diff --git a/sound/firewire/lib.h b/sound/firewire/lib.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..064f3fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sound/firewire/lib.h
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+#ifndef SOUND_FIREWIRE_LIB_H_INCLUDED
+#define SOUND_FIREWIRE_LIB_H_INCLUDED
+
+#include <linux/firewire-constants.h>
+#include <linux/types.h>
+
+struct fw_unit;
+
+int snd_fw_transaction(struct fw_unit *unit, int tcode,
+		       u64 offset, void *buffer, size_t length);
+const char *rcode_string(unsigned int rcode);
+
+/* returns true if retrying the transaction would not make sense */
+static inline bool rcode_is_permanent_error(int rcode)
+{
+	return rcode == RCODE_TYPE_ERROR || rcode == RCODE_ADDRESS_ERROR;
+}
+
+#endif