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From: Krzysztof Kozlowski <krzysztof.kozlowski@linaro.org>
To: Lee Jones <lee@kernel.org>,
	Rob Herring <robh@kernel.org>,
	Krzysztof Kozlowski <krzk+dt@kernel.org>,
	Conor Dooley <conor+dt@kernel.org>,
	devicetree@vger.kernel.org,
	linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Cc: Krzysztof Kozlowski <krzysztof.kozlowski@linaro.org>
Subject: [PATCH] dt-bindings: mfd: Explain lack of child dependency in simple-mfd
Date: Sun, 16 Jun 2024 10:06:59 +0200
Message-ID: <20240616080659.8777-1-krzysztof.kozlowski@linaro.org>
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Common mistake of usage of 'simple-mfd' compatible is a dependency of
children on resources acquired and managed by the parent, e.g. clocks.
Extend the simple-mfd documentation to cover this case.

Signed-off-by: Krzysztof Kozlowski <krzysztof.kozlowski@linaro.org>
---
 Documentation/devicetree/bindings/mfd/mfd.txt | 13 +++++++------
 1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)

diff --git a/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/mfd/mfd.txt b/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/mfd/mfd.txt
index 336c0495c8a3..98b4340b65f3 100644
--- a/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/mfd/mfd.txt
+++ b/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/mfd/mfd.txt
@@ -18,12 +18,13 @@ A typical MFD can be:
 Optional properties:
 
 - compatible : "simple-mfd" - this signifies that the operating system should
-  consider all subnodes of the MFD device as separate devices akin to how
-  "simple-bus" indicates when to see subnodes as children for a simple
-  memory-mapped bus. For more complex devices, when the nexus driver has to
-  probe registers to figure out what child devices exist etc, this should not
-  be used. In the latter case the child devices will be determined by the
-  operating system.
+  consider all subnodes of the MFD device as separate and independent devices
+  akin to how "simple-bus" indicates when to see subnodes as children for a
+  simple memory-mapped bus. "Independent devices" means that children do not
+  need any resources to be provided by the parent device.
+  For more complex devices, when the nexus driver has to probe registers to
+  figure out what child devices exist etc, this should not be used. In the
+  latter case the child devices will be determined by the operating system.
 
 - ranges: Describes the address mapping relationship to the parent. Should set
   the child's base address to 0, the physical address within parent's address
-- 
2.43.0