1 files changed, 88 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/driver-api/media/rc-core.rst b/Documentation/driver-api/media/rc-core.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..53f5e643b6e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/driver-api/media/rc-core.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
+
+Remote Controller devices
+-------------------------
+
+Remote Controller core
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+The remote controller core implements infrastructure to receive and send
+remote controller keyboard keystrokes and mouse events.
+
+Every time a key is pressed on a remote controller, a scan code is produced.
+Also, on most hardware, keeping a key pressed for more than a few dozens of
+milliseconds produce a repeat key event. That's somewhat similar to what
+a normal keyboard or mouse is handled internally on Linux\ [#f1]_. So, the
+remote controller core is implemented on the top of the linux input/evdev
+interface.
+
+.. [#f1]
+
+   The main difference is that, on keyboard events, the keyboard controller
+   produces one event for a key press and another one for key release. On
+   infrared-based remote controllers, there's no key release event. Instead,
+   an extra code is produced to indicate key repeats.
+
+However, most of the remote controllers use infrared (IR) to transmit signals.
+As there are several protocols used to modulate infrared signals, one
+important part of the core is dedicated to adjust the driver and the core
+system to support the infrared protocol used by the emitter.
+
+The infrared transmission is done by blinking a infrared emitter using a
+carrier. The carrier can be switched on or off by the IR transmitter
+hardware. When the carrier is switched on, it is called *PULSE*.
+When the carrier is switched off, it is called *SPACE*.
+
+In other words, a typical IR transmission can be viewed as a sequence of
+*PULSE* and *SPACE* events, each with a given duration.
+
+The carrier parameters (frequency, duty cycle) and the intervals for
+*PULSE* and *SPACE* events depend on the protocol.
+For example, the NEC protocol uses a carrier of 38kHz, and transmissions
+start with a 9ms *PULSE* and a 4.5ms SPACE. It then transmits 16 bits of
+scan code, being 8 bits for address (usually it is a fixed number for a
+given remote controller), followed by 8 bits of code. A bit "1" is modulated
+with 560µs *PULSE* followed by 1690µs *SPACE* and a bit "0"  is modulated
+with 560µs *PULSE* followed by 560µs *SPACE*.
+
+At receiver, a simple low-pass filter can be used to convert the received
+signal in a sequence of *PULSE/SPACE* events, filtering out the carrier
+frequency. Due to that, the receiver doesn't care about the carrier's
+actual frequency parameters: all it has to do is to measure the amount
+of time it receives *PULSE/SPACE* events.
+So, a simple IR receiver hardware will just provide a sequence of timings
+for those events to the Kernel. The drivers for hardware with such kind of
+receivers are identified by  ``RC_DRIVER_IR_RAW``, as defined by
+:c:type:`rc_driver_type`\ [#f2]_. Other hardware come with a
+microcontroller that decode the *PULSE/SPACE* sequence and return scan
+codes to the Kernel. Such kind of receivers are identified
+by ``RC_DRIVER_SCANCODE``.
+
+.. [#f2]
+
+   The RC core also supports devices that have just IR emitters,
+   without any receivers. Right now, all such devices work only in
+   raw TX mode. Such kind of hardware is identified as
+   ``RC_DRIVER_IR_RAW_TX``.
+
+When the RC core receives events produced by ``RC_DRIVER_IR_RAW`` IR
+receivers, it needs to decode the IR protocol, in order to obtain the
+corresponding scan code. The protocols supported by the RC core are
+defined at enum :c:type:`rc_proto`.
+
+When the RC code receives a scan code (either directly, by a driver
+of the type ``RC_DRIVER_SCANCODE``, or via its IR decoders), it needs
+to convert into a Linux input event code. This is done via a mapping
+table.
+
+The Kernel has support for mapping tables available on most media
+devices. It also supports loading a table in runtime, via some
+sysfs nodes. See the :ref:`RC userspace API <Remote_controllers_Intro>`
+for more details.
+
+Remote controller data structures and functions
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+.. kernel-doc:: include/media/rc-core.h
+
+.. kernel-doc:: include/media/rc-map.h