Hisilicon Kirin 980 | Driver

The HiSilicon Kirin 980 does not have a single "driver" that users typically download like a printer or graphics card. Because it is a System-on-a-Chip (SoC) used in Android devices, its drivers are integrated directly into the Android firmware (Kernel) provided by the device manufacturer (Huawei or Honor). Driver Availability & Management

2x Large Cores: For sustained performance during multi-tasking. hisilicon kirin 980 driver

Current status (as of 2025)

• Boot support – limited, some platforms (Hi3670 / Kirin 980) have basic device trees.
• UART – works early for debugging.
• CPU – works via ARM64 generic support.
• GIC, timers, PMU – OK.
• GPU – ARM Mali G76 needs panfrost driver (works on mainline).
• Display – Hisilicon display controller (DPT) not yet mainlined.
• Storage (UFS) – working in some trees.
• USB – works with DWC3.
• I2C/GPIO/MMC – mostly OK.
• NPU – no mainline driver.

The HiSilicon Kirin 980 driver is a critical component of the chip, enabling its various features and managing its performance and power consumption. As the demand for high-performance mobile devices continues to grow, the Kirin 980 and its driver will play a key role in delivering exceptional user experiences. By understanding the technical details of the driver, developers and engineers can unlock the full potential of the Kirin 980 and create innovative applications and features. The HiSilicon Kirin 980 does not have a

Huawei’s HiAI framework interfaces directly with a proprietary kernel module (hisi_npu.ko) that has never been released to the public. Without this driver, the NPU is a dead piece of silicon on any non-EMUI OS. Community efforts to reverse engineer it have stalled due to the complexity of the Da Vinci architecture and the lack of documentation. Boot support – limited, some platforms (Hi3670 /