[PATCH v2] dma: altera-msgdma: Use memcpy_toio for descriptor FIFO writes
From: tze . yee . ng
Date: Mon May 25 2026 - 04:41:48 EST
From: Adrian Ng Ho Yin <adrianhoyin.ng@xxxxxxxxxx>
The descriptor FIFO requires that all words of a descriptor are written
in order, with the control word written last to flush it into the DMA
engine. Using memcpy() with __force to __iomem is not the correct API
and does not guarantee appropriate MMIO access on all architectures.
Replace the descriptor body copy with memcpy_toio(), using
offsetof(struct msgdma_extended_desc, control) to exclude the control
word. This matches the previous sizeof(desc->hw_desc) - sizeof(u32)
length only when control is the last struct member; add a static_assert
to enforce that layout so a future field after control cannot silently
break FIFO ordering.
Keep writing the control word separately with write barriers, so it
remains the final word pushed into the FIFO.
Signed-off-by: Adrian Ng Ho Yin <adrianhoyin.ng@xxxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Tze Yee Ng <tze.yee.ng@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
Changes in v2:
- Update the patch to use memcpy_toio for descriptor FIFO writes.
- Add static_assert to enforce control is the last field in msgdma_extended_desc.
---
drivers/dma/altera-msgdma.c | 24 +++++++++++++++---------
1 file changed, 15 insertions(+), 9 deletions(-)
diff --git a/drivers/dma/altera-msgdma.c b/drivers/dma/altera-msgdma.c
index b46999c81df0..e23e5b441a24 100644
--- a/drivers/dma/altera-msgdma.c
+++ b/drivers/dma/altera-msgdma.c
@@ -496,6 +496,11 @@ static void msgdma_copy_one(struct msgdma_device *mdev,
{
void __iomem *hw_desc = mdev->desc;
+ /* Ensure control is the last field — required for correct FIFO flush ordering */
+ static_assert(offsetof(struct msgdma_extended_desc, control) ==
+ sizeof(struct msgdma_extended_desc) - sizeof(u32),
+ "control must be the last field in msgdma_extended_desc");
+
/*
* Check if the DESC FIFO it not full. If its full, we need to wait
* for at least one entry to become free again
@@ -504,17 +509,18 @@ static void msgdma_copy_one(struct msgdma_device *mdev,
MSGDMA_CSR_STAT_DESC_BUF_FULL)
mdelay(1);
+ /* Ensure control is the last field — required for correct FIFO flush ordering */
+ static_assert(offsetof(struct msgdma_extended_desc, control) ==
+ sizeof(struct msgdma_extended_desc) - sizeof(u32),
+ "control must be the last field in msgdma_extended_desc");
+
/*
- * The descriptor needs to get copied into the descriptor FIFO
- * of the DMA controller. The descriptor will get flushed to the
- * FIFO, once the last word (control word) is written. Since we
- * are not 100% sure that memcpy() writes all word in the "correct"
- * order (address from low to high) on all architectures, we make
- * sure this control word is written last by single coding it and
- * adding some write-barriers here.
+ * Copy the descriptor into the descriptor FIFO of the DMA controller,
+ * excluding the control word. The FIFO is flushed and the descriptor
+ * becomes valid once the control word is written last.
*/
- memcpy((void __force *)hw_desc, &desc->hw_desc,
- sizeof(desc->hw_desc) - sizeof(u32));
+ memcpy_toio(hw_desc, &desc->hw_desc,
+ offsetof(struct msgdma_extended_desc, control));
/* Write control word last to flush this descriptor into the FIFO */
mdev->idle = false;
--
2.43.7