void gpiod_put(struct gpio_desc *desc)
147 For an array of GPIOs this function can be used:
149 void gpiod_put_array(struct gpio_descs *descs)
151 It is strictly forbidden to use a descriptor after calling these functions.
152 It is also not allowed to individually release descriptors (using gpiod_put())
153 from an array acquired with gpiod_get_array().
155 The device-managed variants are, unsurprisingly:
157 void devm_gpiod_put(struct device *dev, struct gpio_desc *desc)
159 void devm_gpiod_put_array(struct device *dev, struct gpio_descs *descs)
167 The first thing a driver must do with a GPIO is setting its direction. If no
168 direction-setting flags have been given to gpiod_get*(), this is done by
169 invoking one of the gpiod_direction_*() functions:
171 int gpiod_direction_input(struct gpio_desc *desc)
172 int gpiod_direction_output(struct gpio_desc *desc, int value)
174 The return value is zero for success, else a negative errno. It should be
175 checked, since the get/set calls don't return errors and since misconfiguration
176 is possible. You should normally issue these calls from a task context. However,
177 for spinlock-safe GPIOs it is OK to use them before tasking is enabled, as part
178 of early board setup.
180 For output GPIOs, the value provided becomes the initial output value. This
181 helps avoid signal glitching during system startup.
183 A driver can also query the current direction of a GPIO:
185 int gpiod_get_direction(const struct gpio_desc *desc)
187 This function will return either GPIOF_DIR_IN or GPIOF_DIR_OUT.
189 Be aware that there is no default direction for GPIOs. Therefore, **using a GPIO
190 without setting its direction first is illegal and will result in undefined
194 Spinlock-Safe GPIO Access
195 -------------------------
196 Most GPIO controllers can be accessed with memory read/write instructions. Those
197 don't need to sleep, and can safely be done from inside hard (non-threaded) IRQ
198 handlers and similar contexts.
200 Use the following calls to access GPIOs from an atomic context:
202 int gpiod_get_value(const struct gpio_desc *desc);
203 void gpiod_set_value(struct gpio_desc *desc, int value);
205 The values are boolean, zero for low, nonzero for high. When reading the value
206 of an output pin, the value returned should be what's seen on the pin. That
207 won't always match the specified output value, because of issues including
208 open-drain signaling and output latencies.
210 The get/set calls do not return errors because "invalid GPIO" should have been
211 reported earlier from gpiod_direction_*(). However, note that not all platforms
212 can read the value of output pins; those that can't should always return zero.
213 Also, using these calls for GPIOs that can't safely be accessed without sleeping
214 (see below) is an error.
217 GPIO Access That May Sleep
218 --------------------------
219 Some GPIO controllers must be accessed using message based buses like I2C or
220 SPI. Commands to read or write those GPIO values require waiting to get to the
221 head of a queue to transmit a command and get its response. This requires
222 sleeping, which can't be done from inside IRQ handlers.
224 Platforms that support this type of GPIO distinguish them from other GPIOs by
225 returning nonzero from this call:
227 int gpiod_cansleep(const struct gpio_desc *desc)
229 To access such GPIOs, a different set of accessors is defined:
231 int gpiod_get_value_cansleep(const struct gpio_desc *desc)
232 void gpiod_set_value_cansleep(struct gpio_desc *desc, int value)
234 Accessing such GPIOs requires a context which may sleep, for example a threaded
235 IRQ handler, and those accessors must be used instead of spinlock-safe
236 accessors without the cansleep() name suffix.
238 Other than the fact that these accessors might sleep, and will work on GPIOs
239 that can't be accessed from hardIRQ handlers, these calls act the same as the
243 Active-low State and Raw GPIO Values
244 ------------------------------------
245 Device drivers like to manage the logical state of a GPIO, i.e. the value their
246 device will actually receive, no matter what lies between it and the GPIO line.
247 In some cases, it might make sense to control the actual GPIO line value. The
248 following set of calls ignore the active-low property of a GPIO and work on the
251 int gpiod_get_raw_value(const struct gpio_desc *desc)
252 void gpiod_set_raw_value(struct gpio_desc *desc, int value)
253 int gpiod_get_raw_value_cansleep(const struct gpio_desc *desc)
254 void gpiod_set_raw_value_cansleep(struct gpio_desc *desc, int value)
255 int gpiod_direction_output_raw(struct gpio_desc *desc, int value)
257 The active-low state of a GPIO can also be queried using the following call:
259 int gpiod_is_active_low(const struct gpio_desc *desc)
261 Note that these functions should only be used with great moderation ; a driver
262 should not have to care about the physical line level.
265 The active-low property
266 -----------------------
268 As a driver should not have to care about the physical line level, all of the
269 gpiod_set_value_xxx() or gpiod_set_array_value_xxx() functions operate with
270 the *logical* value. With this they take the active-low property into account.
271 This means that they check whether the GPIO is configured to be active-low,
272 and if so, they manipulate the passed value before the physical line level is
275 With this, all the gpiod_set_(array)_value_xxx() functions interpret the
276 parameter "value" as "active" ("1") or "inactive" ("0"). The physical line
277 level will be driven accordingly.
279 As an example, if the active-low property for a dedicated GPIO is set, and the
280 gpiod_set_(array)_value_xxx() passes "active" ("1"), the physical line level
285 Function (example) active-low property physical line
286 gpiod_set_raw_value(desc, 0); don't care low
287 gpiod_set_raw_value(desc, 1); don't care high
288 gpiod_set_value(desc, 0); default (active-high) low
289 gpiod_set_value(desc, 1); default (active-high) high
290 gpiod_set_value(desc, 0); active-low high
291 gpiod_set_value(desc, 1); active-low low
293 Please note again that the set_raw/get_raw functions should be avoided as much
294 as possible, especially by drivers which should not care about the actual
295 physical line level and worry about the logical value instead.
298 Access multiple GPIOs with a single function call
299 -------------------------------------------------
300 The following functions get or set the values of an array of GPIOs:
302 int gpiod_get_array_value(unsigned int array_size,
303 struct gpio_desc **desc_array,
305 int gpiod_get_raw_array_value(unsigned int array_size,
306 struct gpio_desc **desc_array,
308 int gpiod_get_array_value_cansleep(unsigned int array_size,
309 struct gpio_desc **desc_array,
311 int gpiod_get_raw_array_value_cansleep(unsigned int array_size,
312 struct gpio_desc **desc_array,
315 void gpiod_set_array_value(unsigned int array_size,
316 struct gpio_desc **desc_array,
318 void gpiod_set_raw_array_value(unsigned int array_size,
319 struct gpio_desc **desc_array,
321 void gpiod_set_array_value_cansleep(unsigned int array_size,
322 struct gpio_desc **desc_array,
324 void gpiod_set_raw_array_value_cansleep(unsigned int array_size,
325 struct gpio_desc **desc_array,
328 The array can be an arbitrary set of GPIOs. The functions will try to access
329 GPIOs belonging to the same bank or chip simultaneously if supported by the
330 corresponding chip driver. In that case a significantly improved performance
331 can be expected. If simultaneous access is not possible the GPIOs will be
332 accessed sequentially.
334 The functions take three arguments:
335 * array_size - the number of array elements
336 * desc_array - an array of GPIO descriptors
337 * value_array - an array to store the GPIOs' values (get) or
338 an array of values to assign to the GPIOs (set)
340 The descriptor array can be obtained using the gpiod_get_array() function
341 or one of its variants. If the group of descriptors returned by that function
342 matches the desired group of GPIOs, those GPIOs can be accessed by simply using
343 the struct gpio_descs returned by gpiod_get_array():
345 struct gpio_descs *my_gpio_descs = gpiod_get_array(...);
346 gpiod_set_array_value(my_gpio_descs->ndescs, my_gpio_descs->desc,
349 It is also possible to access a completely arbitrary array of descriptors. The
350 descriptors may be obtained using any combination of gpiod_get() and
351 gpiod_get_array(). Afterwards the array of descriptors has to be setup
352 manually before it can be passed to one of the above functions.
354 Note that for optimal performance GPIOs belonging to the same chip should be
355 contiguous within the array of descriptors.
357 The return value of gpiod_get_array_value() and its variants is 0 on success
358 or negative on error. Note the difference to gpiod_get_value(), which returns
359 0 or 1 on success to convey the GPIO value. With the array functions, the GPIO
360 values are stored in value_array rather than passed back as return value.
365 GPIO lines can quite often be used as IRQs. You can get the IRQ number
366 corresponding to a given GPIO using the following call:
368 int gpiod_to_irq(const struct gpio_desc *desc)
370 It will return an IRQ number, or a negative errno code if the mapping can't be
371 done (most likely because that particular GPIO cannot be used as IRQ). It is an
372 unchecked error to use a GPIO that wasn't set up as an input using
373 gpiod_direction_input(), or to use an IRQ number that didn't originally come
374 from gpiod_to_irq(). gpiod_to_irq() is not allowed to sleep.
376 Non-error values returned from gpiod_to_irq() can be passed to request_irq() or
377 free_irq(). They will often be stored into IRQ resources for platform devices,
378 by the board-specific initialization code. Note that IRQ trigger options are
379 part of the IRQ interface, e.g. IRQF_TRIGGER_FALLING, as are system wakeup
386 On ACPI systems, GPIOs are described by GpioIo()/GpioInt() resources listed by
387 the _CRS configuration objects of devices. Those resources do not provide
388 connection IDs (names) for GPIOs, so it is necessary to use an additional
389 mechanism for this purpose.
391 Systems compliant with ACPI 5.1 or newer may provide a _DSD configuration object
392 which, among other things, may be used to provide connection IDs for specific
393 GPIOs described by the GpioIo()/GpioInt() resources in _CRS. If that is the
394 case, it will be handled by the GPIO subsystem automatically. However, if the
395 _DSD is not present, the mappings between GpioIo()/GpioInt() resources and GPIO
396 connection IDs need to be provided by device drivers.
398 For details refer to Documentation/acpi/gpio-properties.txt
401 Interacting With the Legacy GPIO Subsystem
402 ==========================================
403 Many kernel subsystems still handle GPIOs using the legacy integer-based
404 interface. Although it is strongly encouraged to upgrade them to the safer
405 descriptor-based API, the following two functions allow you to convert a GPIO
406 descriptor into the GPIO integer namespace and vice-versa:
408 int desc_to_gpio(const struct gpio_desc *desc)
409 struct gpio_desc *gpio_to_desc(unsigned gpio)
411 The GPIO number returned by desc_to_gpio() can be safely used as long as the
412 GPIO descriptor has not been freed. All the same, a GPIO number passed to
413 gpio_to_desc() must have been properly acquired, and usage of the returned GPIO
414 descriptor is only possible after the GPIO number has been released.
416 Freeing a GPIO obtained by one API with the other API is forbidden and an