Non-discoverable Devices in PCI Devices - Modern Hardware Challenges

Explore the challenges and solutions for non-discoverable devices in PCI systems in this Linux Plumbers Conference talk. Delve into modern PCI devices that can expose multiple hardware components behind a single PCI "device", and learn about the complexities of discovering and configuring these non-fixed downstream devices. Examine specific use cases, including AMD/Xilinx Alveo Accelerator cards and Microchip LAN9662 Ethernet controllers. Discover how Devicetree and dynamic DT overlays can be utilized to address these issues. Investigate the necessary kernel modifications, such as generating PCI device DT nodes and enabling Devicetree on non-DT systems like x86_64. Consider the potential of SSDT overlays for ACPI-based systems and discuss the implications of using DT overlay mechanisms across different architectures. Gain insights into the ongoing efforts to improve hardware discovery and configuration in complex PCI environments.