linux-drivers/
drivers/media/spi

Sony CXD2880 DVB-T/T2 tuner and Semtech GS1662 HD-SDI serializer (SPI-attached)

Two niche SPI-connected media chips: Sony's CXD2880, a digital TV (DVB-T/T2) tuner-demodulator from a 2016 broadcast front-end generation used in USB and embedded TV receivers, and Semtech (formerly Gennum) GS1662, an HD-SDI video serializer used in professional broadcast video equipment.

keep-annotate conf=0.72 last_sold=2025 deploy=low replacement=none subsystem=media category=media-other
72%

recommendation

Worth keeping but documenting as niche broadcast-media hardware rather than mainstream consumer gear. Both drivers received routine upstream maintenance during 2024 and 2025, and Semtech still lists the GS1662 in its current broadcast-video catalog, so the code is neither abandoned nor obsolete; however, deployments are small and specialised (DVB-T2 receivers and SDI broadcast gear) so users and packagers should not expect wide demand.

repository signals

4 files
1,150 source lines
13 commits, 5y
+52 / −68 lines added / removed, 5y
9 authors, 5y
monthly commits · 2021-04-21 → 2026-04-21 · 13 total · active in 9/61 months
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sources

  1. lore.kernel.org

    cxd2880-spi.c still received an upstream touch in 2025, via a SPI API-safety fix affecting the driver.

  2. lore.kernel.org

    cxd2880-spi.c also saw media-side maintenance in 2024, indicating it is not abandoned.

  3. lore.kernel.org

    gs1662.c received API-maintenance work in 2024.

  4. lore.kernel.org

    gs1662.c also received cleanup work in 2024; recent lore activity shows maintenance rather than removal discussion.

  5. sony.com

    Sony announced its related broadcast tuner/demodulator generation in 2016, showing the CXD28xx TV front-end family is an older broadcast part family rather than a new 2025 design win.

  6. semtech.com

    Semtech still publishes current broadcast-video selector guides/product guides, indicating the broadcast-video line remains an active product area.

  7. semtech.com

    Semtech's current product catalog lists GS1662 among broadcast-video parts, which is evidence that at least one chipset family covered by this directory was still marketed in 2025/2026.

codex reasoning notes (technical)

Real driver directory with two loadable media/SPI drivers. Local source inspection via shell identified Sony CXD2880 and Gennum/Semtech GS1662. lore_file_timeline on both .c files showed touches in 2024-2025 and no evidence of an active removal series; attempted lore_path_mentions/lore_regex removal scans timed out, so the strongest lore evidence is the recent maintenance patches cited above. Web search found Sony's 2016 CXD-family launch press release and Semtech's current product-guide/catalog pages; together they suggest mixed status: CXD2880 is an older broadcast tuner family, while GS1662 still appears in current vendor collateral. That supports low, niche deployments today and argues against deprecation/removal. Keep the drivers, but annotate as niche/legacy-media hardware rather than broadly deployed mainstream devices.