Re: [net-next 1/2] net: ethernet: slicoss: add slicoss gigabit ethernet driver

From: Florian Fainelli
Date: Tue Nov 15 2016 - 15:55:01 EST


On 11/15/2016 12:46 PM, Lino Sanfilippo wrote:
>> Could this be pulled out into a standard PHY driver? All the SLIC
>> SLIC_PCR_ defines seems to be the same as those in mii.h. This could
>> be a standard PHY hidden behind a single register.
>>
>> Andrew
>
> You are right, the driver should really use the defines in mii.h. I will fix this in
> a v2.
>
> Concerning the use of the PHY API: What would be the advantage of using it? Note that the
> phy is always internal and not interchangeable. Is not the interchangeability of PHYs
> the main reason for using this API?

Not reinventing the wheel primarily, while PHYLIB also solves the plug &
play aspect of external PHYs, it also solves the basic link management,
and consistent and reasonably well defined interface to user-space and
drivers (statistics reporting, link, auto-negotiation, EEE etc.).
--
Florian