Linux 5.19 To Upstream Driver For Raspberry Pi's Sense HAT Joystick

Queued up into the input subsystem's for-next branch ahead of Linux 5.19 is a new driver for supporting the Raspberry Pi Sense HAT Joystick.

The mainline Linux 5.19 kernel this summer is set to land this driver for handling the joystick input from the Sense HAT. Raspberry Pi developed the Sense HAT as an add-on board for the Astro Pi mission that took the Raspberry Pi and accompanied hardware to the International Space Station.

Raspberry Pi Sense HAT

The Sense HAT though can be bought via traditional retail channels now as a $30 add-on board for the Raspberry Pi single board computers. The Raspberry Pi Sense HAT provides an 8x8 RGB LED matrix, a five button joystick, and sensors for gyroscope / accelerometer / magnetometer / temperature / barometric pressure / humidity. But in the case of this new driver it's just about being able to handle the joystick input support from the mainline kernel as a conventional input driver.

Those wishing to learn more about the Sense HAT can do so at RaspberryPi.com. This driver code has long been available out-of-tree since written originally back in 2015 but is now finally in input's next branch thanks to the work of several Red Hat engineers working on this joystick driver.