vsf-hal-driver

name: vsf-hal-driver description: Create, implement, audit, and debug VSF HAL LV0 drivers. Handles register-level bugs in .c files (clock gates, IRQ handlers, register writes). Delegates build/flash/test to vsf-bench. metadata: version: "1.0" license: Apache-2.0

UTILITY SKILL — delegates build/flash/test to vsf-bench skill. Read concepts first if unfamiliar with VSF terms (LV0, IMP_LV0, VSF_MCONNECT).

USE FOR:

• Full chip port: vendor UART echo → VSF skeleton → test framework → peripheral → clock verify → full suite
• Adding peripherals to existing chip ports (register-level .c/.h driver code, not just pinmux wiring)
• Debugging LV0 driver register/IRQ/clock/DMA bugs

DO NOT USE FOR:

• Build, flash, or test only (use vsf-bench)
• Pinmux-only changes with no .c/.h driver code written
• LV1/LV2 layers or framework wrappers (use diagnose skill)
• Crashes where a bug ABOVE LV0 passes bad data to a driver — if the crash reproduces with a known-good driver, it is LV1/LV2; use diagnose skill

Quickstart

Scope rule: If the bug is inside a vsf_hw_*.c file, it is LV0 and in scope. If the bug is in glue code that calls the driver incorrectly, it is LV1/LV2 and out of scope.

New chip port (6 rungs)

Do not skip rungs. Each rung assumes earlier rungs hold. Detailed per-rung steps: porting.

Done when: All peripherals in vsf_usr_cfg.h pass vsf-bench --all hardware-map.yml. This is the final regression gate — --all without --suite runs every enabled suite and is time-consuming. During development, use --suite to run only the peripheral you're working on (see Verify step below).

If no hardware: All static checks (skeleton + structure + quality + audit) exit 0 or 2 = structurally sound; flag hardware testing as pending.

Handoffs: vsf-bench for build/flash; diagnose skill for LV1/LV2 crashes. If a task requires both LV0 driver changes and LV1 glue, complete LV0 first then hand off LV1.

Add peripheral (enter at R3 — assumes R0-R2 already pass)

Implement:

1. Scaffold: scripts/scaffold/peripheral.py --driver-dir source/hal/driver --chip Vendor/Chip --periph <name> — if scripts/ don't exist yet, copy template from vsf/demo/template/hal/driver/<periph>/
2. Implement register operations in .c/.h; use VSF_MCONNECT(..., __IDX) for instance prefixing — VSF_MCONNECT is a token-paste macro that builds per-instance names from device.h macros; never hardcode instance names like vsf_hw_uart0
3. Add IMP_LV0 invocation per instance — IMP_LV0 expands per-instance structs and IRQ handlers from device.h macros (reg base, IRQn, rst_bit, clk_bit). For new ports, derive these macros from vendor SDK headers (register base addresses, IRQn enums, reset/clock bit positions)
4. Add pinmux in board/<board>/vsf_board.c using vsf_gpio_port_config_pins() — not raw register writes
5. Enable: scripts/util/enable.py --enable <periph> <vsf_usr_cfg.h> — sets #define VSF_HAL_USE_<PERIPH> ENABLED in the config header. For a brand new chip, copy an existing vsf_usr_cfg.h from a similar chip port as starting template

Check: 6. Skeleton: scripts/check/skeleton.py <template.c> <driver.c> — verify signatures and structs match template 7. Static: scripts/check/structure.py --periph <name> --side header <file.h> and --side source <file.c>; scripts/check/quality.py <file.c> 8. Audit: scripts/check/audit.py --chip Vendor/Chip — cross-file consistency

Verify: 9. vsf-bench --all hardware-map.yml --suite <periph>_<scenario>

• Testing strategy: --suite <name> limits the run to one peripheral's tests — fast, targeted feedback during development. --all without --suite runs every enabled suite (build + flash + all tests), which is slow. Only use --all without --suite for final regression after all peripherals are done.
• If firmware is already flashed and you only need to re-run tests (no code changed): vsf-bench --test hardware-map.yml --suite <periph>_<scenario> skips build and flash.
• If vsf-bench unavailable: run static checks (steps 6-8) only; flag to user that hardware testing is pending
• If serial not responding: check hardware-map serial config and re-flash; run gpio_io_check first to rule out wiring

Debug driver

When a driver compiles but produces no I/O (TX, clock, data — nothing on logic analyzer):

Most common:

1. Check init() for the three required steps:
   • Reset deassert: reset_hw->reset &= ~rst_bit;
   • Clock gate: clock_hw->enable |= clk_bit;
   • NVIC enable: NVIC_EnableIRQ(irqn); with priority from cfg_ptr->prio
2. Check IRQ handler name matches the IMP_LV0 expansion — mismatch = ISR never fires
3. Check DMA: DMA clock enabled in RCC/clock controller; channel mapped to peripheral per reference manual
4. Run gpio_io_check suite to rule out wiring before suspecting driver logic

Less common: 5. Check volatile on register pointers; spin-wait loops need // < X us annotation 6. Check watchdog_hw->tick = N | WATCHDOG_TICK_ENABLE_BITS in driver.c — missing this makes systimer run at wrong frequency, causing 100× timing errors caught by logic analyzer

Stuck after checking all above? (Markers = serial test markers sent by vsf-bench framework over UART)

• Markers arrive but tests fail: driver logic is wrong — run scripts/check/audit.py --chip Vendor/Chip to catch cross-file mismatches, then review register writes against reference manual
• No markers at all: firmware crashed before reaching test code — check vsf_driver_init() return value, add printf after each init step
• vsf-bench exits non-zero: distinguish infrastructure failure (serial/wiring) from test failure (driver bug)
• Tests pass but hardware still misbehaves intermittently: add volatile to register pointers, check spin-wait annotations, verify DMA channel arbitration
• Scripts produce unexpected errors (Python import, wrong version): check Python 3.11+ and pip install -e vsf.demo/vsf/test/vsf_bench

When scripts fail

If scripts/ don't exist yet (fresh port): skip checks 6-8; verify manually that device.h macros match vendor SDK headers, then proceed to step 9. Add scripts/ later.

Full troubleshooting: troubleshooting.

Example: Mode bits via if/else

Symptom: init() uses verbose if/else chains to translate VSF mode bits into hardware register bits.

Fix: Redefine the mode enum in chip-specific .h so values directly encode register bits (convention 8), then extract with a single mask in .c. See examples for before/after code.

Reference

Modules marked (required) are blocking — skill cannot proceed without them.

• concepts (required) — LV0, IMP_LV0, VSF_MCONNECT, reimplement-type macros, exit codes
• conventions (required) — 15 conventions enforced by scripts/check/quality.py
• examples — Unsupported config, unused fields, mode bits via if/else
• troubleshooting — Script failures, runtime failures, iteration loop
• porting — Detailed per-rung steps for new chip port
• reference — Common patterns, script reference, peripheral specs