Talk Intermediate

Implementing a Custom HAL in AOSP

Approved

Session Description

In this talk, I will walk through the process of implementing a custom Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) in the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). The session is designed to provide a clear, practical understanding of how Android communicates from the application layer to low-level hardware through its HAL interface.

I’ll use a real-world example involving hardware activation to demonstrate:

Creating a HAL module and registering it with the Android system
Modifying the AOSP framework to communicate with the HAL
Establishing secure access to hardware nodes at the kernel level
Managing permissions and SELinux policies for hardware control
Developing a simple Android app and service to trigger HAL operations

Whether you're working on sensors, indicators, or custom peripherals, this session offers a reusable blueprint for integrating the hardware layer into AOSP.

Key Takeaways

Understand the architecture and lifecycle of a custom HAL in Android
Learn how to connect application-layer components with hardware interfaces
With the hardware demo available, attendees will be able to develop their own custom HAL