[linux-block.git] / Documentation / devicetree / bindings / writing-bindings.rst

.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0

============================================================
DOs and DON'Ts for designing and writing Devicetree bindings
============================================================

This is a list of common review feedback items focused on binding design. With
every rule, there are exceptions and bindings have many gray areas.

For guidelines related to patches, see
Documentation/devicetree/bindings/submitting-patches.rst


Overall design
==============

- DO attempt to make bindings complete even if a driver doesn't support some
  features. For example, if a device has an interrupt, then include the
  'interrupts' property even if the driver is only polled mode.

- DON'T refer to Linux or "device driver" in bindings. Bindings should be
  based on what the hardware has, not what an OS and driver currently support.

- DO use node names matching the class of the device. Many standard names are
  defined in the DT Spec. If there isn't one, consider adding it.

- DO check that the example matches the documentation especially after making
  review changes.

- DON'T create nodes just for the sake of instantiating drivers. Multi-function
  devices only need child nodes when the child nodes have their own DT
  resources. A single node can be multiple providers (e.g. clocks and resets).

- DON'T use 'syscon' alone without a specific compatible string. A 'syscon'
  hardware block should have a compatible string unique enough to infer the
  register layout of the entire block (at a minimum).


Properties
==========

- DO make 'compatible' properties specific. DON'T use wildcards in compatible
  strings. DO use fallback compatibles when devices are the same as or a subset
  of prior implementations. DO add new compatibles in case there are new
  features or bugs.

- DO use a vendor prefix on device-specific property names. Consider if
  properties could be common among devices of the same class. Check other
  existing bindings for similar devices.

- DON'T redefine common properties. Just reference the definition and define
  constraints specific to the device.

- DO use common property unit suffixes for properties with scientific units.
  Recommended suffixes are listed at
  https://github.com/devicetree-org/dt-schema/blob/master/schemas/property-units.yaml

- DO define properties in terms of constraints. How many entries? What are
  possible values? What is the order?


Board/SoC .dts Files
====================

- DO put all MMIO devices under a bus node and not at the top-level.

- DO use non-empty 'ranges' to limit the size of child buses/devices. 64-bit
  platforms don't need all devices to have 64-bit address and size.
Commit	Line	Data
e7728fcf MCC	1	.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
	2
	3	============================================================
b06ce821	4	DOs and DON'Ts for designing and writing Devicetree bindings
e7728fcf	5	============================================================
b06ce821 RH	6
	7	This is a list of common review feedback items focused on binding design. With
	8	every rule, there are exceptions and bindings have many gray areas.
	9
	10	For guidelines related to patches, see
858e6845	11	Documentation/devicetree/bindings/submitting-patches.rst
b06ce821 RH	12
	13
	14	Overall design
e7728fcf	15	==============
b06ce821 RH	16
	17	- DO attempt to make bindings complete even if a driver doesn't support some
	18	features. For example, if a device has an interrupt, then include the
	19	'interrupts' property even if the driver is only polled mode.
	20
	21	- DON'T refer to Linux or "device driver" in bindings. Bindings should be
	22	based on what the hardware has, not what an OS and driver currently support.
	23
	24	- DO use node names matching the class of the device. Many standard names are
	25	defined in the DT Spec. If there isn't one, consider adding it.
	26
	27	- DO check that the example matches the documentation especially after making
	28	review changes.
	29
	30	- DON'T create nodes just for the sake of instantiating drivers. Multi-function
	31	devices only need child nodes when the child nodes have their own DT
	32	resources. A single node can be multiple providers (e.g. clocks and resets).
	33
	34	- DON'T use 'syscon' alone without a specific compatible string. A 'syscon'
	35	hardware block should have a compatible string unique enough to infer the
	36	register layout of the entire block (at a minimum).
	37
	38
	39	Properties
e7728fcf	40	==========
b06ce821 RH	41
	42	- DO make 'compatible' properties specific. DON'T use wildcards in compatible
	43	strings. DO use fallback compatibles when devices are the same as or a subset
	44	of prior implementations. DO add new compatibles in case there are new
	45	features or bugs.
	46
37ef2c34	47	- DO use a vendor prefix on device-specific property names. Consider if
b06ce821 RH	48	properties could be common among devices of the same class. Check other
	49	existing bindings for similar devices.
	50
	51	- DON'T redefine common properties. Just reference the definition and define
	52	constraints specific to the device.
	53
	54	- DO use common property unit suffixes for properties with scientific units.
d0413118 LC	55	Recommended suffixes are listed at
d0413118 LC	56	https://github.com/devicetree-org/dt-schema/blob/master/schemas/property-units.yaml
b06ce821 RH	57
	58	- DO define properties in terms of constraints. How many entries? What are
	59	possible values? What is the order?
	60
	61
	62	Board/SoC .dts Files
e7728fcf	63	====================
b06ce821 RH	64
	65	- DO put all MMIO devices under a bus node and not at the top-level.
	66
	67	- DO use non-empty 'ranges' to limit the size of child buses/devices. 64-bit
	68	platforms don't need all devices to have 64-bit address and size.