# Linux 7.5 adds embedded controller drivers for decade-old ASUS Transformer 2-in-1 tablets

> **Key takeaway:** New kernel drivers for the Nuvoton NPCE795 embedded controller will enable proper charger, battery, LED, keyboard, touchpad, and multimedia key support on aging ASUS Transformer hybrid devices with NVIDIA Tegra and Intel Atom SoCs.

**Published:** 2026-11-12T11:26:17+00:00 
**Source:** Phoronix Benchmarks & Drivers 
**Category:** kernel-os 
**Canonical URL:** https://fosswire.org/news/linux-75-adds-embedded-controller-drivers-for-decade-old-asu.html 

## Summary
The Linux 7.5 kernel, expected in 2027, is gaining comprehensive driver support for ASUS Transformer hybrid laptops and tablets first released roughly ten years ago. Patches queued in the mfd-next Git branch introduce a new embedded controller driver along with sub-drivers for charger control, battery management, LED handling, and input devices on the Transformer dock.

The affected hardware spans multiple models with Nuvoton NPCE795-based embedded controllers, including the TF201, TF300T, TF300TG, TF300TL, TF700T, TF101 dock, TF600T, P1801-T, and TF701T. The keyboard and touchpad drivers specifically remap keycodes that previously produced incorrect outputs given their physical layout, and add special handling for the multimedia button row on the Mobile Dock keyboard.

## Embedded controller and input subsystem changes
- **New embedded controller driver:** A dedicated driver for the Nuvoton NPCE795 EC used across ASUS Transformer hardware provides the foundation for all other subsystem support.
- **Power management sub-drivers:** Separate drivers handle charger control and battery monitoring, enabling proper power state reporting and management on these hybrid devices.
- **LED subsystem support:** A dedicated driver exposes the Transformer hardware's LED indicators to the Linux LED class framework.
- **Input device fixes:** The dock keyboard driver corrects keycode mappings that previously produced nonsensical outputs for certain keys based on their physical positioning.
- **Multimedia key handling:** Special driver logic addresses the top button row on the ASUS Transformer Mobile Dock keyboard, which requires non-standard processing for proper Linux input event generation.

## Why it matters
This driver set extends the practical lifespan of early hybrid tablet hardware that remains in occasional use, particularly in education and embedded repurposing scenarios where ARM and x86 Atom devices see second-life deployment. For the kernel maintainers, it also demonstrates continued investment in the multi-function device subsystem and the Linux input stack's ability to accommodate legacy hardware with non-standard embedded controllers.