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By Zayden R., August 5, 2026
AMD has proposed a new Linux subsystem for the Enhanced Serial Peripheral Interface (eSPI), originally developed by Intel. This includes a new AMD eSPI driver, marking a significant development for BIOS and peripheral communication.
AMD has taken a step forward in hardware communication by proposing a new Linux subsystem for the Enhanced Serial Peripheral Interface (eSPI), a standard initially developed by Intel. This proposal includes a new driver for AMD hardware, aiming to streamline communication between BIOS, system controllers, and peripherals like TPMs. The eSPI standard serves as a modern alternative to the older LPC interface and traditional SPI, providing a more efficient communication protocol.
Krishnamoorthi M from AMD initiated the discussion on the Linux kernel mailing list, questioning whether the new AMD eSPI work should extend the existing SPI subsystem or be introduced as a new bus type. The patches submitted lean towards the latter, introducing a fresh eSPI subsystem. The initial implementation includes an AMD eSPI driver, which has already been tested and validated on the AMDI0070 platform.
However, this new subsystem is not without its limitations. Currently, it lacks Device Tree support, as it relies solely on ACPI. Moreover, the enumeration of slave devices is manual, and some operations are slated for future updates. Despite these initial constraints, this development could be a solid improvement for engineers who rely on efficient peripheral communication.
For those interested in the technical details, the patch series is available on the kernel mailing list, providing an opportunity for the community to engage with and contribute to this evolving subsystem. As AMD continues to refine this approach, it will be interesting to see how it impacts the broader Linux ecosystem and hardware integration.
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