| CPU frequency and voltage scaling code in the Linux(TM) kernel |
| |
| |
| L i n u x C P U F r e q |
| |
| C P U D r i v e r s |
| |
| - information for developers - |
| |
| |
| Dominik Brodowski <linux@brodo.de> |
| Rafael J. Wysocki <rafael.j.wysocki@intel.com> |
| Viresh Kumar <viresh.kumar@linaro.org> |
| |
| |
| |
| Clock scaling allows you to change the clock speed of the CPUs on the |
| fly. This is a nice method to save battery power, because the lower |
| the clock speed, the less power the CPU consumes. |
| |
| |
| Contents: |
| --------- |
| 1. What To Do? |
| 1.1 Initialization |
| 1.2 Per-CPU Initialization |
| 1.3 verify |
| 1.4 target/target_index or setpolicy? |
| 1.5 target/target_index |
| 1.6 setpolicy |
| 1.7 get_intermediate and target_intermediate |
| 2. Frequency Table Helpers |
| |
| |
| |
| 1. What To Do? |
| ============== |
| |
| So, you just got a brand-new CPU / chipset with datasheets and want to |
| add cpufreq support for this CPU / chipset? Great. Here are some hints |
| on what is necessary: |
| |
| |
| 1.1 Initialization |
| ------------------ |
| |
| First of all, in an __initcall level 7 (module_init()) or later |
| function check whether this kernel runs on the right CPU and the right |
| chipset. If so, register a struct cpufreq_driver with the CPUfreq core |
| using cpufreq_register_driver() |
| |
| What shall this struct cpufreq_driver contain? |
| |
| .name - The name of this driver. |
| |
| .init - A pointer to the per-policy initialization function. |
| |
| .verify - A pointer to a "verification" function. |
| |
| .setpolicy _or_ .fast_switch _or_ .target _or_ .target_index - See |
| below on the differences. |
| |
| And optionally |
| |
| .flags - Hints for the cpufreq core. |
| |
| .driver_data - cpufreq driver specific data. |
| |
| .resolve_freq - Returns the most appropriate frequency for a target |
| frequency. Doesn't change the frequency though. |
| |
| .get_intermediate and target_intermediate - Used to switch to stable |
| frequency while changing CPU frequency. |
| |
| .get - Returns current frequency of the CPU. |
| |
| .bios_limit - Returns HW/BIOS max frequency limitations for the CPU. |
| |
| .exit - A pointer to a per-policy cleanup function called during |
| CPU_POST_DEAD phase of cpu hotplug process. |
| |
| .stop_cpu - A pointer to a per-policy stop function called during |
| CPU_DOWN_PREPARE phase of cpu hotplug process. |
| |
| .suspend - A pointer to a per-policy suspend function which is called |
| with interrupts disabled and _after_ the governor is stopped for the |
| policy. |
| |
| .resume - A pointer to a per-policy resume function which is called |
| with interrupts disabled and _before_ the governor is started again. |
| |
| .ready - A pointer to a per-policy ready function which is called after |
| the policy is fully initialized. |
| |
| .attr - A pointer to a NULL-terminated list of "struct freq_attr" which |
| allow to export values to sysfs. |
| |
| .boost_enabled - If set, boost frequencies are enabled. |
| |
| .set_boost - A pointer to a per-policy function to enable/disable boost |
| frequencies. |
| |
| |
| 1.2 Per-CPU Initialization |
| -------------------------- |
| |
| Whenever a new CPU is registered with the device model, or after the |
| cpufreq driver registers itself, the per-policy initialization function |
| cpufreq_driver.init is called if no cpufreq policy existed for the CPU. |
| Note that the .init() and .exit() routines are called only once for the |
| policy and not for each CPU managed by the policy. It takes a struct |
| cpufreq_policy *policy as argument. What to do now? |
| |
| If necessary, activate the CPUfreq support on your CPU. |
| |
| Then, the driver must fill in the following values: |
| |
| policy->cpuinfo.min_freq _and_ |
| policy->cpuinfo.max_freq - the minimum and maximum frequency |
| (in kHz) which is supported by |
| this CPU |
| policy->cpuinfo.transition_latency the time it takes on this CPU to |
| switch between two frequencies in |
| nanoseconds (if appropriate, else |
| specify CPUFREQ_ETERNAL) |
| |
| policy->cur The current operating frequency of |
| this CPU (if appropriate) |
| policy->min, |
| policy->max, |
| policy->policy and, if necessary, |
| policy->governor must contain the "default policy" for |
| this CPU. A few moments later, |
| cpufreq_driver.verify and either |
| cpufreq_driver.setpolicy or |
| cpufreq_driver.target/target_index is called |
| with these values. |
| policy->cpus Update this with the masks of the |
| (online + offline) CPUs that do DVFS |
| along with this CPU (i.e. that share |
| clock/voltage rails with it). |
| |
| For setting some of these values (cpuinfo.min[max]_freq, policy->min[max]), the |
| frequency table helpers might be helpful. See the section 2 for more information |
| on them. |
| |
| |
| 1.3 verify |
| ---------- |
| |
| When the user decides a new policy (consisting of |
| "policy,governor,min,max") shall be set, this policy must be validated |
| so that incompatible values can be corrected. For verifying these |
| values cpufreq_verify_within_limits(struct cpufreq_policy *policy, |
| unsigned int min_freq, unsigned int max_freq) function might be helpful. |
| See section 2 for details on frequency table helpers. |
| |
| You need to make sure that at least one valid frequency (or operating |
| range) is within policy->min and policy->max. If necessary, increase |
| policy->max first, and only if this is no solution, decrease policy->min. |
| |
| |
| 1.4 target or target_index or setpolicy or fast_switch? |
| ------------------------------------------------------- |
| |
| Most cpufreq drivers or even most cpu frequency scaling algorithms |
| only allow the CPU frequency to be set to predefined fixed values. For |
| these, you use the ->target(), ->target_index() or ->fast_switch() |
| callbacks. |
| |
| Some cpufreq capable processors switch the frequency between certain |
| limits on their own. These shall use the ->setpolicy() callback. |
| |
| |
| 1.5. target/target_index |
| ------------------------ |
| |
| The target_index call has two arguments: struct cpufreq_policy *policy, |
| and unsigned int index (into the exposed frequency table). |
| |
| The CPUfreq driver must set the new frequency when called here. The |
| actual frequency must be determined by freq_table[index].frequency. |
| |
| It should always restore to earlier frequency (i.e. policy->restore_freq) in |
| case of errors, even if we switched to intermediate frequency earlier. |
| |
| Deprecated: |
| ---------- |
| The target call has three arguments: struct cpufreq_policy *policy, |
| unsigned int target_frequency, unsigned int relation. |
| |
| The CPUfreq driver must set the new frequency when called here. The |
| actual frequency must be determined using the following rules: |
| |
| - keep close to "target_freq" |
| - policy->min <= new_freq <= policy->max (THIS MUST BE VALID!!!) |
| - if relation==CPUFREQ_REL_L, try to select a new_freq higher than or equal |
| target_freq. ("L for lowest, but no lower than") |
| - if relation==CPUFREQ_REL_H, try to select a new_freq lower than or equal |
| target_freq. ("H for highest, but no higher than") |
| |
| Here again the frequency table helper might assist you - see section 2 |
| for details. |
| |
| 1.6. fast_switch |
| ---------------- |
| |
| This function is used for frequency switching from scheduler's context. |
| Not all drivers are expected to implement it, as sleeping from within |
| this callback isn't allowed. This callback must be highly optimized to |
| do switching as fast as possible. |
| |
| This function has two arguments: struct cpufreq_policy *policy and |
| unsigned int target_frequency. |
| |
| |
| 1.7 setpolicy |
| ------------- |
| |
| The setpolicy call only takes a struct cpufreq_policy *policy as |
| argument. You need to set the lower limit of the in-processor or |
| in-chipset dynamic frequency switching to policy->min, the upper limit |
| to policy->max, and -if supported- select a performance-oriented |
| setting when policy->policy is CPUFREQ_POLICY_PERFORMANCE, and a |
| powersaving-oriented setting when CPUFREQ_POLICY_POWERSAVE. Also check |
| the reference implementation in drivers/cpufreq/longrun.c |
| |
| 1.8 get_intermediate and target_intermediate |
| -------------------------------------------- |
| |
| Only for drivers with target_index() and CPUFREQ_ASYNC_NOTIFICATION unset. |
| |
| get_intermediate should return a stable intermediate frequency platform wants to |
| switch to, and target_intermediate() should set CPU to to that frequency, before |
| jumping to the frequency corresponding to 'index'. Core will take care of |
| sending notifications and driver doesn't have to handle them in |
| target_intermediate() or target_index(). |
| |
| Drivers can return '0' from get_intermediate() in case they don't wish to switch |
| to intermediate frequency for some target frequency. In that case core will |
| directly call ->target_index(). |
| |
| NOTE: ->target_index() should restore to policy->restore_freq in case of |
| failures as core would send notifications for that. |
| |
| |
| 2. Frequency Table Helpers |
| ========================== |
| |
| As most cpufreq processors only allow for being set to a few specific |
| frequencies, a "frequency table" with some functions might assist in |
| some work of the processor driver. Such a "frequency table" consists of |
| an array of struct cpufreq_frequency_table entries, with driver specific |
| values in "driver_data", the corresponding frequency in "frequency" and |
| flags set. At the end of the table, you need to add a |
| cpufreq_frequency_table entry with frequency set to CPUFREQ_TABLE_END. |
| And if you want to skip one entry in the table, set the frequency to |
| CPUFREQ_ENTRY_INVALID. The entries don't need to be in sorted in any |
| particular order, but if they are cpufreq core will do DVFS a bit |
| quickly for them as search for best match is faster. |
| |
| By calling cpufreq_table_validate_and_show(), the cpuinfo.min_freq and |
| cpuinfo.max_freq values are detected, and policy->min and policy->max |
| are set to the same values. This is helpful for the per-CPU |
| initialization stage. |
| |
| cpufreq_frequency_table_verify() assures that at least one valid |
| frequency is within policy->min and policy->max, and all other criteria |
| are met. This is helpful for the ->verify call. |
| |
| cpufreq_frequency_table_target() is the corresponding frequency table |
| helper for the ->target stage. Just pass the values to this function, |
| and this function returns the of the frequency table entry which |
| contains the frequency the CPU shall be set to. |
| |
| The following macros can be used as iterators over cpufreq_frequency_table: |
| |
| cpufreq_for_each_entry(pos, table) - iterates over all entries of frequency |
| table. |
| |
| cpufreq_for_each_valid_entry(pos, table) - iterates over all entries, |
| excluding CPUFREQ_ENTRY_INVALID frequencies. |
| Use arguments "pos" - a cpufreq_frequency_table * as a loop cursor and |
| "table" - the cpufreq_frequency_table * you want to iterate over. |
| |
| For example: |
| |
| struct cpufreq_frequency_table *pos, *driver_freq_table; |
| |
| cpufreq_for_each_entry(pos, driver_freq_table) { |
| /* Do something with pos */ |
| pos->frequency = ... |
| } |