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3. IRQ chip model (hierarchy) of LoongArch

Currently, LoongArch based processors (e.g. Loongson-3A5000) can only work together with LS7A chipsets. The irq chips in LoongArch computers include CPUINTC (CPU Core Interrupt Controller), LIOINTC (Legacy I/O Interrupt Controller), EIOINTC (Extended I/O Interrupt Controller), HTVECINTC (Hyper-Transport Vector Interrupt Controller), PCH-PIC (Main Interrupt Controller in LS7A chipset), PCH-LPC (LPC Interrupt Controller in LS7A chipset) and PCH-MSI (MSI Interrupt Controller).

CPUINTC is a per-core controller (in CPU), LIOINTC/EIOINTC/HTVECINTC are per-package controllers (in CPU), while PCH-PIC/PCH-LPC/PCH-MSI are controllers out of CPU (i.e., in chipsets). These controllers (in other words, irqchips) are linked in a hierarchy, and there are two models of hierarchy (legacy model and extended model).

3.1. Legacy IRQ model

In this model, IPI (Inter-Processor Interrupt) and CPU Local Timer interrupt go to CPUINTC directly, CPU UARTS interrupts go to LIOINTC, while all other devices interrupts go to PCH-PIC/PCH-LPC/PCH-MSI and gathered by HTVECINTC, and then go to LIOINTC, and then CPUINTC:

+-----+     +---------+     +-------+
| IPI | --> | CPUINTC | <-- | Timer |
+-----+     +---------+     +-------+
                 ^
                 |
            +---------+     +-------+
            | LIOINTC | <-- | UARTs |
            +---------+     +-------+
                 ^
                 |
           +-----------+
           | HTVECINTC |
           +-----------+
            ^         ^
            |         |
      +---------+ +---------+
      | PCH-PIC | | PCH-MSI |
      +---------+ +---------+
        ^     ^           ^
        |     |           |
+---------+ +---------+ +---------+
| PCH-LPC | | Devices | | Devices |
+---------+ +---------+ +---------+
     ^
     |
+---------+
| Devices |
+---------+

3.2. Extended IRQ model

In this model, IPI (Inter-Processor Interrupt) and CPU Local Timer interrupt go to CPUINTC directly, CPU UARTS interrupts go to LIOINTC, while all other devices interrupts go to PCH-PIC/PCH-LPC/PCH-MSI and gathered by EIOINTC, and then go to to CPUINTC directly:

      +-----+     +---------+     +-------+
      | IPI | --> | CPUINTC | <-- | Timer |
      +-----+     +---------+     +-------+
                   ^       ^
                   |       |
            +---------+ +---------+     +-------+
            | EIOINTC | | LIOINTC | <-- | UARTs |
            +---------+ +---------+     +-------+
             ^       ^
             |       |
      +---------+ +---------+
      | PCH-PIC | | PCH-MSI |
      +---------+ +---------+
        ^     ^           ^
        |     |           |
+---------+ +---------+ +---------+
| PCH-LPC | | Devices | | Devices |
+---------+ +---------+ +---------+
     ^
     |
+---------+
| Devices |
+---------+

3.3. Virtual Extended IRQ model

In this model, IPI (Inter-Processor Interrupt) and CPU Local Timer interrupt go to CPUINTC directly, CPU UARTS interrupts go to PCH-PIC, while all other devices interrupts go to PCH-PIC/PCH-MSI and gathered by V-EIOINTC (Virtual Extended I/O Interrupt Controller), and then go to CPUINTC directly:

+-----+    +-------------------+     +-------+
| IPI |--> | CPUINTC(0-255vcpu)| <-- | Timer |
+-----+    +-------------------+     +-------+
                     ^
                     |
               +-----------+
               | V-EIOINTC |
               +-----------+
                ^         ^
                |         |
         +---------+ +---------+
         | PCH-PIC | | PCH-MSI |
         +---------+ +---------+
           ^      ^          ^
           |      |          |
    +--------+ +---------+ +---------+
    | UARTs  | | Devices | | Devices |
    +--------+ +---------+ +---------+

3.3.1. Description

V-EIOINTC (Virtual Extended I/O Interrupt Controller) is an extension of EIOINTC, it only works in VM mode which runs in KVM hypervisor. Interrupts can be routed to up to four vCPUs via standard EIOINTC, however with V-EIOINTC interrupts can be routed to up to 256 virtual cpus.

With standard EIOINTC, interrupt routing setting includes two parts: eight bits for CPU selection and four bits for CPU IP (Interrupt Pin) selection. For CPU selection there is four bits for EIOINTC node selection, four bits for EIOINTC CPU selection. Bitmap method is used for CPU selection and CPU IP selection, so interrupt can only route to CPU0 - CPU3 and IP0-IP3 in one EIOINTC node.

With V-EIOINTC it supports to route more CPUs and CPU IP (Interrupt Pin), there are two newly added registers with V-EIOINTC.

3.3.2. EXTIOI_VIRT_FEATURES

This register is read-only register, which indicates supported features with V-EIOINTC. Feature EXTIOI_HAS_INT_ENCODE and EXTIOI_HAS_CPU_ENCODE is added.

Feature EXTIOI_HAS_INT_ENCODE is part of standard EIOINTC. If it is 1, it indicates that CPU Interrupt Pin selection can be normal method rather than bitmap method, so interrupt can be routed to IP0 - IP15.

Feature EXTIOI_HAS_CPU_ENCODE is entension of V-EIOINTC. If it is 1, it indicates that CPU selection can be normal method rather than bitmap method, so interrupt can be routed to CPU0 - CPU255.

3.3.3. EXTIOI_VIRT_CONFIG

This register is read-write register, for compatibility intterupt routed uses the default method which is the same with standard EIOINTC. If the bit is set with 1, it indicated HW to use normal method rather than bitmap method.

3.4. Advanced Extended IRQ model

In this model, IPI (Inter-Processor Interrupt) and CPU Local Timer interrupt go to CPUINTC directly, CPU UARTS interrupts go to LIOINTC, PCH-MSI interrupts go to AVECINTC, and then go to CPUINTC directly, while all other devices interrupts go to PCH-PIC/PCH-LPC and gathered by EIOINTC, and then go to CPUINTC directly:

+-----+     +-----------------------+     +-------+
| IPI | --> |        CPUINTC        | <-- | Timer |
+-----+     +-----------------------+     +-------+
             ^          ^          ^
             |          |          |
      +---------+ +----------+ +---------+     +-------+
      | EIOINTC | | AVECINTC | | LIOINTC | <-- | UARTs |
      +---------+ +----------+ +---------+     +-------+
           ^            ^
           |            |
      +---------+  +---------+
      | PCH-PIC |  | PCH-MSI |
      +---------+  +---------+
        ^     ^           ^
        |     |           |
+---------+ +---------+ +---------+
| Devices | | PCH-LPC | | Devices |
+---------+ +---------+ +---------+
                 ^
                 |
            +---------+
            | Devices |
            +---------+

3.5. ACPI-related definitions

CPUINTC:

ACPI_MADT_TYPE_CORE_PIC;
struct acpi_madt_core_pic;
enum acpi_madt_core_pic_version;

LIOINTC:

ACPI_MADT_TYPE_LIO_PIC;
struct acpi_madt_lio_pic;
enum acpi_madt_lio_pic_version;

EIOINTC:

ACPI_MADT_TYPE_EIO_PIC;
struct acpi_madt_eio_pic;
enum acpi_madt_eio_pic_version;

HTVECINTC:

ACPI_MADT_TYPE_HT_PIC;
struct acpi_madt_ht_pic;
enum acpi_madt_ht_pic_version;

PCH-PIC:

ACPI_MADT_TYPE_BIO_PIC;
struct acpi_madt_bio_pic;
enum acpi_madt_bio_pic_version;

PCH-MSI:

ACPI_MADT_TYPE_MSI_PIC;
struct acpi_madt_msi_pic;
enum acpi_madt_msi_pic_version;

PCH-LPC:

ACPI_MADT_TYPE_LPC_PIC;
struct acpi_madt_lpc_pic;
enum acpi_madt_lpc_pic_version;

3.6. References

Documentation of Loongson-3A5000:

https://github.com/loongson/LoongArch-Documentation/releases/latest/download/Loongson-3A5000-usermanual-1.02-CN.pdf (in Chinese)

https://github.com/loongson/LoongArch-Documentation/releases/latest/download/Loongson-3A5000-usermanual-1.02-EN.pdf (in English)

Documentation of Loongson’s LS7A chipset:

https://github.com/loongson/LoongArch-Documentation/releases/latest/download/Loongson-7A1000-usermanual-2.00-CN.pdf (in Chinese)

https://github.com/loongson/LoongArch-Documentation/releases/latest/download/Loongson-7A1000-usermanual-2.00-EN.pdf (in English)

Note

• CPUINTC is CSR.ECFG/CSR.ESTAT and its interrupt controller described in Section 7.4 of “LoongArch Reference Manual, Vol 1”;

• LIOINTC is “Legacy I/OInterrupts” described in Section 11.1 of “Loongson 3A5000 Processor Reference Manual”;

• EIOINTC is “Extended I/O Interrupts” described in Section 11.2 of “Loongson 3A5000 Processor Reference Manual”;

• HTVECINTC is “HyperTransport Interrupts” described in Section 14.3 of “Loongson 3A5000 Processor Reference Manual”;

• PCH-PIC/PCH-MSI is “Interrupt Controller” described in Section 5 of “Loongson 7A1000 Bridge User Manual”;

• PCH-LPC is “LPC Interrupts” described in Section 24.3 of “Loongson 7A1000 Bridge User Manual”.