edma_alloc_slot(9)

🎀 edma_alloc_slot(9) 🎀

okay so bestie, this little icon is from the Kernel API Manual, and it's literally all about grabbing a DMA parameter RAM slot. no cap. let's get into it 💅

✨ NAME ✨

edma_alloc_slot — allocate DMA parameter RAM. periodt.

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

int edma_alloc_slot (struct edma_cc *ecc , int slot );

🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

• ecc — pointer to edma_cc struct. yep, that's the one.
• slot — specific slot to allocate; negative for "any unused slot". so if you don't care which one, go negative, iykyk.

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

This allocates a parameter RAM slot, initializing it to hold a dummy transfer. (dummy transfer = placeholder energy, but keep it moving ✨)

Slots allocated using this routine have not been mapped to a hardware DMA channel, and will normally be used by linking to them from a slot associated with a DMA channel — so they're lowkey waiting for that link-up. 🔗

Normal use is to pass EDMA_SLOT_ANY as the slot, but specific slots may be allocated on behalf of DSP firmware. so yes, you can ask for a particular one when DSP firmware needs it. 💅

Returns the number of the slot, else negative errno. that's the vibe check: number means slay, negative means something went wrong. 😭

🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

Kernel file ./drivers/dma/ti/edma.c — also go peek at edma_link(9) and edma_get_position(9). bestie, the lore is right there. 👑

sign-off time 🫶 this page came from ./drivers/dma/ti, dated October 2026, and it's literally called edma_alloc_slot(9). no cap, that's the whole footer vibe. 💖