Starting with the socfpga-4.12 and (some ltsi branch) branches, a small syntax change will be required in Device Tree Overlay source (dts) files. Normal dts files do not require any change, only dts files that are overlays.
The change is:
-/dts-v1/ /plugin/;
+/dts-v1/;
+/plugin/;
Without this change, the dtc will complain during compilation noting that characters 10-18 on that line of the file are invalid, such as:
Error: /home/atull/repos/linux-socfpga/arch/arm/boot/dts/persona0.dts:1.10-18 syntax error
The reason for this change is that plugin support has been officially added in the Device Tree Compiler (dtc).
We no longer have to up date the dtc with a downstream patched version to get that functionality. The device tree community settled on this syntax, so the upstream has this change.