1.. _typec:
2
3USB Type-C connector class
4==========================
5
6Introduction
7------------
8
9The typec class is meant for describing the USB Type-C ports in a system to the
10user space in unified fashion. The class is designed to provide nothing else
11except the user space interface implementation in hope that it can be utilized
12on as many platforms as possible.
13
14The platforms are expected to register every USB Type-C port they have with the
15class. In a normal case the registration will be done by a USB Type-C or PD PHY
16driver, but it may be a driver for firmware interface such as UCSI, driver for
17USB PD controller or even driver for Thunderbolt3 controller. This document
18considers the component registering the USB Type-C ports with the class as "port
19driver".
20
21On top of showing the capabilities, the class also offer user space control over
22the roles and alternate modes of ports, partners and cable plugs when the port
23driver is capable of supporting those features.
24
25The class provides an API for the port drivers described in this document. The
26attributes are described in Documentation/ABI/testing/sysfs-class-typec.
27
28User space interface
29--------------------
30Every port will be presented as its own device under /sys/class/typec/. The
31first port will be named "port0", the second "port1" and so on.
32
33When connected, the partner will be presented also as its own device under
34/sys/class/typec/. The parent of the partner device will always be the port it
35is attached to. The partner attached to port "port0" will be named
36"port0-partner". Full path to the device would be
37/sys/class/typec/port0/port0-partner/.
38
39The cable and the two plugs on it may also be optionally presented as their own
40devices under /sys/class/typec/. The cable attached to the port "port0" port
41will be named port0-cable and the plug on the SOP Prime end (see USB Power
42Delivery Specification ch. 2.4) will be named "port0-plug0" and on the SOP
43Double Prime end "port0-plug1". The parent of a cable will always be the port,
44and the parent of the cable plugs will always be the cable.
45
46If the port, partner or cable plug supports Alternate Modes, every supported
47Alternate Mode SVID will have their own device describing them. Note that the
48Alternate Mode devices will not be attached to the typec class. The parent of an
49alternate mode will be the device that supports it, so for example an alternate
50mode of port0-partner will be presented under /sys/class/typec/port0-partner/.
51Every mode that is supported will have its own group under the Alternate Mode
52device named "mode<index>", for example /sys/class/typec/port0/<alternate
53mode>/mode1/. The requests for entering/exiting a mode can be done with "active"
54attribute file in that group.
55
56Driver API
57----------
58
59Registering the ports
60~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
61
62The port drivers will describe every Type-C port they control with struct
63typec_capability data structure, and register them with the following API:
64
65.. kernel-doc:: drivers/usb/typec/class.c
66   :functions: typec_register_port typec_unregister_port
67
68When registering the ports, the prefer_role member in struct typec_capability
69deserves special notice. If the port that is being registered does not have
70initial role preference, which means the port does not execute Try.SNK or
71Try.SRC by default, the member must have value TYPEC_NO_PREFERRED_ROLE.
72Otherwise if the port executes Try.SNK by default, the member must have value
73TYPEC_DEVICE, and with Try.SRC the value must be TYPEC_HOST.
74
75Registering Partners
76~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
77
78After successful connection of a partner, the port driver needs to register the
79partner with the class. Details about the partner need to be described in struct
80typec_partner_desc. The class copies the details of the partner during
81registration. The class offers the following API for registering/unregistering
82partners.
83
84.. kernel-doc:: drivers/usb/typec/class.c
85   :functions: typec_register_partner typec_unregister_partner
86
87The class will provide a handle to struct typec_partner if the registration was
88successful, or NULL.
89
90If the partner is USB Power Delivery capable, and the port driver is able to
91show the result of Discover Identity command, the partner descriptor structure
92should include handle to struct usb_pd_identity instance. The class will then
93create a sysfs directory for the identity under the partner device. The result
94of Discover Identity command can then be reported with the following API:
95
96.. kernel-doc:: drivers/usb/typec/class.c
97   :functions: typec_partner_set_identity
98
99Registering Cables
100~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
101
102After successful connection of a cable that supports USB Power Delivery
103Structured VDM "Discover Identity", the port driver needs to register the cable
104and one or two plugs, depending if there is CC Double Prime controller present
105in the cable or not. So a cable capable of SOP Prime communication, but not SOP
106Double Prime communication, should only have one plug registered. For more
107information about SOP communication, please read chapter about it from the
108latest USB Power Delivery specification.
109
110The plugs are represented as their own devices. The cable is registered first,
111followed by registration of the cable plugs. The cable will be the parent device
112for the plugs. Details about the cable need to be described in struct
113typec_cable_desc and about a plug in struct typec_plug_desc. The class copies
114the details during registration. The class offers the following API for
115registering/unregistering cables and their plugs:
116
117.. kernel-doc:: drivers/usb/typec/class.c
118   :functions: typec_register_cable typec_unregister_cable typec_register_plug typec_unregister_plug
119
120The class will provide a handle to struct typec_cable and struct typec_plug if
121the registration is successful, or NULL if it isn't.
122
123If the cable is USB Power Delivery capable, and the port driver is able to show
124the result of Discover Identity command, the cable descriptor structure should
125include handle to struct usb_pd_identity instance. The class will then create a
126sysfs directory for the identity under the cable device. The result of Discover
127Identity command can then be reported with the following API:
128
129.. kernel-doc:: drivers/usb/typec/class.c
130   :functions: typec_cable_set_identity
131
132Notifications
133~~~~~~~~~~~~~
134
135When the partner has executed a role change, or when the default roles change
136during connection of a partner or cable, the port driver must use the following
137APIs to report it to the class:
138
139.. kernel-doc:: drivers/usb/typec/class.c
140   :functions: typec_set_data_role typec_set_pwr_role typec_set_vconn_role typec_set_pwr_opmode
141
142Alternate Modes
143~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
144
145USB Type-C ports, partners and cable plugs may support Alternate Modes. Each
146Alternate Mode will have identifier called SVID, which is either a Standard ID
147given by USB-IF or vendor ID, and each supported SVID can have 1 - 6 modes. The
148class provides struct typec_mode_desc for describing individual mode of a SVID,
149and struct typec_altmode_desc which is a container for all the supported modes.
150
151Ports that support Alternate Modes need to register each SVID they support with
152the following API:
153
154.. kernel-doc:: drivers/usb/typec/class.c
155   :functions: typec_port_register_altmode
156
157If a partner or cable plug provides a list of SVIDs as response to USB Power
158Delivery Structured VDM Discover SVIDs message, each SVID needs to be
159registered.
160
161API for the partners:
162
163.. kernel-doc:: drivers/usb/typec/class.c
164   :functions: typec_partner_register_altmode
165
166API for the Cable Plugs:
167
168.. kernel-doc:: drivers/usb/typec/class.c
169   :functions: typec_plug_register_altmode
170
171So ports, partners and cable plugs will register the alternate modes with their
172own functions, but the registration will always return a handle to struct
173typec_altmode on success, or NULL. The unregistration will happen with the same
174function:
175
176.. kernel-doc:: drivers/usb/typec/class.c
177   :functions: typec_unregister_altmode
178
179If a partner or cable plug enters or exits a mode, the port driver needs to
180notify the class with the following API:
181
182.. kernel-doc:: drivers/usb/typec/class.c
183   :functions: typec_altmode_update_active
184
185Multiplexer/DeMultiplexer Switches
186~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
187
188USB Type-C connectors may have one or more mux/demux switches behind them. Since
189the plugs can be inserted right-side-up or upside-down, a switch is needed to
190route the correct data pairs from the connector to the USB controllers. If
191Alternate or Accessory Modes are supported, another switch is needed that can
192route the pins on the connector to some other component besides USB. USB Type-C
193Connector Class supplies an API for registering those switches.
194
195.. kernel-doc:: drivers/usb/typec/mux.c
196   :functions: typec_switch_register typec_switch_unregister typec_mux_register typec_mux_unregister
197
198In most cases the same physical mux will handle both the orientation and mode.
199However, as the port drivers will be responsible for the orientation, and the
200alternate mode drivers for the mode, the two are always separated into their
201own logical components: "mux" for the mode and "switch" for the orientation.
202
203When a port is registered, USB Type-C Connector Class requests both the mux and
204the switch for the port. The drivers can then use the following API for
205controlling them:
206
207.. kernel-doc:: drivers/usb/typec/class.c
208   :functions: typec_set_orientation typec_set_mode
209
210If the connector is dual-role capable, there may also be a switch for the data
211role. USB Type-C Connector Class does not supply separate API for them. The
212port drivers can use USB Role Class API with those.
213
214Illustration of the muxes behind a connector that supports an alternate mode::
215
216                     ------------------------
217                     |       Connector      |
218                     ------------------------
219                            |         |
220                     ------------------------
221                      \     Orientation    /
222                       --------------------
223                                |
224                       --------------------
225                      /        Mode        \
226                     ------------------------
227                         /              \
228      ------------------------        --------------------
229      |       Alt Mode       |       /      USB Role      \
230      ------------------------      ------------------------
231                                         /            \
232                     ------------------------      ------------------------
233                     |       USB Host       |      |       USB Device     |
234                     ------------------------      ------------------------
235