[PATCH 0/7] Add a DRM driver to support AI Processing Unit (APU)

[Kevin Hilman]

Jeffrey Hugo <quic_jhugo at quicinc.com> writes:

> On 5/17/2023 8:52 AM, Alexandre Bailon wrote:
>> This adds a DRM driver that implements communication between the CPU and an
>> APU. The driver target embedded device that usually run inference using some
>> prebuilt models. The goal is to provide common infrastructure that could be
>> re-used to support many accelerators. Both kernel, userspace and firmware tries
>> to use standard and existing to leverage the development and maintenance effort.
>> The series implements two platform drivers, one for simulation and another one for
>> the mt8183 (compatible with mt8365).
>
> This looks like the 3 existing Accel drivers.  Why is this in DRM?

Yes, this belongs in accel.  I think Alex had some issues around the
infra in accel with device nodes not appearing/opening properly, but
I'll let him comment there.  But either way, the right approach should
be to fix any issues in accel and move it there.

[...]

>>   .../devicetree/bindings/gpu/mtk,apu-drm.yaml  |  38 ++
>>   drivers/gpu/drm/Kconfig                       |   2 +
>>   drivers/gpu/drm/Makefile                      |   1 +
>>   drivers/gpu/drm/apu/Kconfig                   |  22 +
>>   drivers/gpu/drm/apu/Makefile                  |  10 +
>>   drivers/gpu/drm/apu/apu_drv.c                 | 282 +++++++++
>>   drivers/gpu/drm/apu/apu_gem.c                 | 230 +++++++
>>   drivers/gpu/drm/apu/apu_internal.h            | 205 ++++++
>>   drivers/gpu/drm/apu/apu_sched.c               | 592 ++++++++++++++++++
>>   drivers/gpu/drm/apu/simu_apu.c                | 313 +++++++++
>>   include/uapi/drm/apu_drm.h                    |  81 +++
>
> "apu" seems too generic.  We already have 3 "AI processing units" over 
> in drivers/accel already...

Indeed, it is generic, but that's kind of the point for this driver
since it's targetted at generalizing the interface with "AI processing
units" on a growing number of embedded SoCs (ARM, RISC-V, etc.)  In
addition, the generic naming is intentional because the goal is bigger
than the kernel and is working towards a generic, shared "libAPU"
userspace[1], but also common firmware for DSP-style inference engines
(e.g. analgous Sound Open Firmware for audio DSPs.)

As usual, the various SoC vendors use different names (APU, NPU, NN
unit, etc.)  but we'd like a generic name for the class of devices
targetted by this driver.  And unfortunately, it looks like the equally
generic "Versatile processing unit" is already taken Intel's
drivers/accel/ivpu. :)

Maybe since this is more about generalizing the interface between the
CPU running linux and the APU, what about the name apu_if?  But I guess
that applies to the other 3 drivers in drivers/accell also.  Hmmm...

Naming things is hard[2], so we're definitly open to other ideas.  Any
suggestions?

Kevin

[1] https://gitlab.baylibre.com/baylibre/libapu/libapu

[2]
"There are 2 hard problems in computer science: cache invalidation,
 naming things and off-by-1 errors."
 -- https://twitter.com/secretGeek/status/7269997868