The Linux Hardware Monitoring Subsystem: Architecture, Implementation, and Programming Interface

Anish Kumar

Abstract: The Linux Hardware Monitoring (HWMON) subsystem provides a standardized framework for monitoring hardware sensors in Linux systems. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the HWMON subsystem?s architecture, implementation details, and programming interface. We examine the core components, sensor types, data structures, and interfaces that enable hardware monitoring across diverse devices. The paper includes implementation examples, discusses the sysfs interface, and explores the relationship between device drivers, event handlers, and user-space applications in the Linux kernel.

Keywords: Linux kernel, HWMON, Sensors