AMD SFH Linux Driver Updated For "Next Gen" Ryzen Laptops
Since 2018 with AMD Ryzen laptops there has been the Sensor Fusion Hub for various accelerometer/gyroscopic sensor functionality, among other uses and akin to Intel's Sensor Hub. It wasn't though until January 2020 that AMD published their SFH driver for Linux.
But while that code was published at the start of last year, the SFH driver wasn't merged until late 2020 for the Linux 5.11 kernel due to requiring multiple revisions before it was ready for mainline acceptance. Granted, SFH isn't critical functionality for most users, but still unfortunate it took nearly three years to be mainlined.
Now the next chapter are the SFH updates slated for Linux 5.14 with its merge window opening in the next week or two. The HID "for-next" Git branch has pulled in the AMD SFH updates for this next kernel.
Notable with the SFH driver is preparing it for multi-generation support with the initial Linux driver only supporting the first-generation SFH platforms. That was followed up by extending it for "AMD next generation SoC's, but in this case it's next generation for what the driver supports but unfortunately current and prior generation for what's actually to market.
The Linux support is a bit late here.
"Extend ALS support for AMD next generation SoC's like Renoir, Cezanne." AMD Renoir was launched back in January 2020 (prior to the initial AMD SFH Linux driver being even published) as their Zen 2 + Vega APU successor to Picasso. Cezanne at least are this year's current-generation Zen 3 APUs up through the Ryzen 9 5980HX. So in this case the "next generation" while new to the Linux driver is quite far behind but at least in-step this also now supports Cezanne.
The SFH work for Linux 5.14 is rounded out by HPD sensor support for Human Presence Detection on supported platforms.
Linux 5.14 should be out in time to power autumn 2021 Linux distributions. At least SFH isn't really necessary for most Linux users and all core functionality on Renoir has been in good shape. I'm still working on getting my hands on a Cezanne laptop for Linux testing to report more there. On that Cezanne front it's still been difficult finding laptops in-stock in the US that aren't powered by NVIDIA RTX graphics (given most Linux users preferring Radeon graphics) or $2k+ for the new Ryzen PRO ThinkPads. But hopefully soon will find an interesting model available for Linux testing. Anyhow, at least AMD is making more progress in making more Linux hires and planning for enhanced Linux support moving ahead.
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