Linux device drivers form the backbone of any Embedded Linux system. Linux device drivers act as the critical interface between hardware devices and the Linux kernel, enabling seamless communication between physical peripherals and user-space applications. Without Linux device drivers, the operating system cannot control or interact with hardware such as keyboards, displays, storage devices, sensors, or network interfaces. In embedded Linux device drivers, hardware-specific complexities are abstracted, providing a standardized interface that ensures safety, stability, and performance. This abstraction allows developers to focus on application logic while relying on Linux hardware support offered by the kernel. Linux follows a modular driver architecture, meaning Linux kernel modules can be dynamically loaded and unloaded at runtime. This modularity is especially important in embedded device drivers, where memory and processing resources are limited. Hence, embedded Linux kernel programming relies heavily on efficient Linux driver development practices.
Linux device drivers enable the Linux kernel to communicate with hardware devices by providing a standardized interface.
They manage character, block, network, and USB devices, handling device initialization, data transfer, and safe interaction between user space and hardware in embedded Linux systems.
| USB Device Type | Linux Representation |
|---|---|
| USB-to-Ethernet | Network interface (eth0) |
| USB serial adapter | Character device (/dev/ttyUSB0) |
| USB mass storage | Block device (/dev/sdX) |
struct usb_driver usb_drv = {
.name = "usb_drv",
.probe = drv_probe,
.disconnect = drv_disconnect,
.id_table = drv_tbl_id,
};
This structure defines how Linux USB device drivers interact with the kernel.
static int __init usb_drv_init(void)
{
int ret;
ret = usb_register(&drv_struct);
if (ret < 0) {
pr_err("Failed to register usb_drv\n");
return ret;
}
return 0;
}
usb_register() registers the driver
usb_deregister() removes it during module unload
This completes the lifecycle of a Linux device driver.
Linux device drivers allow the Linux kernel to communicate with hardware devices.
A char device driver transfers data sequentially as a byte stream.
Block devices in Linux store data in blocks and support random access.
The Linux USB subsystem manages all USB devices using a common kernel framework.
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