Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2011 16:16:51 +0200
From: Samuel Ortiz <sameo@linux.intel.com>
To: Arnd Bergmann <arnd@arndb.de>
Cc: Waldemar.Rymarkiewicz@tieto.com, linux-i2c@vger.kernel.org,
        linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, hthebaud@insidefr.com,
        matti.j.aaltonen@nokia.com, alan@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk
Subject: Re: [PATCH] NFC: Driver for Inside Secure MicroRead NFC chip
Message-ID: <20110331141650.GB2704@sortiz-mobl>
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On Tue, Mar 29, 2011 at 01:05:02PM +0200, Arnd Bergmann wrote:
> On Tuesday 29 March 2011, Waldemar.Rymarkiewicz@tieto.com wrote:
> > >Yes, NFC seems to be a good fit for a new socket family. 
> > >Especially if we ever want to have a proper NFC p2p support 
> > >from the kernel.
> > >Sending HCI commands should be done through a dedicated 
> > >netlink socket too.
> > >
> > >I am currently strting to work on such solution, and I hope to 
> > >be able to come up with a basic prototype for it in a few weeks.
> > 
> > What about common drivers interface in this case.
> > Should we go for common /dev/nfcX interface as well?
> 
> I fear there can only be one. A good implementation of a socket
> interface would mean that there is no need for a character device.
My idea of an initial NFC subsystem architecture was actually the following
one:
- A core NFC layer against which NFC drivers would register.
- A netlink socket for handling the HCI commands. That would put a big part of
the NFC HCI layer in kernel land and could potentially simplify the existing
NFC stacks.
- A socket family for the LLCP abstraction, a.k.a. NFC peer to peer mode.

We can start working on the first 2 items and leave the last one as a future
enhancement, since what NFC is currently mostly used for is tag
reading/writing and smartcard emulation.

Basically, we'd replace the current character device option with a netlink
one, allowing for a single kernel entry point for multiple applications
willing to do NFC.

Cheers,
Samuel.

-- 
Intel Open Source Technology Centre
http://oss.intel.com/
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