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 #include <linux/hte.h>.

The HTE framework APIs for the providers¶

int hte_push_ts_ns(const struct hte_chip *chip, u32 xlated_id, struct hte_ts_data *data)¶: Push timestamp data in nanoseconds.

Parameters

const struct hte_chip *chip: The HTE chip, used during the registration.
u32 xlated_id: entity id understood by both subsystem and provider, this is obtained from xlate callback during request API.
struct hte_ts_data *data: timestamp data.

Description

It is used by the provider to push timestamp data.

Return

0 on success or a negative error code on failure.

int devm_hte_register_chip(struct hte_chip *chip)¶: Resource managed API to register HTE chip.

Parameters

struct hte_chip *chip: the HTE chip to add to subsystem.

Description

It is used by the provider to register itself with the HTE subsystem. The unregistration is done automatically when the provider exits.

Return

0 on success or a negative error code on failure.

The HTE framework APIs for the consumers¶

int hte_ts_put(struct hte_ts_desc *desc)¶: Release and disable timestamp for the given desc.

Parameters

struct hte_ts_desc *desc: timestamp descriptor.

Context

debugfs_remove_recursive() function call may use sleeping locks, not suitable from atomic context.

Return

0 on success or a negative error code on failure.

int hte_disable_ts(struct hte_ts_desc *desc)¶: Disable timestamp on given descriptor.

Parameters

struct hte_ts_desc *desc: ts descriptor, this is the same as returned by the request API.

Description

The API does not release any resources associated with desc.

Context

Holds mutex lock, not suitable from atomic context.

Return

0 on success or a negative error code on failure.

int hte_enable_ts(struct hte_ts_desc *desc)¶: Enable timestamp on given descriptor.

Parameters

struct hte_ts_desc *desc: ts descriptor, this is the same as returned by the request API.

Context

Holds mutex lock, not suitable from atomic context.

Return

0 on success or a negative error code on failure.

int of_hte_req_count(struct device *dev)¶: Return the number of entities to timestamp.

Parameters

struct device *dev: The HTE consumer.

Description

The function returns the total count of the requested entities to timestamp by parsing device tree.

Return

Positive number on success, -ENOENT if no entries, -EINVAL for other errors.

int hte_ts_get(struct device *dev, struct hte_ts_desc *desc, int index)¶: The function to initialize and obtain HTE desc.

Parameters

struct device *dev: HTE consumer/client device, used in case of parsing device tree node.
struct hte_ts_desc *desc: Pre-allocated timestamp descriptor.
int index: The index will be used as an index to parse line_id from the device tree node if node is present.

Description

The function initializes the consumer provided HTE descriptor. If consumer has device tree node, index is used to parse the line id and other details. The function needs to be called before using any request APIs.

Context

Holds mutex lock.

Return

Returns 0 on success or negative error code on failure.

int hte_request_ts_ns(struct hte_ts_desc *desc, hte_ts_cb_t cb, hte_ts_sec_cb_t tcb, void *data)¶: The API to request and enable hardware timestamp in nanoseconds.

Parameters

struct hte_ts_desc *desc: Pre-allocated and initialized timestamp descriptor.
hte_ts_cb_t cb: Callback to push the timestamp data to consumer.
hte_ts_sec_cb_t tcb: Optional callback. If its provided, subsystem initializes workqueue. It is called when cb returns HTE_RUN_SECOND_CB.
void *data: Client data, used during cb and tcb callbacks.

Description

The entity is provider specific for example, GPIO lines, signals, buses etc…The API allocates necessary resources and enables the timestamp.

Context

Holds mutex lock.

Return

Returns 0 on success or negative error code on failure.

int devm_hte_request_ts_ns(struct device *dev, struct hte_ts_desc *desc, hte_ts_cb_t cb, hte_ts_sec_cb_t tcb, void *data)¶: Resource managed API to request and enable hardware timestamp in nanoseconds.

Parameters

struct device *dev: HTE consumer/client device.
struct hte_ts_desc *desc: Pre-allocated and initialized timestamp descriptor.
hte_ts_cb_t cb: Callback to push the timestamp data to consumer.
hte_ts_sec_cb_t tcb: Optional callback. If its provided, subsystem initializes workqueue. It is called when cb returns HTE_RUN_SECOND_CB.
void *data: Client data, used during cb and tcb callbacks.

Description

The entity is provider specific for example, GPIO lines, signals, buses etc…The API allocates necessary resources and enables the timestamp. It deallocates and disables automatically when the consumer exits.

Context

Holds mutex lock.

Return

Returns 0 on success or negative error code on failure.

int hte_init_line_attr(struct hte_ts_desc *desc, u32 line_id, unsigned long edge_flags, const char *name, void *data)¶: Initialize line attributes.

Parameters

struct hte_ts_desc *desc: Pre-allocated timestamp descriptor.
u32 line_id: line id.
unsigned long edge_flags: edge flags related to line_id.
const char *name: name of the line.
void *data: line data related to line_id.

Description

Zeroes out line attributes and initializes with provided arguments. The function needs to be called before calling any consumer facing functions.

Context

Any.

Return

0 on success or negative error code for the failure.

int hte_get_clk_src_info(const struct hte_ts_desc *desc, struct hte_clk_info *ci)¶: Get the clock source information for a ts descriptor.

Parameters

const struct hte_ts_desc *desc: ts descriptor, same as returned from request API.
struct hte_clk_info *ci: The API fills this structure with the clock information data.

Context

Any context.

Return

0 on success else negative error code on failure.

The HTE framework public structures¶

enum hte_edge¶: HTE line edge flags.

Constants

HTE_EDGE_NO_SETUP: No edge setup. In this case consumer will setup edges, for example during request irq call.
HTE_RISING_EDGE_TS: Rising edge.
HTE_FALLING_EDGE_TS: Falling edge.

enum hte_return¶: HTE subsystem return values used during callback.

Constants

HTE_CB_HANDLED: The consumer handled the data.
HTE_RUN_SECOND_CB: The consumer needs further processing, in that case HTE subsystem calls secondary callback provided by the consumer where it is allowed to sleep.

struct hte_ts_data¶: HTE timestamp data.

Definition

struct hte_ts_data {
  u64 tsc;
  u64 seq;
  int raw_level;
};

Members

tsc: Timestamp value.
seq: Sequence counter of the timestamps.
raw_level: Level of the line at the timestamp if provider supports it, -1 otherwise.

struct hte_clk_info¶: Clock source info that HTE provider uses to timestamp.

Definition

struct hte_clk_info {
  u64 hz;
  clockid_t type;
};

Members

hz: Supported clock rate in HZ, for example 1KHz clock = 1000.
type: Supported clock type.

hte_ts_cb_t¶: Typedef: HTE timestamp data processing primary callback.

Syntax

enum hte_return hte_ts_cb_t (struct hte_ts_data *ts, void *data)

Parameters

struct hte_ts_data *ts: HW timestamp data.
void *data: Client supplied data.

Description

The callback is used to push timestamp data to the client and it is not allowed to sleep.

hte_ts_sec_cb_t¶: Typedef: HTE timestamp data processing secondary callback.

Syntax

enum hte_return hte_ts_sec_cb_t (void *data)

Parameters

void *data: Client supplied data.

Description

This is used when the client needs further processing where it is allowed to sleep.

struct hte_line_attr¶: Line attributes.

Definition

struct hte_line_attr {
  u32 line_id;
  void *line_data;
  unsigned long edge_flags;
  const char *name;
};

Members

line_id: The logical ID understood by the consumers and providers.
line_data: Line data related to line_id.
edge_flags: Edge setup flags.
name: Descriptive name of the entity that is being monitored for the hardware timestamping. If null, HTE core will construct the name.

struct hte_ts_desc¶: HTE timestamp descriptor.

Definition

struct hte_ts_desc {
  struct hte_line_attr attr;
  void *hte_data;
};

Members

attr: The line attributes.
hte_data: Subsystem’s private data, set by HTE subsystem.

Description

This structure is a communication token between consumers to subsystem and subsystem to providers.

struct hte_ops¶: HTE operations set by providers.

Definition

struct hte_ops {
  int (*request)(struct hte_chip *chip, struct hte_ts_desc *desc, u32 xlated_id);
  int (*release)(struct hte_chip *chip, struct hte_ts_desc *desc, u32 xlated_id);
  int (*enable)(struct hte_chip *chip, u32 xlated_id);
  int (*disable)(struct hte_chip *chip, u32 xlated_id);
  int (*get_clk_src_info)(struct hte_chip *chip, struct hte_clk_info *ci);
};

Members

request: Hook for requesting a HTE timestamp. Returns 0 on success, non-zero for failures.
release: Hook for releasing a HTE timestamp. Returns 0 on success, non-zero for failures.
enable: Hook to enable the specified timestamp. Returns 0 on success, non-zero for failures.
disable: Hook to disable specified timestamp. Returns 0 on success, non-zero for failures.
get_clk_src_info: Hook to get the clock information the provider uses to timestamp. Returns 0 for success and negative error code for failure. On success HTE subsystem fills up provided struct hte_clk_info.

Description

xlated_id parameter is used to communicate between HTE subsystem and the providers and is translated by the provider.

struct hte_chip¶: Abstract HTE chip.

Definition

struct hte_chip {
  const char *name;
  struct device *dev;
  const struct hte_ops *ops;
  u32 nlines;
  int (*xlate_of)(struct hte_chip *gc,const struct of_phandle_args *args, struct hte_ts_desc *desc, u32 *xlated_id);
  int (*xlate_plat)(struct hte_chip *gc, struct hte_ts_desc *desc, u32 *xlated_id);
  bool (*match_from_linedata)(const struct hte_chip *chip, const struct hte_ts_desc *hdesc);
  u8 of_hte_n_cells;
  struct hte_device *gdev;
  void *data;
};

Members

name: functional name of the HTE IP block.
dev: device providing the HTE.
ops: callbacks for this HTE.
nlines: number of lines/signals supported by this chip.
xlate_of: Callback which translates consumer supplied logical ids to physical ids, return 0 for the success and negative for the failures. It stores (between 0 to nlines) in xlated_id parameter for the success.
xlate_plat: Same as above but for the consumers with no DT node.
match_from_linedata: Match HTE device using the line_data.
of_hte_n_cells: Number of cells used to form the HTE specifier.
gdev: HTE subsystem abstract device, internal to the HTE subsystem.
data: chip specific private data.

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. An example of the typical timestamp 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.
- Stores GPIO raw level in raw_level 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 core 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>/<label or line id>/. Note that these attributes are read-only.

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>/.
total_ts: The total number of entities supported by the provider. The attribute will be available at /sys/kernel/debug/hte/<provider>/.
dropped_timestamps: The dropped timestamps for a given line. The attribute will be available at /sys/kernel/debug/hte/<provider>/<label or line id>/.