Re: [PATCH v5 01/10] pinctrl: generic: Add bi-directional and output-enable

From: Andy Shevchenko <andy.shevchenko@gmail.com>
To: Chris Brandt <Chris.Brandt@renesas.com>
Cc: Linus Walleij <linus.walleij@linaro.org>,
	Jacopo Mondi <jacopo+renesas@jmondi.org>,
	Geert Uytterhoeven <geert+renesas@glider.be>,
	Laurent Pinchart <laurent.pinchart@ideasonboard.com>,
	Rob Herring <robh+dt@kernel.org>,
	Mark Rutland <mark.rutland@arm.com>,
	Russell King - ARM Linux <linux@armlinux.org.uk>,
	Linux-Renesas <linux-renesas-soc@vger.kernel.org>,
	"linux-gpio@vger.kernel.org" <linux-gpio@vger.kernel.org>,
	devicetree <devicetree@vger.kernel.org>,
	"linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org" <linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH v5 01/10] pinctrl: generic: Add bi-directional and output-enable
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2017 15:15:33 +0300	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <CAHp75Vcp_eMWrjZRX-x3=Tt3JRXcL_wWG43MymF=oyLLP4EJwg@mail.gmail.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <SG2PR06MB1165E7E651BE96CD7B7738B08A130@SG2PR06MB1165.apcprd06.prod.outlook.com>

On Fri, Apr 28, 2017 at 3:07 PM, Chris Brandt <Chris.Brandt@renesas.com> wrote:
> On Friday, April 28, 2017, Linus Walleij wrote:
>> > For me it looks like you are trying to alias open-drain + bias or
>> > alike. Don't actually see the benefit of it.
>>
>> Andy is bringing up a valid point. And I remember asking about this before.
>>
>> What does "bi-directional" really mean, electrically speaking?

> Take the SDHI data pins. You send AND receive data over those pins (and they are not open drain).

Can you point to schematics and electrical characteristics of such buffer?
(Yes, I can imagine one case where it's possible to have an
"automatic" switch based on which current is bigger output of your
side or remote's. But! I would like to see actual specifications to
prove this or otherwise.)

> The issue is that the PFC HW that enables the connections between the SDHI IP block and the I/O pad buffers can only enable one path/signal/direction to the buffer enables (in or out). So for a pin that needs both directions, the PFC enables output and the "bidirectional register" is used to enable the input buffer as well.

> In the RZ/A1 HW manual you can kind of see that in 54.18 Port Control Logical Diagram (but that wasn't obvious to me at first).

Please, post a link to it or copy essential parts.
I'm quite skeptical  that cheap hardware can implement something more
costable than simplest open-source / open-drain + bias.

-- 
With Best Regards,
Andy Shevchenko