MediaTek SoC pin controllers
Pin multiplexing and GPIO configuration logic for MediaTek's system-on-chip processors, spanning Wi-Fi router chips like the Filogic MT7981/MT7988, embedded application processors like the Genio MT8395 and MT8196, and earlier ARM SoCs used in tablets, set-top boxes, Chromebooks, and IoT devices. It tells the SoC which physical pins should act as UART, I2C, SPI, Ethernet, GPIO, and so on.
recommendation
It should stay in the kernel because it covers the pin multiplexing and GPIO routing for MediaTek's current SoC lineup, including the MT7988 Filogic router platform and the Genio 1200 embedded family that MediaTek has committed to selling through 2032. Upstream patches were still landing in 2025, and there is no replacement: each new MediaTek SoC adds another file here.
repository signals
sources
- lore.kernel.org
Upstream work is active in 2025 on Mediatek pinctrl code, indicating ongoing maintenance rather than retirement.
- genio.mediatek.com
MediaTek still markets Genio 1200/MT8395-class embedded SoCs with longevity through 2032, showing current/new deployments for this driver family.
- mediatek.com
MediaTek still markets new Filogic router/AP platforms, indicating ongoing new-networking-device deployments within the supported SoC family.
- cateee.net
The in-tree driver directory covers current MT7988 hardware in mainline Linux, tying the directory to present-generation MediaTek SoCs.
codex reasoning notes (technical)
Real driver directory: local tree inspection via shell showed many SoC-specific source files including recent families such as mt7988 and mt8196. lore_file_timeline on drivers/pinctrl/mediatek/pinctrl-mt7981.c returned 2025-2026 patch traffic and the cited lore URL; a removal-focused lore_regex query timed out, and no removal discussion was surfaced within budget. Web search returned the cited MediaTek Genio and Filogic product pages plus LKDDb for CONFIG_PINCTRL_MT7988. Conclusion: this is an actively maintained, SoC-specific pinctrl family for MediaTek chips still shipping into routers, IoT, and embedded products, with no natural replacement driver beyond the per-SoC Mediatek pinctrl implementations.