[PATCH v9 6/9] gpu: nova-core: add PIO support for loading firmware images
From: Alexandre Courbot
Date: Thu Feb 12 2026 - 03:33:28 EST
From: Timur Tabi <ttabi@xxxxxxxxxx>
Turing and GA100 use programmed I/O (PIO) instead of DMA to upload
firmware images into Falcon memory.
Signed-off-by: Timur Tabi <ttabi@xxxxxxxxxx>
Co-developed-by: Alexandre Courbot <acourbot@xxxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Alexandre Courbot <acourbot@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
drivers/gpu/nova-core/falcon.rs | 230 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
drivers/gpu/nova-core/falcon/hal.rs | 6 +-
drivers/gpu/nova-core/regs.rs | 30 +++++
3 files changed, 263 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nova-core/falcon.rs b/drivers/gpu/nova-core/falcon.rs
index 7f52b051206a..f8de36abd135 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nova-core/falcon.rs
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nova-core/falcon.rs
@@ -361,6 +361,138 @@ pub(crate) trait FalconDmaLoadable: Deref<Target = DmaObject> {
/// Returns the load parameters for `DMEM`.
fn dmem_load_params(&self) -> FalconDmaLoadTarget;
+
+ /// Returns an adapter that provides the required parameter to load this firmware using PIO.
+ ///
+ /// This can only fail if some `u32` fields cannot be converted to `u16`, or if the indices in
+ /// the headers are invalid.
+ fn try_as_pio_loadable(&self) -> Result<FalconDmaFirmwarePioAdapter<'_, Self>> {
+ let new_pio_imem = |params: FalconDmaLoadTarget, secure| {
+ // SAFETY: we keep a reference to `self` for as long as this slice is alive, and the
+ // device will not access this DMA object since we are using PIO.
+ let data = unsafe {
+ self.as_slice(
+ usize::from_safe_cast(params.src_start),
+ usize::from_safe_cast(params.len),
+ )?
+ };
+
+ let dst_start = u16::try_from(params.dst_start).map_err(|_| EINVAL)?;
+
+ Ok::<_, Error>(FalconPioImemLoadTarget {
+ data,
+ dst_start,
+ secure,
+ start_tag: dst_start >> 8,
+ })
+ };
+
+ let imem_sec = new_pio_imem(self.imem_sec_load_params(), true)?;
+
+ let imem_ns = if let Some(params) = self.imem_ns_load_params() {
+ Some(new_pio_imem(params, false)?)
+ } else {
+ None
+ };
+
+ let dmem = {
+ let params = self.dmem_load_params();
+
+ // SAFETY: we keep a reference to `self` for as long as this slice is alive, and the
+ // device will not access this DMA object since we are using PIO.
+ let data = unsafe {
+ self.as_slice(
+ usize::from_safe_cast(params.src_start),
+ usize::from_safe_cast(params.len),
+ )?
+ };
+
+ let dst_start = u16::try_from(params.dst_start).map_err(|_| EINVAL)?;
+
+ FalconPioDmemLoadTarget { data, dst_start }
+ };
+
+ Ok(FalconDmaFirmwarePioAdapter {
+ fw: self,
+ imem_sec,
+ imem_ns,
+ dmem,
+ })
+ }
+}
+
+/// Represents a portion of the firmware to be loaded into IMEM using PIO.
+#[derive(Clone)]
+pub(crate) struct FalconPioImemLoadTarget<'a> {
+ pub(crate) data: &'a [u8],
+ pub(crate) dst_start: u16,
+ pub(crate) secure: bool,
+ pub(crate) start_tag: u16,
+}
+
+/// Represents a portion of the firmware to be loaded into DMEM using PIO.
+#[derive(Clone)]
+pub(crate) struct FalconPioDmemLoadTarget<'a> {
+ pub(crate) data: &'a [u8],
+ pub(crate) dst_start: u16,
+}
+
+/// Trait for providing PIO load parameters of falcon firmwares.
+pub(crate) trait FalconPioLoadable {
+ /// Returns the load parameters for Secure `IMEM`, if any.
+ fn imem_sec_load_params(&self) -> Option<FalconPioImemLoadTarget<'_>>;
+
+ /// Returns the load parameters for Non-Secure `IMEM`, if any.
+ fn imem_ns_load_params(&self) -> Option<FalconPioImemLoadTarget<'_>>;
+
+ /// Returns the load parameters for `DMEM`.
+ fn dmem_load_params(&self) -> FalconPioDmemLoadTarget<'_>;
+}
+
+/// Adapter type that makes any DMA-loadable firmware also loadable via PIO.
+///
+/// Created using [`FalconDmaLoadable::try_as_pio_loadable`].
+pub(crate) struct FalconDmaFirmwarePioAdapter<'a, T: FalconDmaLoadable + ?Sized> {
+ /// Reference to the DMA firmware.
+ fw: &'a T,
+ /// Validated secure IMEM parameters.
+ imem_sec: FalconPioImemLoadTarget<'a>,
+ /// Validated non-secure IMEM parameters.
+ imem_ns: Option<FalconPioImemLoadTarget<'a>>,
+ /// Validated DMEM parameters.
+ dmem: FalconPioDmemLoadTarget<'a>,
+}
+
+impl<'a, T> FalconPioLoadable for FalconDmaFirmwarePioAdapter<'a, T>
+where
+ T: FalconDmaLoadable + ?Sized,
+{
+ fn imem_sec_load_params(&self) -> Option<FalconPioImemLoadTarget<'_>> {
+ Some(self.imem_sec.clone())
+ }
+
+ fn imem_ns_load_params(&self) -> Option<FalconPioImemLoadTarget<'_>> {
+ self.imem_ns.clone()
+ }
+
+ fn dmem_load_params(&self) -> FalconPioDmemLoadTarget<'_> {
+ self.dmem.clone()
+ }
+}
+
+impl<'a, T> FalconFirmware for FalconDmaFirmwarePioAdapter<'a, T>
+where
+ T: FalconDmaLoadable + FalconFirmware + ?Sized,
+{
+ type Target = <T as FalconFirmware>::Target;
+
+ fn brom_params(&self) -> FalconBromParams {
+ self.fw.brom_params()
+ }
+
+ fn boot_addr(&self) -> u32 {
+ self.fw.boot_addr()
+ }
}
/// Trait for a falcon firmware.
@@ -412,6 +544,99 @@ pub(crate) fn reset(&self, bar: &Bar0) -> Result {
Ok(())
}
+ /// Falcons supports up to four ports, but we only ever use one, so just hard-code it.
+ const PIO_PORT: usize = 0;
+
+ /// Write a slice to Falcon IMEM memory using programmed I/O (PIO).
+ ///
+ /// Returns `EINVAL` if `img.len()` is not a multiple of 4.
+ fn pio_wr_imem_slice(&self, bar: &Bar0, load_offsets: FalconPioImemLoadTarget<'_>) -> Result {
+ // Rejecting misaligned images here allows us to avoid checking
+ // inside the loops.
+ if load_offsets.data.len() % 4 != 0 {
+ return Err(EINVAL);
+ }
+
+ regs::NV_PFALCON_FALCON_IMEMC::default()
+ .set_secure(load_offsets.secure)
+ .set_aincw(true)
+ .set_offs(load_offsets.dst_start)
+ .write(bar, &E::ID, Self::PIO_PORT);
+
+ for (n, block) in load_offsets.data.chunks(256).enumerate() {
+ let n = u16::try_from(n)?;
+ let tag: u16 = load_offsets.start_tag.checked_add(n).ok_or(ERANGE)?;
+ regs::NV_PFALCON_FALCON_IMEMT::default().set_tag(tag).write(
+ bar,
+ &E::ID,
+ Self::PIO_PORT,
+ );
+ for word in block.chunks_exact(4) {
+ let w = [word[0], word[1], word[2], word[3]];
+ regs::NV_PFALCON_FALCON_IMEMD::default()
+ .set_data(u32::from_le_bytes(w))
+ .write(bar, &E::ID, Self::PIO_PORT);
+ }
+ }
+
+ Ok(())
+ }
+
+ /// Write a slice to Falcon DMEM memory using programmed I/O (PIO).
+ ///
+ /// Returns `EINVAL` if `img.len()` is not a multiple of 4.
+ fn pio_wr_dmem_slice(&self, bar: &Bar0, load_offsets: FalconPioDmemLoadTarget<'_>) -> Result {
+ // Rejecting misaligned images here allows us to avoid checking
+ // inside the loops.
+ if load_offsets.data.len() % 4 != 0 {
+ return Err(EINVAL);
+ }
+
+ regs::NV_PFALCON_FALCON_DMEMC::default()
+ .set_aincw(true)
+ .set_offs(load_offsets.dst_start)
+ .write(bar, &E::ID, Self::PIO_PORT);
+
+ for word in load_offsets.data.chunks_exact(4) {
+ let w = [word[0], word[1], word[2], word[3]];
+ regs::NV_PFALCON_FALCON_DMEMD::default()
+ .set_data(u32::from_le_bytes(w))
+ .write(bar, &E::ID, Self::PIO_PORT);
+ }
+
+ Ok(())
+ }
+
+ /// Perform a PIO copy into `IMEM` and `DMEM` of `fw`, and prepare the falcon to run it.
+ pub(crate) fn pio_load<F: FalconFirmware<Target = E> + FalconPioLoadable>(
+ &self,
+ bar: &Bar0,
+ fw: &F,
+ ) -> Result {
+ regs::NV_PFALCON_FBIF_CTL::read(bar, &E::ID)
+ .set_allow_phys_no_ctx(true)
+ .write(bar, &E::ID);
+
+ regs::NV_PFALCON_FALCON_DMACTL::default().write(bar, &E::ID);
+
+ if let Some(imem_ns) = fw.imem_ns_load_params() {
+ self.pio_wr_imem_slice(bar, imem_ns)?;
+ }
+ if let Some(imem_sec) = fw.imem_sec_load_params() {
+ self.pio_wr_imem_slice(bar, imem_sec)?;
+ }
+ self.pio_wr_dmem_slice(bar, fw.dmem_load_params())?;
+
+ self.hal.program_brom(self, bar, &fw.brom_params())?;
+
+ // Set `BootVec` to start of non-secure code.
+ regs::NV_PFALCON_FALCON_BOOTVEC::default()
+ .set_value(fw.boot_addr())
+ .write(bar, &E::ID);
+
+ Ok(())
+ }
+
/// Perform a DMA write according to `load_offsets` from `dma_handle` into the falcon's
/// `target_mem`.
///
@@ -645,7 +870,8 @@ pub(crate) fn is_riscv_active(&self, bar: &Bar0) -> bool {
self.hal.is_riscv_active(bar)
}
- // Load a firmware image into Falcon memory
+ /// Load a firmware image into Falcon memory, using the preferred method for the current
+ /// chipset.
pub(crate) fn load<F: FalconFirmware<Target = E> + FalconDmaLoadable>(
&self,
bar: &Bar0,
@@ -653,7 +879,7 @@ pub(crate) fn load<F: FalconFirmware<Target = E> + FalconDmaLoadable>(
) -> Result {
match self.hal.load_method() {
LoadMethod::Dma => self.dma_load(bar, fw),
- LoadMethod::Pio => Err(ENOTSUPP),
+ LoadMethod::Pio => self.pio_load(bar, &fw.try_as_pio_loadable()?),
}
}
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nova-core/falcon/hal.rs b/drivers/gpu/nova-core/falcon/hal.rs
index 89babd5f9325..a7e5ea8d0272 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nova-core/falcon/hal.rs
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nova-core/falcon/hal.rs
@@ -58,7 +58,11 @@ fn signature_reg_fuse_version(
/// Reset the falcon engine.
fn reset_eng(&self, bar: &Bar0) -> Result;
- /// returns the method needed to load data into Falcon memory
+ /// Returns the method used to load data into the falcon's memory.
+ ///
+ /// The only chipsets supporting PIO are those < GA102, and PIO is the preferred method for
+ /// these. For anything above, the PIO registers appear to be masked to the CPU, so DMA is the
+ /// only usable method.
fn load_method(&self) -> LoadMethod;
}
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nova-core/regs.rs b/drivers/gpu/nova-core/regs.rs
index ea0d32f5396c..53f412f0ca32 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nova-core/regs.rs
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nova-core/regs.rs
@@ -364,6 +364,36 @@ pub(crate) fn with_falcon_mem(self, mem: FalconMem) -> Self {
1:1 startcpu as bool;
});
+// IMEM access control register. Up to 4 ports are available for IMEM access.
+register!(NV_PFALCON_FALCON_IMEMC @ PFalconBase[0x00000180[4; 16]] {
+ 15:0 offs as u16, "IMEM block and word offset";
+ 24:24 aincw as bool, "Auto-increment on write";
+ 28:28 secure as bool, "Access secure IMEM";
+});
+
+// IMEM data register. Reading/writing this register accesses IMEM at the address
+// specified by the corresponding IMEMC register.
+register!(NV_PFALCON_FALCON_IMEMD @ PFalconBase[0x00000184[4; 16]] {
+ 31:0 data as u32;
+});
+
+// IMEM tag register. Used to set the tag for the current IMEM block.
+register!(NV_PFALCON_FALCON_IMEMT @ PFalconBase[0x00000188[4; 16]] {
+ 15:0 tag as u16;
+});
+
+// DMEM access control register. Up to 8 ports are available for DMEM access.
+register!(NV_PFALCON_FALCON_DMEMC @ PFalconBase[0x000001c0[8; 8]] {
+ 15:0 offs as u16, "DMEM block and word offset";
+ 24:24 aincw as bool, "Auto-increment on write";
+});
+
+// DMEM data register. Reading/writing this register accesses DMEM at the address
+// specified by the corresponding DMEMC register.
+register!(NV_PFALCON_FALCON_DMEMD @ PFalconBase[0x000001c4[8; 8]] {
+ 31:0 data as u32;
+});
+
// Actually known as `NV_PSEC_FALCON_ENGINE` and `NV_PGSP_FALCON_ENGINE` depending on the falcon
// instance.
register!(NV_PFALCON_FALCON_ENGINE @ PFalconBase[0x000003c0] {
--
2.53.0