struct_i2c_board_info (9)

struct i2c_board_info {
  char type[I2C_NAME_SIZE];
  unsigned short flags;
  unsigned short addr;
  void * platform_data;
  struct dev_archdata * archdata;
  struct device_node * of_node;
  struct acpi_dev_node acpi_node;
  int irq;
};

type[I2C_NAME_SIZE]

chip type, to initialize i2c_client.name

flags

to initialize i2c_client.flags

addr

stored in i2c_client.addr

platform_data

stored in i2c_client.dev.platform_data

archdata

copied into i2c_client.dev.archdata

of_node

pointer to OpenFirmware device node

acpi_node

ACPI device node

irq

stored in i2c_client.irq

I2C doesn't actually support hardware probing, although controllers and devices may be able to use I2C_SMBUS_QUICK to tell whether or not there's a device at a given address. Drivers commonly need more information than that, such as chip type, configuration, associated IRQ, and so on.

i2c_board_info is used to build tables of information listing I2C devices that are present. This information is used to grow the driver model tree. For mainboards this is done statically using i2c_register_board_info; bus numbers identify adapters that aren't yet available. For add-on boards, i2c_new_device does this dynamically with the adapter already known.