Messages in this thread | | | Date | Wed, 3 Apr 2013 17:52:03 -0700 | From | Tim Bird <> | Subject | GPS driver for Linux - kernel or user-space driver? |
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I've been approached by a developer at Sony who wants to publish an open source driver for a Sony GPS receiver module.
I've looked in the kernel source, and only see one standalone GPS driver, for Garmin. It appears that most GPS support in Linux is done via user-space drivers. Many GPS hardware modules appear to be accessed via a serial line, or USB/serial port. The Sony module is pretty much the same, accepting commands and delivering data via a uart from the chip.
I planning to recommend writing a user-space driver (based on gpsd and/or the Android GPS HAL specification). But I'm worried I'm missing something. Is this the correct approach, or is there an established kernel API for GPS modules - such that I should recommend that this developer writes a kernel module instead of, or in addition to, the user-space support for the hardware?
Thanks, -- Tim
============================= Tim Bird Architecture Group Chair, CE Workgroup of the Linux Foundation Senior Staff Engineer, Sony Network Entertainment =============================
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