xref: /linux/Documentation/driver-api/iio/buffers.rst (revision 805185b7c7a1069e407b6f7b3bc98e44d415f484)
1=======
2Buffers
3=======
4
5* struct iio_buffer — general buffer structure
6* :c:func:`iio_validate_scan_mask_onehot` — Validates that exactly one channel
7  is selected
8* :c:func:`iio_buffer_get` — Grab a reference to the buffer
9* :c:func:`iio_buffer_put` — Release the reference to the buffer
10
11The Industrial I/O core offers a way for continuous data capture based on a
12trigger source. Multiple data channels can be read at once from
13:file:`/dev/iio:device{X}` character device node, thus reducing the CPU load.
14
15IIO buffer sysfs interface
16==========================
17An IIO buffer has an associated attributes directory under
18:file:`/sys/bus/iio/devices/iio:device{X}/buffer/*`. Here are some of the
19existing attributes:
20
21* :file:`length`, the total number of data samples (capacity) that can be
22  stored by the buffer.
23* :file:`enable`, activate buffer capture.
24
25IIO buffer setup
26================
27
28The meta information associated with a channel reading placed in a buffer is
29called a scan element. The important bits configuring scan elements are
30exposed to userspace applications via the
31:file:`/sys/bus/iio/devices/iio:device{X}/scan_elements/` directory. This
32directory contains attributes of the following form:
33
34* :file:`enable`, used for enabling a channel. If and only if its attribute
35  is non *zero*, then a triggered capture will contain data samples for this
36  channel.
37* :file:`index`, the scan_index of the channel.
38* :file:`type`, description of the scan element data storage within the buffer
39  and hence the form in which it is read from user space.
40  Format is [be|le]:[f|s|u]bits/storagebits[Xrepeat][>>shift] .
41
42  * *be* or *le*, specifies big or little endian.
43  * *f*, specifies if floating-point.
44  * *s* or *u*, specifies if signed (2's complement) or unsigned.
45  * *bits*, is the number of valid data bits.
46  * *storagebits*, is the number of bits (after padding) that it occupies in the
47    buffer.
48  * *repeat*, specifies the number of bits/storagebits repetitions. When the
49    repeat element is 0 or 1, then the repeat value is omitted.
50  * *shift*, if specified, is the shift that needs to be applied prior to
51    masking out unused bits.
52
53For example, a driver for a 3-axis accelerometer with 12 bit resolution where
54data is stored in two 8-bits registers as follows::
55
56        7   6   5   4   3   2   1   0
57      +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
58      |D3 |D2 |D1 |D0 | X | X | X | X | (LOW byte, address 0x06)
59      +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
60
61        7   6   5   4   3   2   1   0
62      +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
63      |D11|D10|D9 |D8 |D7 |D6 |D5 |D4 | (HIGH byte, address 0x07)
64      +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
65
66will have the following scan element type for each axis::
67
68      $ cat /sys/bus/iio/devices/iio:device0/scan_elements/in_accel_y_type
69      le:s12/16>>4
70
71A user space application will interpret data samples read from the buffer as
72two byte little endian signed data, that needs a 4 bits right shift before
73masking out the 12 valid bits of data.
74
75For implementing buffer support a driver should initialize the following
76fields in iio_chan_spec definition::
77
78   struct iio_chan_spec {
79   /* other members */
80           int scan_index
81           struct {
82                   char format;
83                   u8 realbits;
84                   u8 storagebits;
85                   u8 shift;
86                   u8 repeat;
87                   enum iio_endian endianness;
88                  } scan_type;
89          };
90
91The driver implementing the accelerometer described above will have the
92following channel definition::
93
94   struct iio_chan_spec accel_channels[] = {
95           {
96                   .type = IIO_ACCEL,
97		   .modified = 1,
98		   .channel2 = IIO_MOD_X,
99		   /* other stuff here */
100		   .scan_index = 0,
101		   .scan_type = {
102		           .format = IIO_SCAN_FORMAT_SIGNED_INT,
103			   .realbits = 12,
104			   .storagebits = 16,
105			   .shift = 4,
106			   .endianness = IIO_LE,
107		   },
108           }
109           /* similar for Y (with channel2 = IIO_MOD_Y, scan_index = 1)
110            * and Z (with channel2 = IIO_MOD_Z, scan_index = 2) axis
111            */
112    }
113
114Here **scan_index** defines the order in which the enabled channels are placed
115inside the buffer. Channels with a lower **scan_index** will be placed before
116channels with a higher index. Each channel needs to have a unique
117**scan_index**.
118
119Setting **scan_index** to -1 can be used to indicate that the specific channel
120does not support buffered capture. In this case no entries will be created for
121the channel in the scan_elements directory.
122
123More details
124============
125.. kernel-doc:: include/linux/iio/buffer.h
126.. kernel-doc:: drivers/iio/industrialio-buffer.c
127   :export:
128