NVIDIA Tegra Memory Controller and External Memory Controller
Platform support for the memory controller and external memory controller blocks inside NVIDIA's Tegra systems-on-chip, which power Jetson embedded modules used in robotics, automotive, and edge AI. The hardware handles DRAM access, memory client arbitration, and error reporting from older Tegra parts up through current Orin and upcoming Tegra264.
recommendation
It should stay because the code is actively maintained by NVIDIA engineers, with patches as recent as early 2026 adding support for new Tegra264/T238 silicon. Jetson Orin modules are still sold new and NVIDIA's official lifecycle page guarantees availability into the 2032-2035 timeframe, so this is core platform support for current shipping hardware, not a legacy driver.
repository signals
sources
- lore.kernel.org
Upstream activity is current: March 31, 2026 patch adds T238 memory-controller support in drivers/memory/tegra.
- lore.kernel.org
Upstream is still adding feature work for new Tegra silicon: February 26, 2026 patch adds MC error logging support for Tegra264.
- developer.nvidia.com
Official NVIDIA lifecycle page lists Jetson AGX Orin, Orin NX, Orin Nano, and T5000 availability extending into 2032-2035, so related Tegra hardware is still sold new after 2025.
- nvidia.com
Official product page markets Jetson Orin production modules for current embedded/robotics deployments, indicating ongoing non-legacy use.
codex reasoning notes (technical)
`drivers/memory/tegra` is an active Tegra SoC memory-controller/external-memory-controller driver, not a legacy orphan. `lore_file_timeline` on `drivers/memory/tegra/mc.c` showed heavy recent traffic through 2026, including new T238/Tegra264 enablement, which argues strongly against deprecation or removal. No replacement driver exists because this code is the platform-specific MC/EMC support for Tegra SoCs. Deployment evidence came from official NVIDIA pages found via `web.search_query`: Jetson Orin production modules remain marketed, and the lifecycle page shows multiple Tegra-derived modules available well beyond 2025. Sources obtained via `lore_file_timeline` and `web.search_query`.