16c95x Serial Port Driver May 2026

16C95x serial port driver — background, design, and implementation guide

Appendix:

Here is a sample code snippet that demonstrates the implementation of the 16C95X serial port driver:

  • High throughput – Large FIFOs reduce CPU interrupts, ideal for 921.6 kbps+ speeds.
  • Robust flow control – Supports auto RTS/CTS and XON/XOFF offloading, minimizing data loss.
  • Standard interface – Follows 16550A-compatible registers, but extended features (FIFO trigger levels, sleep mode) are accessible via additional registers.
  • Linux integration – Mainline kernel includes serial/8250/8250_exar.c or 8250_pci.c with proper 16C95x quirks. Works with 8250 core, handling up to 128-byte FIFOs correctly (unlike generic 16550A driver).
  • Interrupt sharing – Supports edge/level interrupts; modern drivers handle IRQ sharing well.

Note that this is a simplified example and may require modifications to work with a specific operating system and hardware configuration. 16c95x serial port driver