linux/Documentation/usb/gadget_multi.rst
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   1==============================
   2Multifunction Composite Gadget
   3==============================
   4
   5Overview
   6========
   7
   8The Multifunction Composite Gadget (or g_multi) is a composite gadget
   9that makes extensive use of the composite framework to provide
  10a... multifunction gadget.
  11
  12In it's standard configuration it provides a single USB configuration
  13with RNDIS[1] (that is Ethernet), USB CDC[2] ACM (that is serial) and
  14USB Mass Storage functions.
  15
  16A CDC ECM (Ethernet) function may be turned on via a Kconfig option
  17and RNDIS can be turned off.  If they are both enabled the gadget will
  18have two configurations -- one with RNDIS and another with CDC ECM[3].
  19
  20Please note that if you use non-standard configuration (that is enable
  21CDC ECM) you may need to change vendor and/or product ID.
  22
  23Host drivers
  24============
  25
  26To make use of the gadget one needs to make it work on host side --
  27without that there's no hope of achieving anything with the gadget.
  28As one might expect, things one need to do very from system to system.
  29
  30Linux host drivers
  31------------------
  32
  33Since the gadget uses standard composite framework and appears as such
  34to Linux host it does not need any additional drivers on Linux host
  35side.  All the functions are handled by respective drivers developed
  36for them.
  37
  38This is also true for two configuration set-up with RNDIS
  39configuration being the first one.  Linux host will use the second
  40configuration with CDC ECM which should work better under Linux.
  41
  42Windows host drivers
  43--------------------
  44
  45For the gadget to work under Windows two conditions have to be met:
  46
  47Detecting as composite gadget
  48^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  49
  50First of all, Windows need to detect the gadget as an USB composite
  51gadget which on its own have some conditions[4].  If they are met,
  52Windows lets USB Generic Parent Driver[5] handle the device which then
  53tries to match drivers for each individual interface (sort of, don't
  54get into too many details).
  55
  56The good news is: you do not have to worry about most of the
  57conditions!
  58
  59The only thing to worry is that the gadget has to have a single
  60configuration so a dual RNDIS and CDC ECM gadget won't work unless you
  61create a proper INF -- and of course, if you do submit it!
  62
  63Installing drivers for each function
  64^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  65
  66The other, trickier thing is making Windows install drivers for each
  67individual function.
  68
  69For mass storage it is trivial since Windows detect it's an interface
  70implementing USB Mass Storage class and selects appropriate driver.
  71
  72Things are harder with RDNIS and CDC ACM.
  73
  74RNDIS
  75.....
  76
  77To make Windows select RNDIS drivers for the first function in the
  78gadget, one needs to use the [[file:linux.inf]] file provided with this
  79document.  It "attaches" Window's RNDIS driver to the first interface
  80of the gadget.
  81
  82Please note, that while testing we encountered some issues[6] when
  83RNDIS was not the first interface.  You do not need to worry abut it
  84unless you are trying to develop your own gadget in which case watch
  85out for this bug.
  86
  87CDC ACM
  88.......
  89
  90Similarly, [[file:linux-cdc-acm.inf]] is provided for CDC ACM.
  91
  92Customising the gadget
  93......................
  94
  95If you intend to hack the g_multi gadget be advised that rearranging
  96functions will obviously change interface numbers for each of the
  97functionality.  As an effect provided INFs won't work since they have
  98interface numbers hard-coded in them (it's not hard to change those
  99though[7]).
 100
 101This also means, that after experimenting with g_multi and changing
 102provided functions one should change gadget's vendor and/or product ID
 103so there will be no collision with other customised gadgets or the
 104original gadget.
 105
 106Failing to comply may cause brain damage after wondering for hours why
 107things don't work as intended before realising Windows have cached
 108some drivers information (changing USB port may sometimes help plus
 109you might try using USBDeview[8] to remove the phantom device).
 110
 111INF testing
 112...........
 113
 114Provided INF files have been tested on Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista
 115and Windows 7, all 32-bit versions.  It should work on 64-bit versions
 116as well.  It most likely won't work on Windows prior to Windows XP
 117SP2.
 118
 119Other systems
 120-------------
 121
 122At this moment, drivers for any other systems have not been tested.
 123Knowing how MacOS is based on BSD and BSD is an Open Source it is
 124believed that it should (read: "I have no idea whether it will") work
 125out-of-the-box.
 126
 127For more exotic systems I have even less to say...
 128
 129Any testing and drivers *are* *welcome*!
 130
 131Authors
 132=======
 133
 134This document has been written by Michal Nazarewicz
 135([[mailto:mina86@mina86.com]]).  INF files have been hacked with
 136support of Marek Szyprowski ([[mailto:m.szyprowski@samsung.com]]) and
 137Xiaofan Chen ([[mailto:xiaofanc@gmail.com]]) basing on the MS RNDIS
 138template[9], Microchip's CDC ACM INF file and David Brownell's
 139([[mailto:dbrownell@users.sourceforge.net]]) original INF files.
 140
 141Footnotes
 142=========
 143
 144[1] Remote Network Driver Interface Specification,
 145[[https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee484414.aspx]].
 146
 147[2] Communications Device Class Abstract Control Model, spec for this
 148and other USB classes can be found at
 149[[http://www.usb.org/developers/devclass_docs/]].
 150
 151[3] CDC Ethernet Control Model.
 152
 153[4] [[https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff537109(v=VS.85).aspx]]
 154
 155[5] [[https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff539234(v=VS.85).aspx]]
 156
 157[6] To put it in some other nice words, Windows failed to respond to
 158any user input.
 159
 160[7] You may find [[http://www.cygnal.org/ubb/Forum9/HTML/001050.html]]
 161useful.
 162
 163[8] https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/usb_devices_view.html
 164
 165[9] [[https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff570620.aspx]]
 166