Embedded Linux Device Driver

Day 1 & 2

• Toolchain
• Cross-compiler and kernel environment for rpi4

I. Steps to flash Raspbian OS onto sd card:

On Host(ubuntu) :

1. Open terminal

$ sudo apt install rpi-imager
$ rpi-imager

Choose OS : Raspberry Pi OS (other) => raspberry pi OS LITE 32-bit Choose storage : choose your sd card Click on write and then click on yes - This will take some time.

2. After completing flashing image plug out sd card and insert sd card again.

$ cd /media/<user-name>/boot
$ touch ssh
$ touch wpa_supplicant.conf
$ vim wpa_supplicant.conf

Write the following code in wpa_supplicant.conf file and save it.

country=IN
ctrl_interface=DIR=/var/run/wpa_supplicant GROUP=netdev
network={
ssid=”<your SSID>”
psk=”your password”
key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
}

3. Plug out the SD card and insert into your raspberry pi board.
4. Board will start booting and access it.

II. Steps for cross-compiling kernel : On Host (ubuntu) :

1. Install Required dependencies :

$ sudo apt install git bc bison flex libssl-dev make libc6-dev libncurses5-dev

2. Install 32-bit toolchain

$ sudo apt install crossbuild-essential-armhf

3. Download/clone kernel source

~ $ mkdir rpi
$ cd rpi
$ git clone --depth=1 --branch rpi-5.15.y https://github.com/raspberrypi/linux
$ cd linux

4. Apply the config file of rpi4 : Check config file for your board(rpi4) using below command

$ ls arch/arm/configs

Default config file for rpi4 is bcm2711_defconfig Now apply config file using below command

$ make ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=arm-linux-gnueabihf- bcm2711_defconfig

5. Build kernel image and kernel modules for rpi4 :

$ make -j8 ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=arm-linux-gnueabihf- zImage modules

Result of above command :

$ ls arch/arm/boot
zImage

6. Plug in your sd card to your HOST PC(ubuntu)

$ cp arch/arm/boot/zImage /media/<user_name>/boot

7. Install modules onto rootfs partition of SDcard

$ make ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=arm-linux-gnueabihf-
INSTALL_MOD_PATH=<path-to-sdcard rootfs partition> modules_install

Example In my pc : $ make ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=arm-linux-gnueabihf-INSTALL_MOD_PATH=/media/embedded/rootfs modules_install

Modules gets installed in rootfs/lib/modules path

8. Configuring config.txt to boot our new kernel

$ cd /media/<user-name>/boot

Open config.txt:

$ vim config.txt

Add below line at the end of the file and save file :

kernel=zImage

9. If “ssh” and “wpa_supplicant.conf” files are not in your boot partition then follow steps of 2 of flashing raspbian OS.
10. Plug out sd card and insert into your raspberry pi board.
11. Board will start booting and access it .

III. Cross compile module for the Raspberry Pi.

1. Write a source code on HOST Machine(Ubuntu)

hello.c

#include<linux/module.h>
#include<linux/init.h>
static int __init hello_init(void)
{
pr_info("Hello World\n");
return 0;
}
static void __exit hello_exit(void)
{
pr_info("Good Bye\n");
}
module_init(hello_init);
module_exit(hello_exit);
MODULE_LICENSE("GPL");
MODULE_AUTHOR("CDAC");
MODULE_DESCRIPTION("A simple hello_world kernel module");
MODULE_INFO(board,"RASPBERRY PI 4");

Makefile for Cross Compilation.

obj-m := hello.o
KERN_DIR=/lib/modules/5.10.52-v7l+/build/
all:
    Make ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=arm-linux-gnueabihf- -C $(KERN_DIR)
    M=$(PWD) modules
clean:
    make ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=arm-linux-gnueabihf- -C $(KERN_DIR)
    M=$(PWD) clean

• After compiling the module, Copy the Kernel Object(.ko) file to the RaspberryPi.
• You can copy the contents from host to destination using command, scp -r

Example- scp hello.ko /home/pi/

IV. Native compile for the Raspberry Pi

hello.c

• source code will be same - refer earlier hello.c file.

Makefile for the Native Compilation

obj-m := hello.o
KERN_DIR=/lib/modules/$(shell uname -r)/build/
all:
    make -C $(KERN_DIR) M=$(PWD) modules
clean:
    make -C $(KERN_DIR) M=$(PWD) clean

Day 3

• Cross Compilation & Kernel configuration for RaspberryPi-4B

Day 4

• Program "Hello World" using Native Compiler
• Program "Hello World" using Cross Compiler

Day 5

• Module Parameters (command line arguments)
• Export Symbol (Stacking and unstacking of modules)
• Used Modprobe command to add the dependent modules automatically Use following command to install the dependent modules

make
make install

and check the folder: /lib/modules/<uname -r>/extra Then Run: ''' modprobe -i avg modprobe -r avg ''' 'i' - To Insert Kernel Modules 'r' - To Remove Kernel Modules

Day 6

Major Number and Minor Number

1. Static Allocation MKDEV(250, 0) register_chrdev_region(device, 1, "simplechardriver")

2. Dynamic Allocation alloc_chrdev_region(&device, 0, 1, "charDeviceDemo")

CREATING DEVICE FILE

1. Using "mknod" Method

After module insertion commands used are:

mknod -m 777 /dev/char c 234 0

Here,

• '777' is permissions
• /dev/char is name of Device File
• 'c' - Char Device
• '234' - Major Number which is allocated by kernel to us dynamically
• '0' - Minor Number

Create a device file dynamically using mknod and then check using "ls -l /dev/"

cross check it using following command:

cat /proc/devices

Unload the driver using "sudo rmmod".

2. Using "Struct class" Method

class_create(THIS_MODULE,"CharDevClass");

Day 7

Implementing a CHAR Driver

Step 1: Allocate the Device Number(Major & Minor Number). This can be done with following functions.

• register_chrdev_region();
• alloc_chrdev_region();

Step 2: Implement File Operations

• Open, Read, Write, Release, IOCTL

Step 3: Register the CHAR Driver in the kernel using following functions.

• cdev_init()

• cdev_add()

• cdev Structure

  • File Operation Structure
  • File Structure
  • Device Node or inode Structure

Assignments:

1. Write a Character Driver with open and close functionality. Test the driver by writing an application that opens and closes the device driver. When open or closed, the open and close calls in the driver should be executed.

2. Write a Character Driver with open, read, write, close. Test the driver through a User Application by reading data from driver and writing data to the Driver.

3. Write a Character Driver to Dynamically allocate a major,minor number pair from kernel. Test the same and conclude.

4. Write a Calculator Driver in the Kernel which performs the following:

• Create 4 Device Numbers: Each device number depicts a specific calculation operation like Add, Subtract, Multiply, Divide.
• Implement 8 Methods: Read_add, Read_sub, Read_mul, Read_div, Write_add, Write_sub, Write_mul, Write_div.
• In User Space, create 4 devices nodes for the 4device numbers created -/dev/AddDev, /dev/SubDev, /dev/MulDiv, /dev/DivDev.
• Write 4 user applications in the user space to test the above. If /dev/AddDev application is run, it should write 2 numbers to the kernel and the kernel should add it and return the sum in the subsequent read.

Day 8

• IOCTL (Input-Output Control)
• Program to implement "IOCTL".

Day 9

• Wait Queue

  • Initialization
  • Process going to sleep
  • Waking up queued task

• Program to implement its concept.

1. Wait Queue - Static
2. Wait Queue - Dynamic

make
sudo -s
dmesg -C
dmesg
echo "0" > /dev/realdriver  //for write
dmesg
cat /dev/realdriver     //for read
dmesg
rmmod dynam
dmesg
exit 

Day 10

1. Semaphore
   • Normal
   • Interruptible
   • Trylock
2. Spinlock
3. completions
4. Sequential Locks
5. Atomic Variable

Day 11

Kernel Timers

Day 12

Hardware & Interrupts

1. Introduction to GPIO