Re: [PATCH 2/3] i2c: bcm2835: Add support for combined write-read transfer

[Martin Sperl]

On 20.09.2016 10:41, Noralf TrÃnnes wrote:
> Den 20.09.2016 09:19, skrev Martin Sperl:
> > Hi Noralf!
> >
> > On 19.09.2016 17:26, Noralf TrÃnnes wrote:
> > > Some SMBus protocols use Repeated Start Condition to switch from write
> > > mode to read mode. Devices like MMA8451 won't work without it.
> > >
> > > When downstream implemented support for this in i2c-bcm2708, it broke
> > > support for some devices, so a module parameter was added and combined
> > > transfer was disabled by default.
> > > See https://github.com/raspberrypi/linux/issues/599
> > > It doesn't seem to have been any investigation into what the problem
> > > really was. Later there was added a timeout on the polling loop.
> > >
> > > One of the devices mentioned to partially stop working was DS1307.
> > >
> > > I have run thousands of transfers to a DS1307 (rtc), MMA8451 (accel)
> > > and AT24C32 (eeprom) in parallel without problems.
> > >
> > > Signed-off-by: Noralf TrÃnnes <noralf@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> > > ---
> > >   drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-bcm2835.c | 107
> > > +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++----
> > >   1 file changed, 98 insertions(+), 9 deletions(-)
> > ...
> > > @@ -209,8 +289,17 @@ static int bcm2835_i2c_xfer(struct i2c_adapter
> > > *adap, struct i2c_msg msgs[],
> > >       int i;
> > >       int ret = 0;
> > >   +    /* Combined write-read to the same address (smbus) */
> > > +    if (num == 2 && (msgs[0].addr == msgs[1].addr) &&
> > > +        !(msgs[0].flags & I2C_M_RD) && (msgs[1].flags & I2C_M_RD) &&
> > > +        (msgs[0].len <= 16)) {
> > > +        ret = bcm2835_i2c_xfer_msg(i2c_dev, &msgs[0], &msgs[1]);
> > > +
> > > +    return ret ? ret : 2;
> > > +    }
> > > +
> > >       for (i = 0; i < num; i++) {
> > > -        ret = bcm2835_i2c_xfer_msg(i2c_dev, &msgs[i]);
> > > +        ret = bcm2835_i2c_xfer_msg(i2c_dev, &msgs[i], NULL);
> > >           if (ret)
> > >               break;
> > >       }
> > This does not seem to implement the i2c_msg api correctly.
> >
> > As per comments in include/uapi/linux/i2c.h on line 58 only the last
> > message
> > in a group should - by default - send a STOP.
>
> Apparently it's a known problem that the i2c controller doesn't support
> Repeated Start. It will always issue a Stop when it has transferred DLEN
> bytes.
> Refs:
> http://www.circuitwizard.de/raspi-i2c-fix/raspi-i2c-fix.html
> http://raspberrypi.stackexchange.com/questions/31728/has-anyone-successfully-used-i2c-repeated-starts-on-the-pi2-my-scope-says-they
>
>
> UNLESS: a Start Transfer (ST) is issued after Transfer Active (TA) is set
> and before DONE is set (or the last byte is shifted, I don't know excatly).
> Refs:
> https://github.com/raspberrypi/linux/issues/254#issuecomment-15254134
> https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=807834&sid=2b612c7209f2175bf1a266359c72ae6c#p807834
>
>
> I found this answer/report by joan that the downstream combined support
> isn't reliable:
> http://raspberrypi.stackexchange.com/questions/31728/has-anyone-successfully-used-i2c-repeated-starts-on-the-pi2-my-scope-says-they
>
>
> My implementation differs from downstream in that I use local_irq_save()
> to protect the polling loop. But that only protects from missing the TA
> (downstream can miss the TA and issue a Stop).
>
> So currently in mainline we have a driver that says it support the standard
> (I2C_FUNC_I2C), but it really only supports one message transfers since it
> can't do ReStart.
>
> What I have done in this patch is to support ReStart for transfers with
> 2 messages: first write, then read. But maybe a better solution is to just
> leave this alone if it is flaky and use bitbanging instead. I don't know.
I have not said that the approach you have taken is wrong or bad.

I was only telling you that the portion inside the bcm2835_i2c_xfer:
+	/* Combined write-read to the same address (smbus) */
+	if (num == 2 && (msgs[0].addr == msgs[1].addr) &&
+	    !(msgs[0].flags & I2C_M_RD) && (msgs[1].flags & I2C_M_RD) &&
+	    (msgs[0].len <= 16)) {
+		ret = bcm2835_i2c_xfer_msg(i2c_dev, &msgs[0], &msgs[1]);
+
+		return ret ? ret : 2;
+	}
is very specific and maybe could be done in a "generic" manner
supporting more cases.

At least add a dev_warn_once for all num > 1 cases not handled by the
code above.

This gives people an opportunity to detect such a situation if they
find something is not working as expected.

Martin