Re: [PATCH v2 1/3] dt-bindings: clocks: add binding for voltage-controlled-oscillators

[Heiko Stübner]

Hi Dragan,

Am Montag, 15. Juli 2024, 17:15:45 CEST schrieb Dragan Simic:
> On 2024-07-15 13:02, Heiko Stuebner wrote:
> > In contrast to fixed clocks that are described as ungateable, boards
> > sometimes use additional oscillators for things like PCIe reference
> > clocks, that need actual supplies to get enabled and enable-gpios to be
> > toggled for them to work.
> > 
> > This adds a binding for such oscillators that are not configurable
> > themself, but need to handle supplies for them to work.
> > 
> > In schematics they often can be seen as
> > 
> >          ----------------
> > Enable - | 100MHz,3.3V, | - VDD
> >          |    3225      |
> >    GND - |              | - OUT
> >          ----------------
> > 
> > or similar. The enable pin might be separate but can also just be tied
> > to the vdd supply, hence it is optional in the binding.
> > 
> > Signed-off-by: Heiko Stuebner <heiko@xxxxxxxxx>
> > ---
> >  .../bindings/clock/voltage-oscillator.yaml    | 49 +++++++++++++++++++
> >  1 file changed, 49 insertions(+)
> >  create mode 100644
> > Documentation/devicetree/bindings/clock/voltage-oscillator.yaml
> > 
> > diff --git
> > a/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/clock/voltage-oscillator.yaml
> > b/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/clock/voltage-oscillator.yaml
> > new file mode 100644
> > index 0000000000000..8bff6b0fd582e
> > --- /dev/null
> > +++ b/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/clock/voltage-oscillator.yaml
> > @@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
> > +# SPDX-License-Identifier: (GPL-2.0-only OR BSD-2-Clause)
> > +%YAML 1.2
> > +---
> > +$id: http://devicetree.org/schemas/clock/voltage-oscillator.yaml#
> > +$schema: http://devicetree.org/meta-schemas/core.yaml#
> > +
> > +title: Voltage controlled oscillator
> 
> Frankly, I find the "voltage-oscillator" and "voltage controlled
> oscillator" names awkward.  In general, "clock" is used throughout
> the entire kernel, when it comes to naming files and defining
> "compatible" strings.  Thus, I'd suggest that "clock" is used here
> instead of "oscillator", because it's consistent and shorter.
>
> How about using "gated-clock" for the "compatible" string, and
> "Simple gated clock generator" instead of "voltage controlled
> oscillator"?  Besides sounding awkward, "voltage controlled
> oscillator" may suggest that the clock generator can be adjusted
> or programmed somehow by applying the voltage, while it can only
> be enabled or disabled that way, which is by definition clock
> gating.  Thus, "gated-clock" and "Simple gated clock generator"
> would fit very well.

The naming came from Stephen - one of the clock maintainers ;-)
See discussion in v1. Who also described these things as
"voltage-controlled-oscillators".

And from that discussion I also got the impression we should aim for
more specific naming - especially when talking about dt-bindings, for this
"usage in the Linux kernel" actually isn't a suitable metric and
"gated-clock" is probably way too generic I think.

Though I'm not attached to any specific naming, so we'll simply
wait for the clock- and dt-maintainers to weigh in ;-)


Heiko