[PATCH v3 1/8] dt-bindings: clock: imx8m-clock: support spread spectrum clocking

[Peng Fan]

> Subject: Re: [PATCH v3 1/8] dt-bindings: clock: imx8m-clock: support
> spread spectrum clocking
> 
> On 08/11/2024 13:50, Peng Fan wrote:
> >> Subject: Re: [PATCH v3 1/8] dt-bindings: clock: imx8m-clock:
> support
> >> spread spectrum clocking
> >>
> >> On 07/11/2024 15:57, Dario Binacchi wrote:
> >>>     clocks = <&osc_32k>, <&osc_24m>, <&clk_ext1>, <&clk_ext2>,
> >>>                   <&clk_ext3>, <&clk_ext4>;
> >>>     clock-names = "osc_32k", "osc_24m", "clk_ext1", "clk_ext2",
> >>>                              "clk_ext3", "clk_ext4";
> >>>     assigned-clocks = <&clk IMX8MN_CLK_A53_SRC>,
> >>>                                   <&clk IMX8MN_CLK_A53_CORE>,
> >>>                                   <&clk IMX8MN_CLK_NOC>,
> >>>                                   <&clk IMX8MN_CLK_AUDIO_AHB>,
> >>>                                   <&clk IMX8MN_CLK_IPG_AUDIO_ROOT>,
> >>>                                   <&clk IMX8MN_SYS_PLL3>,
> >>>                                   <&clk IMX8MN_AUDIO_PLL1>,
> >>>                                   <&clk IMX8MN_AUDIO_PLL2>;
> >>>     assigned-clock-parents = <&clk IMX8MN_SYS_PLL1_800M>,
> >>>                                              <&clk IMX8MN_ARM_PLL_OUT>,
> >>>                                              <&clk IMX8MN_SYS_PLL3_OUT>,
> >>>                                              <&clk IMX8MN_SYS_PLL1_800M>;
> >>>     assigned-clock-rates = <0>, <0>, <0>,
> >>>                                          <400000000>,
> >>>                                          <400000000>,
> >>>                                          <600000000>,
> >>>                                          <393216000>,
> >>>                                          <361267200>; };
> >>>
> >>> The spread spectrum is not configurable on these clocks or, more
> >>> generally, may not be configurable (only 4 PLLs have this
> capability).
> >>> Therefore, I need the "fsl,ssc-clocks"
> >>
> >> No. That's not true. You do not need it.
> >>
> >
> > i.MX8M clock hardware is similar as:
> >
> > OSC->ANATOP->CCM
> >
> > ANATOP will produce PLLs.
> > CCM use PLLs as input source.
> >
> > Currently there is no dedicated ANATOP driver in linux.
> > The CCM linux driver will parse the ANATOP node and register clk_hw
> > for the PLLs.
> 
> I do not know what is CCM and how does it fit here. What's more, I
> don't get driver context here. We talk about bindings.


CCM: Clock Control Module, it accepts PLL from anatop as inputs,
and outputs clocks to various modules, I2C, CAN, NET, SAI and ...

> 
> 
> >
> >
> >> First, the clock inputs for this device are listed in clocks *only*.
> >> What is no there, is not an input to the device. Including also Linux
> >> aspect (missing devlinks etc). Therefore how can you configure
> spread
> >> spectrum on clocks which are not connected to this device?
> >
> > I not understand this well, you mean
> > add clocks = <xx CLK_IMX8MM_VIDEO_PLL> in the ccm dtb node?
> 
> Yes. Let me re-iterate and please respond to this exactly comment
> instead of ignoring it.
> 
> How a device can care about spread spectrum of a clock which is not
> supplied to this device?

I hope we are on same page of what spread spectrum means.
spread spectrum of a clock is the clock could produce freq in a range,
saying [500MHz - 100KHz, 500MHz + 100KHz]. software only need
to configure the middle frequency and choose the up/down border
range(100KHz here) and enable spread spectrum. 

device: I suppose you mean the Clock Control Module(CCM) here.
CCM does not care, it just accepts the PLL as input, and output
divided clock to various IPs(Video here). The video IPs care about
the spread spectrum of the clock.

The clock hardware path is as below:

OSC(24M) --> Anatop(produce PLL with spread spectrum) ->
Clock Control Module(output clock to modules) -> Video IP

From hardware perspective, Clock Control Module does not
care spread spectrum. Video IP cares spread spectrum.


> 
> Why would you care about spread spectrum of some clock which is not
> coming to this device?

device, I suppose you mean clock control module(CCM). 

There is no 'clocks = <&ccm CLK_IMX8M_VIDEO_PLL>' under ccm node.
Because in current design, ccm is taken as producer of
CLK_IMX8M_VIDEO_PLL, not consumer. 

> 
> Please address these precisely because we talk about this for weeks in
> multiple places. 

Sorry for coming into this feature in late stage.

Dario, thanks for working on such feature, good to see. Spread Spectrum
is indeed good feature what makes clock quality high.

Thanks,
Peng.

I finish with this patchset if you do not provide such
> context.
> 
> Best regards,
> Krzysztof