Re: Why two irq chips for MSI

From: valmiki
Date: Wed Mar 21 2018 - 13:38:51 EST


On 21/03/18 17:12, valmiki wrote:
Hi,

In most of the RP drivers, why two irq chips are being used for MSI ?

One at irq_domain_set_info (which uses irq_compose_msi_msg and
irq_set_affinity methods) and another being registered with struct
msi_domain_info (which uses irq_mask/irq_unmask methods).

When will each chip be used w.r.t to virq ?

A simple way to think of it is that you have two pieces of HW involved:
an end-point that generates an interrupt, and a controller that receives it.

Transpose this to the kernel view of things: one chip implements the PCI
MSI, with the PCI semantics attached to it (how to program the
payload/doorbell into the end-point, for example). The other implements
the MSI controller part of it, talking to the HW that deals with the
interrupt.

Does it makes sense? Admittedly, this is not always that simple, but
that the general approach.

Thanks Marc. Yes got a good picture now.
So the one which implements PCI semantics has irq_set_affinity, which is being invoked at request_irq. Why most of the drivers have this as dummy with return 0 ?
Does setting affinity to MSI needs any support from GIC?
Setting affinity can be achieved only with hardware support ?

Valmiki

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