On 09/27/17 15:23, Mauro Carvalho Chehab wrote: > > Signed-off-by: Mauro Carvalho Chehab <mchehab@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > --- > Documentation/media/uapi/v4l/open.rst | 40 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > 1 file changed, 40 insertions(+) > > diff --git a/Documentation/media/uapi/v4l/open.rst b/Documentation/media/uapi/v4l/open.rst > index 18030131ef77..f603bc9b49a0 100644 > --- a/Documentation/media/uapi/v4l/open.rst > +++ b/Documentation/media/uapi/v4l/open.rst > @@ -7,6 +7,46 @@ Opening and Closing Devices > *************************** > > > +.. _v4l2_hardware_control: > + > + > +Types of V4L2 media hardware control > +==================================== > + > +V4L2 hardware periferal is usually complex: support for it is peripheral (in several places...) > +implemented via a V4L2 main driver and often by several additional drivers. > +The main driver always exposes one or more **V4L2 device nodes** > +(see :ref:`v4l2_device_naming`) with are responsible for implementing > +data streaming, if applicable. > + > +The other drivers are called **V4L2 sub-devices** and provide control to > +other hardware components usually connected via a serial bus (like > +I²C, SMBus or SPI). Depending on the main driver, they can be implicitly > +controlled directly by the main driver or explicitly via > +the **V4L2 sub-device API** (see :ref:`subdev`). > + > +When V4L2 was originally designed, there was only one type of > +media hardware control: via the **V4L2 device nodes**. We refer to this kind > +of control as **V4L2 device node centric** (or, simply, "**vdevnode-centric**"). > + > +Later (kernel 2.6.39), a new type of periferal control was > +added in order to support complex media hardware that are common for embedded > +systems. This type of periferal is controlled mainly via the media > +controller and V4L2 sub-devices. So, it is called > +**Media controller centric** (or, simply, "**MC-centric**") control. > + > +For **vdevnode-centric** media hardware control, the media hardware is > +controlled via the **V4L2 device nodes**. They may optionally support the > +:ref:`media controller API <media_controller>` as well, > +in order to inform the application which device nodes are available > +(see :ref:`related`). > + > +For **MC-centric** media hardware control it is required to configure > +the pipelines via the :ref:`media controller API <media_controller>` before > +the periferal can be used. For such devices, the sub-devices' configuration > +can be controlled via the :ref:`sub-device API <subdev>`, which creates one > +device node per sub-device. > + > .. _v4l2_device_naming: > > V4L2 Device Node Naming > -- ~Randy -- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-doc" in the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html