diff --git a/Documentation/pwm.txt b/Documentation/pwm.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c7c5cb1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/pwm.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) interface
+
+This provides an overview about the Linux PWM interface
+
+PWMs are commonly used for controlling LEDs, fans or vibrators in
+cell phones. PWMs with a fixed purpose have no need implementing
+the Linux PWM API (although they could). However, PWMs are often
+found as discrete devices on SoCs which have no fixed purpose. It's
+up to the board designer to connect them to LEDs or fans. To provide
+this kind of flexibility the generic PWM API exists.
+
+Identifying PWMs
+----------------
+
+PWMs are identified by unique ids throughout the system. A platform
+should call pwmchip_reserve() during init time to reserve the id range
+for internal PWMs so that users have a fixed id to refer to specific
+PWMs.
+
+Using PWMs
+----------
+
+A PWM can be requested using pwm_request() and freed after usage with
+pwm_free(). After being requested a PWM has to be configured using
+
+int pwm_config(struct pwm_device *pwm, int duty_ns, int period_ns);
+
+To start/stop toggling the PWM output use pwm_enable()/pwm_disable().
+
+Implementing a PWM driver
+-------------------------
+
+Currently there are two ways to implement pwm drivers. Traditionally
+there only has been the barebone API meaning that each driver has
+to implement the pwm_*() functions itself. This means that it's impossible
+to have multiple PWM drivers in the system. For this reason it's mandatory
+for new drivers to use the generic PWM framework.
+A new PWM device can be added using pwmchip_add() and removed again with
+pwmchip_remove(). pwmchip_add() takes a filled in struct pwm_chip as
+argument which provides the ops and the pwm id to the framework.
+
+Locking
+-------
+
+The PWM core list manipulations are protected by a mutex, so pwm_request()
+and pwm_free() may not be called from an atomic context. Currently the
+PWM core does not enforce any locking to pwm_enable(), pwm_disable() and
+pwm_config(), so the calling context is currently driver specific. This
+is an issue derived from the former barebone API and should be fixed soon.
+
+Helpers
+-------
+
+Currently a PWM can only be configured with period_ns and duty_ns. For several
+use cases freq_hz and duty_percent might be better. Instead of calculating 
+this in your driver please consider adding appropriate helpers to the framework.
diff --git a/MAINTAINERS b/MAINTAINERS
index f0358cd..5a3a713 100644
--- a/MAINTAINERS
+++ b/MAINTAINERS
@@ -5142,6 +5142,11 @@ M:	Robert Jarzmik <robert.jarzmik@free.fr>
 L:	rtc-linux@googlegroups.com
 S:	Maintained
 
+PWM core
+M:	Sascha Hauer <s.hauer@pengutronix.de>
+L:	linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
+S:	Maintained
+
 QLOGIC QLA1280 SCSI DRIVER
 M:	Michael Reed <mdr@sgi.com>
 L:	linux-scsi@vger.kernel.org
diff --git a/drivers/Kconfig b/drivers/Kconfig
index 3bb154d..67f5c27 100644
--- a/drivers/Kconfig
+++ b/drivers/Kconfig
@@ -126,4 +126,6 @@ source "drivers/hwspinlock/Kconfig"
 
 source "drivers/clocksource/Kconfig"
 
+source "drivers/pwm/Kconfig"
+
 endmenu
diff --git a/drivers/Makefile b/drivers/Makefile
index 09f3232..c321763 100644
--- a/drivers/Makefile
+++ b/drivers/Makefile
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #
 
 obj-y				+= gpio/
+obj-y				+= pwm/
 obj-$(CONFIG_PCI)		+= pci/
 obj-$(CONFIG_PARISC)		+= parisc/
 obj-$(CONFIG_RAPIDIO)		+= rapidio/
diff --git a/drivers/pwm/Kconfig b/drivers/pwm/Kconfig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..93c1052
--- /dev/null
+++ b/drivers/pwm/Kconfig
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+menuconfig PWM
+	bool "PWM Support"
+	help
+	  This enables PWM support through the generic PWM framework.
+	  You only need to enable this, if you also want to enable
+	  one or more of the PWM drivers below.
+
+	  If unsure, say N.
+
+if PWM
+
+endif
diff --git a/drivers/pwm/Makefile b/drivers/pwm/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3469c3d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/drivers/pwm/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+obj-$(CONFIG_PWM)		+= core.o
diff --git a/drivers/pwm/core.c b/drivers/pwm/core.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..79dc051
--- /dev/null
+++ b/drivers/pwm/core.c
@@ -0,0 +1,246 @@
+/*
+ * Generic pwmlib implementation
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2011 Sascha Hauer <s.hauer@pengutronix.de>
+ *
+ *  This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ *  it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ *  the Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option)
+ *  any later version.
+ *
+ *  This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ *  but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ *  MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ *  GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ *  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ *  along with this program; see the file COPYING.  If not, write to
+ *  the Free Software Foundation, 675 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
+ */
+#include <linux/module.h>
+#include <linux/pwm.h>
+#include <linux/list.h>
+#include <linux/mutex.h>
+#include <linux/err.h>
+#include <linux/slab.h>
+#include <linux/device.h>
+
+struct pwm_device {
+	struct			pwm_chip *chip;
+	const char		*label;
+	int			enabled;
+	unsigned long		flags;
+#define FLAG_REQUESTED	0
+#define FLAG_ENABLED	1
+	struct list_head	node;
+};
+
+static LIST_HEAD(pwm_list);
+
+static DEFINE_MUTEX(pwm_lock);
+
+static struct pwm_device *find_pwm(int pwm_id)
+{
+	struct pwm_device *pwm;
+
+	list_for_each_entry(pwm, &pwm_list, node) {
+		if (pwm->chip->pwm_id == pwm_id)
+			return pwm;
+	}
+
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+/*
+ * The next pwm id to assign. We do not bother to fill gaps which
+ * occur during dynamic registering/deregistering of pwms, but
+ * instead assign a uniq id to each new pwm.
+ */
+static int next_pwm_id;
+
+/**
+ * pwmchip_reserve() - reserve range of pwms to use with platform code only
+ * @npwms: number of pwms to reserve
+ * Context: platform init
+ *
+ * Maybe called only once. It reserves the first pwm_ids for platform use so
+ * that they can refer to pwm_ids during compile time.
+ */
+int __init pwmchip_reserve(int npwms)
+{
+	if (next_pwm_id)
+		return -EBUSY;
+
+	next_pwm_id = npwms;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/**
+ * pwmchip_add() - register a new pwm
+ * @chip: the pwm
+ *
+ * register a new pwm. pwm->pwm_id must be initialized. if pwm_id < 0 then
+ * a dynamically assigned id will be used, otherwise the id specified,
+ */
+int pwmchip_add(struct pwm_chip *chip)
+{
+	struct pwm_device *pwm;
+	int ret = 0;
+
+	pwm = kzalloc(sizeof(*pwm), GFP_KERNEL);
+	if (!pwm)
+		return -ENOMEM;
+
+	pwm->chip = chip;
+
+	mutex_lock(&pwm_lock);
+
+	if (chip->pwm_id >= 0 && find_pwm(chip->pwm_id)) {
+		ret = -EBUSY;
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	if (chip->pwm_id < 0)
+		chip->pwm_id = next_pwm_id++;
+
+	list_add_tail(&pwm->node, &pwm_list);
+out:
+	mutex_unlock(&pwm_lock);
+
+	kfree(pwm);
+
+	return ret;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(pwmchip_add);
+
+/**
+ * pwmchip_remove() - remove a pwm
+ * @chip: the pwm
+ *
+ * remove a pwm. This function may return busy if the pwm is still requested.
+ */
+int pwmchip_remove(struct pwm_chip *chip)
+{
+	struct pwm_device *pwm;
+	int ret = 0;
+
+	mutex_lock(&pwm_lock);
+
+	pwm = find_pwm(chip->pwm_id);
+	if (!pwm) {
+		ret = -ENOENT;
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	if (test_bit(FLAG_REQUESTED, &pwm->flags)) {
+		ret = -EBUSY;
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	list_del(&pwm->node);
+out:
+	mutex_unlock(&pwm_lock);
+
+	return ret;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(pwmchip_remove);
+
+/*
+ * pwm_request - request a PWM device
+ */
+struct pwm_device *pwm_request(int pwm_id, const char *label)
+{
+	struct pwm_device *pwm;
+	int ret;
+
+	mutex_lock(&pwm_lock);
+
+	pwm = find_pwm(pwm_id);
+	if (!pwm) {
+		pwm = ERR_PTR(-ENOENT);
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	if (test_bit(FLAG_REQUESTED, &pwm->flags)) {
+		pwm = ERR_PTR(-EBUSY);
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	if (!try_module_get(pwm->chip->owner)) {
+		pwm = ERR_PTR(-ENODEV);
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	if (pwm->chip->ops->request) {
+		ret = pwm->chip->ops->request(pwm->chip);
+		if (ret) {
+			pwm = ERR_PTR(ret);
+			goto out_put;
+		}
+	}
+
+	pwm->label = label;
+	set_bit(FLAG_REQUESTED, &pwm->flags);
+
+	goto out;
+
+out_put:
+	module_put(pwm->chip->owner);
+out:
+	mutex_unlock(&pwm_lock);
+
+	return pwm;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(pwm_request);
+
+/*
+ * pwm_free - free a PWM device
+ */
+void pwm_free(struct pwm_device *pwm)
+{
+	mutex_lock(&pwm_lock);
+
+	if (!test_and_clear_bit(FLAG_REQUESTED, &pwm->flags)) {
+		pr_warning("PWM device already freed\n");
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	pwm->label = NULL;
+
+	module_put(pwm->chip->owner);
+out:
+	mutex_unlock(&pwm_lock);
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(pwm_free);
+
+/*
+ * pwm_config - change a PWM device configuration
+ */
+int pwm_config(struct pwm_device *pwm, int duty_ns, int period_ns)
+{
+	return pwm->chip->ops->config(pwm->chip, duty_ns, period_ns);
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(pwm_config);
+
+/*
+ * pwm_enable - start a PWM output toggling
+ */
+int pwm_enable(struct pwm_device *pwm)
+{
+	if (!test_and_set_bit(FLAG_ENABLED, &pwm->flags))
+		return pwm->chip->ops->enable(pwm->chip);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(pwm_enable);
+
+/*
+ * pwm_disable - stop a PWM output toggling
+ */
+void pwm_disable(struct pwm_device *pwm)
+{
+	if (test_and_clear_bit(FLAG_ENABLED, &pwm->flags))
+		pwm->chip->ops->disable(pwm->chip);
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(pwm_disable);
diff --git a/include/linux/pwm.h b/include/linux/pwm.h
index 7c77575..bc97cc7 100644
--- a/include/linux/pwm.h
+++ b/include/linux/pwm.h
@@ -28,4 +28,42 @@ int pwm_enable(struct pwm_device *pwm);
  */
 void pwm_disable(struct pwm_device *pwm);
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_PWM
+struct pwm_chip;
+
+/**
+ * struct pwm_ops - PWM operations
+ * @request: optional hook for requesting a PWM
+ * @free: optional hook for freeing a PWM
+ * @config: configure duty cycles and period length for this PWM
+ * @enable: enable PWM output toggling
+ * @disable: disable PWM output toggling
+ */
+struct pwm_ops {
+	int			(*request)(struct pwm_chip *chip);
+	void			(*free)(struct pwm_chip *chip);
+	int			(*config)(struct pwm_chip *chip, int duty_ns,
+						int period_ns);
+	int			(*enable)(struct pwm_chip *chip);
+	void			(*disable)(struct pwm_chip *chip);
+};
+
+/**
+ * struct pwm_chip - abstract a PWM
+ * @label: for diagnostics
+ * @owner: helps prevent removal of modules exporting active PWMs
+ * @ops: The callbacks for this PWM
+ */
+struct pwm_chip {
+	int			pwm_id;
+	const char		*label;
+	struct module		*owner;
+	struct pwm_ops		*ops;
+};
+
+int __must_check pwmchip_reserve(int npwms);
+int pwmchip_add(struct pwm_chip *chip);
+int pwmchip_remove(struct pwm_chip *chip);
+#endif
+
 #endif /* __LINUX_PWM_H */
