[patch 09/11] input: update documentation of force feedback

From: Anssi Hannula
Date: Mon May 15 2006 - 17:15:54 EST

Update the force feedback documentation in ff.txt and input.h.

Signed-off-by: Anssi Hannula <anssi.hannula@xxxxxxxxx>

---
Documentation/input/ff.txt | 93 +++++++++++++++++++--------------------------
include/linux/input.h | 12 +++++
2 files changed, 51 insertions(+), 54 deletions(-)

Index: linux-2.6.16-rc1-git11/Documentation/input/ff.txt
===================================================================
--- linux-2.6.16-rc1-git11.orig/Documentation/input/ff.txt 2006-04-15 18:09:39.000000000 +0300
+++ linux-2.6.16-rc1-git11/Documentation/input/ff.txt 2006-04-15 18:10:57.000000000 +0300
@@ -1,27 +1,27 @@
Force feedback for Linux.
By Johann Deneux <deneux@xxxxxxxxxxx> on 2001/04/22.
+Updated by Anssi Hannula <anssi.hannula@xxxxxxxxx> on 2006/04/09.
You may redistribute this file. Please remember to include shape.fig and
interactive.fig as well.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

-0. Introduction
+1. Introduction
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This document describes how to use force feedback devices under Linux. The
goal is not to support these devices as if they were simple input-only devices
(as it is already the case), but to really enable the rendering of force
effects.
-At the moment, only I-Force devices are supported, and not officially. That
-means I had to find out how the protocol works on my own. Of course, the
-information I managed to grasp is far from being complete, and I can not
-guarranty that this driver will work for you.
-This document only describes the force feedback part of the driver for I-Force
-devices. Please read joystick.txt before reading further this document.
+This document only describes the force feedback part of the Linux input
+interface. Please read joystick.txt and input.txt before reading further this
+document.

2. Instructions to the user
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-Here are instructions on how to compile and use the driver. In fact, this
-driver is the normal iforce, input and evdev drivers written by Vojtech
-Pavlik, plus additions to support force feedback.
+To enable force feedback, you have to
+1. have your kernel configured with evdev and force feedback effects enabled
+ with a driver that supports your device.
+2. make sure evdev module is loaded and /dev/input/event* device files are
+ created.

Before you start, let me WARN you that some devices shake violently during the
initialisation phase. This happens for example with my "AVB Top Shot Pegasus".
@@ -29,39 +29,8 @@ To stop this annoying behaviour, move yo
should keep a hand on your device, in order to avoid it to brake down if
something goes wrong.

-At the kernel's compilation:
- - Enable IForce/Serial
- - Enable Event interface
-
-Compile the modules, install them.
-
-You also need inputattach.
-
-You then need to insert the modules into the following order:
-% modprobe joydev
-% modprobe serport # Only for serial
-% modprobe iforce
-% modprobe evdev
-% ./inputattach -ifor $2 & # Only for serial
-If you are using USB, you don't need the inputattach step.
-
-Please check that you have all the /dev/input entries needed:
-cd /dev
-rm js*
-mkdir input
-mknod input/js0 c 13 0
-mknod input/js1 c 13 1
-mknod input/js2 c 13 2
-mknod input/js3 c 13 3
-ln -s input/js0 js0
-ln -s input/js1 js1
-ln -s input/js2 js2
-ln -s input/js3 js3
-
-mknod input/event0 c 13 64
-mknod input/event1 c 13 65
-mknod input/event2 c 13 66
-mknod input/event3 c 13 67
+If you have a serial iforce device, you need to start inputattach. See
+joystick.txt for details.

2.1 Does it work ?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
@@ -86,18 +55,29 @@ int ioctl(int file_descriptor, int reque

Returns the features supported by the device. features is a bitfield with the
following bits:
-- FF_X has an X axis (usually joysticks)
-- FF_Y has an Y axis (usually joysticks)
-- FF_WHEEL has a wheel (usually sterring wheels)
- FF_CONSTANT can render constant force effects
-- FF_PERIODIC can render periodic effects (sine, triangle, square...)
+- FF_PERIODIC can render periodic effects with the following waveforms:
+ - FF_SQUARE square waveform
+ - FF_TRIANGLE triangle waveform
+ - FF_SINE sine waveform
+ - FF_SAW_UP sawtooth up waveform
+ - FF_SAW_DOWN sawtooth down waveform
+ - FF_CUSTOM custom waveform
- FF_RAMP can render ramp effects
- FF_SPRING can simulate the presence of a spring
- FF_FRICTION can simulate friction
- FF_DAMPER can simulate damper effects
-- FF_RUMBLE rumble effects (normally the only effect supported by rumble
- pads)
+- FF_RUMBLE rumble effects
- FF_INERTIA can simulate inertia
+- FF_GAIN gain is adjustable
+- FF_AUTOCENTER autocenter is adjustable
+
+Note: In most cases you should use FF_PERIODIC instead of FF_RUMBLE. All
+ devices that support FF_RUMBLE support FF_PERIODIC (square, triangle,
+ sine) and the other way around.
+
+Note: The exact syntax FF_CUSTOM is undefined for the time being as no driver
+ supports it yet.


int ioctl(int fd, EVIOCGEFFECTS, int *n);
@@ -128,8 +108,8 @@ You need xfig to visualize these files.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
int ioctl(int fd, EVIOCRMFF, effect.id);

-This makes room for new effects in the device's memory. Please note this won't
-stop the effect if it was playing.
+This makes room for new effects in the device's memory. Note that this also
+stops the effect if it was playing.

3.4 Controlling the playback of effects
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
@@ -163,8 +143,7 @@ Control of playing is done with write().
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Not all devices have the same strength. Therefore, users should set a gain
factor depending on how strong they want effects to be. This setting is
-persistent across access to the driver, so you should not care about it if
-you are writing games, as another utility probably already set this for you.
+persistent across access to the driver.

/* Set the gain of the device
int gain; /* between 0 and 100 */
@@ -204,9 +183,17 @@ type of device, not all parameters can b
the direction of an effect cannot be updated with iforce devices. In this
case, the driver stops the effect, up-load it, and restart it.

+Therefore it is recommended to dynamically change direction while the effect
+is playing only when it is ok to restart the effect with a replay count of 1.

3.8 Information about the status of effects
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+NOTE: This is deprecated and should not be used. It applies only to iforce
+ devices and is provided for backward-compatibility only. If you have a
+ really good reason to use this, please contact
+ linux-joystick@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or anssi.hannula@xxxxxxxxx
+ so that support for it can be added to all drivers.
+
Every time the status of an effect is changed, an event is sent. The values
and meanings of the fields of the event are as follows:
struct input_event {
Index: linux-2.6.16-rc1-git11/include/linux/input.h
===================================================================
--- linux-2.6.16-rc1-git11.orig/include/linux/input.h 2006-04-15 18:09:39.000000000 +0300
+++ linux-2.6.16-rc1-git11/include/linux/input.h 2006-04-15 18:40:08.000000000 +0300
@@ -672,8 +672,14 @@ struct input_absinfo {
* They are sub-structures of the actually sent structure (called ff_effect)
*/

+/*
+ * All time duration values are expressed in ms.
+ * Time values above 32767ms (0x7fff) should not be used and have unspecified
+ * results depending on device.
+ */
+
struct ff_replay {
- __u16 length; /* Duration of an effect in ms. All other times are also expressed in ms */
+ __u16 length; /* Duration of an effect in ms */
__u16 delay; /* Time to wait before to start playing an effect */
};

@@ -683,6 +689,10 @@ struct ff_trigger {
};

struct ff_envelope {
+ /* The attack_level and fade_level are absolute values of the level,
+ i.e. if the default magnitude is negative the envelope level is
+ also seen as an absolute value of a below-zero value */
+ /* Therefore the valid level range is from 0x0000 to 0x7fff */
__u16 attack_length; /* Duration of attack (ms) */
__u16 attack_level; /* Level at beginning of attack */
__u16 fade_length; /* Duration of fade (ms) */

--
Anssi Hannula
-
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