Re: [RFC PATCH 1/6] leds: trigger: add API for HW offloading of triggers

[Randy Dunlap]

Hi,

On 11/7/21 9:57 AM, Ansuel Smith wrote:
> From: Marek Behún <kabel@xxxxxxxxxx>
>
> Add method trigger_offload() and member variable `offloaded` to struct
> led_classdev. Add helper functions led_trigger_offload() and
> led_trigger_offload_stop().
>
> The trigger_offload() method, when implemented by the LED driver, should
> be called (via led_trigger_offload() function) from trigger code wanting
> to be offloaded at the moment when configuration of the trigger changes.
>
> If the trigger is successfully offloaded, this method returns 0 and the
> trigger does not have to blink the LED in software.
>
> If the trigger with given configuration cannot be offloaded, the method
> should return -EOPNOTSUPP, in which case the trigger must blink the LED
> in SW.
>
> The second argument to trigger_offload() being false means that the
> offloading is being disabled. In this case the function must return 0,
> errors are not permitted.
>
> An additional config CONFIG_LEDS_OFFLOAD_TRIGGERS is added to add support
> for these special trigger offload driven.
>
> Signed-off-by: Marek Behún <kabel@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Signed-off-by: Ansuel Smith <ansuelsmth@xxxxxxxxx>
> ---
>   Documentation/leds/leds-class.rst | 22 +++++++++++++++++++++
>   drivers/leds/led-triggers.c       |  1 +
>   drivers/leds/trigger/Kconfig      | 10 ++++++++++
>   include/linux/leds.h              | 33 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>   4 files changed, 66 insertions(+)
>
> diff --git a/Documentation/leds/leds-class.rst b/Documentation/leds/leds-class.rst
> index cd155ead8703..035a738afc4a 100644
> --- a/Documentation/leds/leds-class.rst
> +++ b/Documentation/leds/leds-class.rst
> @@ -169,6 +169,28 @@ Setting the brightness to zero with brightness_set() callback function
>   should completely turn off the LED and cancel the previously programmed
>   hardware blinking function, if any.
>   
> +Hardware offloading of LED triggers
> +===================================
> +
> +Some LEDs can offload SW triggers to hardware (for example a LED connected to

Better to s/SW/software/ and s/HW/hardware/ throughout the documentation file
and Kconfig file(s).

> +an ethernet PHY or an ethernet switch can be configured to blink on activity on
> +the network, which in software is done by the netdev trigger).
> +
> +To do such offloading, LED driver must support the this and a deficated offload

                                           drop:  the            dedicated

> +trigger must be used. The LED must implement the trigger_offload() method and

How does an LED implement the trigger_offload() method?
They don't have very much logic in them AFAIK.

> +the trigger code must try to call this method (via led_trigger_offload()
> +function) when configuration of the trigger (trigger_data) changes.
> +
> +The implementation of the trigger_offload() method by the LED driver must return
> +0 if the offload is successful and -EOPNOTSUPP if the requested trigger
> +configuration is not supported and the trigger should be executed in software.
> +If trigger_offload() returns negative value, the triggering will be done in
> +software, so any active offloading must also be disabled.
> +
> +If the second argument (enable) to the trigger_offload() method is false, any
> +active HW offloading must be deactivated. In this case errors are not permitted
> +in the trigger_offload() method.


> diff --git a/drivers/leds/trigger/Kconfig b/drivers/leds/trigger/Kconfig
> index dc6816d36d06..c073e64e0a37 100644
> --- a/drivers/leds/trigger/Kconfig
> +++ b/drivers/leds/trigger/Kconfig
> @@ -9,6 +9,16 @@ menuconfig LEDS_TRIGGERS
>   
>   if LEDS_TRIGGERS
>   
> +config LEDS_OFFLOAD_TRIGGERS
> +	bool "LED Offload Trigger support"
> +	help
> +	  This option enabled offload triggers support used by leds that

	                                                       LEDs

> +	  can be driven in HW by declaring some specific triggers.
> +	  A offload trigger will expose a sysfs dir to configure the
> +	  different blinking trigger and the available hw trigger.

Are the sysfs file values/meanings documented here?
I seem to have missed them.

> +
> +	  If unsure, say Y.
> +

thanks.
--
~Randy