Re: [PATCH v4 6/7] dt-bindings: cache: r9a07g043f-l2-cache: Add DT binding documentation for L2 cache controller

From: Conor Dooley
Date: Fri Nov 25 2022 - 07:25:49 EST


On Fri, Nov 25, 2022 at 01:12:18PM +0100, Krzysztof Kozlowski wrote:
> On 25/11/2022 11:34, Lad, Prabhakar wrote:
> >>> +/* Device, Non-bufferable */
> >>> +#define AX45MP_PMACFG_MTYP_DEV_NON_BUF (0 << 2)
> >>> +/* Device, bufferable */
> >>> +#define AX45MP_PMACFG_MTYP_DEV_BUF (1 << 2)
> >>> +/* Memory, Non-cacheable, Non-bufferable */
> >>> +#define AX45MP_PMACFG_MTYP_MEM_NON_CACHE_NON_BUF (2 << 2)
> >>> +/* Memory, Non-cacheable, Bufferable */
> >>> +#define AX45MP_PMACFG_MTYP_MEM_NON_CACHE_BUF (3 << 2)
> >>
> >> What are all these? They don't look like flags, because 3 = 1 | 2...
> >> they don't look like constants, because we do not use shifts in
> >> constants. Are these some register values? I also do not see the header
> >> being used in the code, so why having a bindings header if it is not
> >> used (DTS is not usage...)?
> >>
> > These are register bit values for the MTYP[5:2] field. The DTS example
> > in the binding doc (above) uses these macros. I haven't included the
> > DTS/I patches with this patchset yet do think I should?
>
> Then why storing it as bindings? Bindings headers describe the interface
> implemented by drivers and used by DTS, but this is not implemented by
> drivers.

IIUC, some of these properties are non-discoverable attributes of the
cache controller. I see two things that could be done here that are
"better" than #defining bits:
- add an RZ/Five specific compatible and use match data to set the
attributes which is only possible if the pma-regions are set on a
per SoC basis
- make pma-regions into a child node, in which andestech,non-cacheable
andestech,non-bufferable etc are properties of the child node

Prabhakar, does that make sense or am I off with my understanding of the
attributes?

Thanks,
Conor.