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Embedded Linux development mainly has three approaches: bare-metal development, SDK development, and driver development.
1
Bare-metal Development
Bare-metal development usually refers to the process of running programs directly on hardware without operating system support. This development method requires developers to interact directly with hardware, writing low-level code to control it. This includes direct control and management of hardware such as processors, memory, and input/output interfaces. Compared to OS-based development, bare-metal development is closer to the hardware level, requiring a deeper understanding and control of the hardware, but it allows developers to manage hardware resources and performance more finely.
2
SDK Development
To facilitate rapid design by developers, chip manufacturers have designed specialized software development kits (SDKs) to create applications. SDKs typically include compilers, debuggers, hardware drivers, APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), and other tools and documentation that assist in development. In embedded Linux SDK development, developers can leverage the powerful features and flexibility of the Linux system while optimizing and adjusting for specific hardware platforms to meet the specific needs of embedded devices.
3
Driver Development
Driver development refers to the process of writing device drivers for embedded Linux systems. In this process, developers need to have a deep understanding of the Linux kernel architecture and learn how to write, debug, and maintain device drivers in the Linux kernel environment. Device drivers are part of the operating system, responsible for communicating with hardware devices and controlling their operations. This includes writing code to interact directly with hardware, handle hardware interrupts, and implement data exchange with other parts of the system. Driver development is a key focus of our learning.
Device drivers in Linux are mainly divided into three categories: character device drivers, block device drivers, and network device drivers.
Each type of driver has its unique functions and purposes:
3.1 Character Device Drivers
Definition: Character device drivers mainly handle devices that transmit data on a character basis, such as keyboards, mice, and serial ports.
Characteristics: Character devices are usually addressable, can be accessed randomly, and process one character at a time.
Data Transmission Method: Data is typically transmitted one character at a time in a byte stream, without the use of buffers.
Application Examples: Keyboard drivers, serial port drivers, sound card drivers, etc.
3.2 Block Device Drivers
Definition: Block device drivers handle devices that transmit data in blocks, such as hard disks and optical drives.
Characteristics: Block devices can store large amounts of data, support random access, and have higher data transfer efficiency.
Data Transmission Method: Data transmission is done in blocks (usually of fixed size), using buffers to improve data processing efficiency.
Application Examples: Hard drive drivers, SSD drivers, optical drive drivers, etc.
3.3 Network Device Drivers
Definition: Network device drivers are used to handle hardware devices related to network communication, such as network cards and wireless adapters.
Characteristics: Network drivers focus particularly on data packet transmission and the implementation of network protocols.
Data Transmission Method: Data is transmitted in the form of network packets, involving complex network protocol stack processing.
Application Examples: Ethernet card drivers, Wi-Fi adapter drivers, Bluetooth drivers, etc.
These three types of drivers together form the foundation for interaction between the Linux system and various hardware devices, ensuring the system’s multifunctionality and efficiency. Their implementation usually involves in-depth knowledge of the operating system kernel, hardware communication protocols, and skills in driver development.
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