Mastering Embedded Linux Programming - Second Edition

Device tree basics

The Linux kernel contains a large number of device tree source files in arch/$ARCH/boot/dts, and this is a good starting point for learning about device trees. There are also a smaller number of sources in the U-boot source code in arch/$ARCH/dts. If you acquired your hardware from a third party, the dts file forms part of the board support package and you should expect to receive one along with the other source files.

The device tree represents a computer system as a collection of components joined together in a hierarchy, like a tree. The device tree begins with a root node, represented by a forward slash, /, which contains subsequent nodes representing the hardware of the system. Each node has a name and contains a number ...