Framebuffer(帧缓冲)是Linux为显示设备提供的一个接口，把显存抽象后的一种设备，它允许上层应用程序在图形模式下直接对显示缓冲区进行读写操作。Framebuffer是LCD对应的一种件抽象层，提供抽象统一的操作接口，用户不必关心硬件层是如何实现。这些都是由Framebuffer设备驱动来完成的。
帧缓冲设备对应的设备文件为/dev/fb*，如果系统有多个显示卡，Linux下还可支持多个帧缓冲设备，最多可达32个，分别为/dev/fb0到 /dev/fb31，而/dev/fb则为当前缺省的帧缓冲设备，通常指向/dev/fb0，在嵌入式系统中支持一个显示设备就够了。帧缓冲设备为标准字符设备，主设备号为29，次设备号则从0到31。分别对应/dev/fb0-/dev/fb31。
在linux/fd.h目录下定义了linux framebuffer的数据结构体。
struct fb_info {
atomic_t count;
int node;
int flags;
struct mutex lock; /* Lock for open/release/ioctl funcs */
struct mutex mm_lock; /* Lock for fb_mmap and smem_* fields */
struct fb_var_screeninfo var; /* 当前可变的参数 */
struct fb_fix_screeninfo fix; /* 当前固定的参数 */
struct fb_monspecs monspecs; /* 描述当前显示器的特有固定信息*/
struct work_struct queue; /* Framebuffer event queue */
struct fb_pixmap pixmap; /* Image hardware mapper */
struct fb_pixmap sprite; /* Cursor hardware mapper */
struct fb_cmap cmap; /* 当前颜色映射表 */
struct list_head modelist; /* mode list */
struct fb_videomode *mode; /* current mode */
#ifdef CONFIG_FB_BACKLIGHT
/* assigned backlight device */
/* set before framebuffer registration,
remove after unregister */
struct backlight_device *bl_dev;
/* Backlight level curve */
struct mutex bl_curve_mutex;
u8 bl_curve[FB_BACKLIGHT_LEVELS];
#endif
#ifdef CONFIG_FB_DEFERRED_IO
struct delayed_work deferred_work;
struct fb_deferred_io *fbdefio;
#endif
struct fb_ops *fbops; /*指向当前显示器的特有固定的信息,可以通过ioctl()系统调用操作设备*/
struct device *device; /* This is the parent */
struct device *dev; /* This is this fb device */
int class_flag; /* private sysfs flags */
#ifdef CONFIG_FB_TILEBLITTING
struct fb_tile_ops *tileops; /* Tile Blitting */
#endif
char __iomem *screen_base; /* Virtual address */
unsigned long screen_size; /* Amount of ioremapped VRAM or 0 */
void *pseudo_palette; /* Fake palette of 16 colors */
#define FBINFO_STATE_RUNNING 0
#define FBINFO_STATE_SUSPENDED 1
u32 state; /* Hardware state i.e suspend */
void *fbcon_par; /* fbcon use-only private area */
/* From here on everything is device dependent */
void *par;
/* we need the PCI or similar aperture base/size not
smem_start/size as smem_start may just be an object
allocated inside the aperture so may not actually overlap */
struct apertures_struct {
unsigned int count;
struct aperture {
resource_size_t base;
resource_size_t size;
} ranges[0];
} *apertures;
};
struct fb_fix_screeninfo 这个结构体用来描述设备无关，不可变更的信息。用户可以使用FBIOGET_FSCREENINFO命令来获得这些信息。
struct fb_fix_screeninfo {
char id[16]; /* identification string eg "TT Builtin" */
unsigned long smem_start; /* 描述缓冲起始地址(物理地址) */
__u32 smem_len; /*描述缓冲区长度 */
__u32 type; /* 描述fb类型，比如TFT或STN类型* */
__u32 type_aux; /* Interleave for interleaved Planes */
__u32 visual; /*描述显示颜色是真彩色，伪彩色,还是单色 */
__u16 xpanstep; /* zero if no hardware panning */
__u16 ypanstep; /* zero if no hardware panning */
__u16 ywrapstep; /* zero if no hardware ywrap */
__u32 line_length; /* length of a line in bytes */
unsigned long mmio_start; /* I/O内存映射起始地址,物理地址 */
__u32 mmio_len; /* Length of Memory Mapped I/O */
__u32 accel; /* Indicate to driver which */
/* specific chip/card we have */
__u16 capabilities; /* see FB_CAP_* */
__u16 reserved[2]; /* Reserved for future compatibility */
};
struct fb_var_screeninfo该结构描述设备无关的，可以更改的配置信息。应用程序可以使用FBIOGET_VSCREENINFO命令来获得这些信息，使用FBIOPUT_VSCREENIFO命令写入这些信息
struct fb_var_screeninfo {
__u32 xres; /* visible resolution */
__u32 yres;
__u32 xres_virtual; /* virtual resolution */
__u32 yres_virtual;
__u32 xoffset; /* offset from virtual to visible */
__u32 yoffset; /* resolution */
__u32 bits_per_pixel; /* guess what */
__u32 grayscale; /* 0 = color, 1 = grayscale, */
/* >1 = FOURCC */
struct fb_bitfield red; /* bitfield in fb mem if true color, */
struct fb_bitfield green; /* else only length is significant */
struct fb_bitfield blue;
struct fb_bitfield transp; /* transparency */
__u32 nonstd; /* != 0 Non standard pixel format */
__u32 activate; /* see FB_ACTIVATE_* */
__u32 height; /* height of picture in mm */
__u32 width; /* width of picture in mm */
__u32 accel_flags; /* (OBSOLETE) see fb_info.flags */
/* Timing: All values in pixclocks, except pixclock (of course) */
__u32 pixclock; /* pixel clock in ps (pico seconds) */
__u32 left_margin; /* time from sync to picture */
__u32 right_margin; /* time from picture to sync */
__u32 upper_margin; /* time from sync to picture */
__u32 lower_margin;
__u32 hsync_len; /* length of horizontal sync */
__u32 vsync_len; /* length of vertical sync */
__u32 sync; /* see FB_SYNC_* */
__u32 vmode; /* see FB_VMODE_* */
__u32 rotate; /* angle we rotate counter clockwise */
__u32 colorspace; /* colorspace for FOURCC-based modes */
__u32 reserved[4]; /* Reserved for future compatibility */
};