[PATCH net-next] net: phylink: add phylink_pcs_loopback() method for PCS loopback support

From: Zxyan Zhu

Date: Fri Jul 24 2026 - 04:57:37 EST


Add a pcs_loopback callback to struct phylink_pcs_ops to allow PCS
devices to expose loopback capability. This is useful for MAC drivers
running selftests on interfaces that use in-band signalling and have
no external PHY device.

The phylink_pcs_loopback() helper calls the PCS ops callback if
available, and returns -EOPNOTSUPP for PCS devices that do not
support loopback.

In stmmac, use phylink_pcs_loopback() in stmmac_test_phy_loopback()
and stmmac_selftest_run() when no phydev is present but a PCS with
loopback support exists. This enables PHY loopback selftests on
interfaces without an external PHY.

Signed-off-by: Zxyan Zhu <zxyan0222@xxxxxxxxx>
---
.../stmicro/stmmac/stmmac_selftests.c | 36 ++++++++++++++-----
drivers/net/phy/phylink.c | 19 ++++++++++
include/linux/phylink.h | 16 +++++++++
3 files changed, 63 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/stmicro/stmmac/stmmac_selftests.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/stmicro/stmmac/stmmac_selftests.c
index 29e824bd90ca..e6ac51018a65 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/stmicro/stmmac/stmmac_selftests.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/stmicro/stmmac/stmmac_selftests.c
@@ -377,20 +377,36 @@ static int stmmac_test_mac_loopback(struct stmmac_priv *priv)
static int stmmac_test_phy_loopback(struct stmmac_priv *priv)
{
struct stmmac_packet_attrs attr = { };
+ struct phylink_pcs *pcs;
int ret;

- if (!priv->dev->phydev)
- return -EOPNOTSUPP;
+ if (priv->dev->phydev) {
+ ret = phy_loopback(priv->dev->phydev, true, 0);
+ if (ret)
+ return ret;

- ret = phy_loopback(priv->dev->phydev, true, 0);
- if (ret)
+ attr.dst = priv->dev->dev_addr;
+ ret = __stmmac_test_loopback(priv, &attr);
+
+ phy_loopback(priv->dev->phydev, false, 0);
return ret;
+ }

- attr.dst = priv->dev->dev_addr;
- ret = __stmmac_test_loopback(priv, &attr);
+ /* Use PCS loopback for interfaces without an external PHY. */
+ pcs = priv->hw->phylink_pcs;
+ if (pcs) {
+ ret = phylink_pcs_loopback(pcs, true);
+ if (ret)
+ return ret;

- phy_loopback(priv->dev->phydev, false, 0);
- return ret;
+ attr.dst = priv->dev->dev_addr;
+ ret = __stmmac_test_loopback(priv, &attr);
+
+ phylink_pcs_loopback(pcs, false);
+ return ret;
+ }
+
+ return -EOPNOTSUPP;
}

static int stmmac_test_mmc(struct stmmac_priv *priv)
@@ -1986,6 +2002,8 @@ void stmmac_selftest_run(struct net_device *dev,
ret = -EOPNOTSUPP;
if (dev->phydev)
ret = phy_loopback(dev->phydev, true, 0);
+ else if (priv->hw->phylink_pcs)
+ ret = phylink_pcs_loopback(priv->hw->phylink_pcs, true);
if (!ret)
break;
fallthrough;
@@ -2019,6 +2037,8 @@ void stmmac_selftest_run(struct net_device *dev,
ret = -EOPNOTSUPP;
if (dev->phydev)
ret = phy_loopback(dev->phydev, false, 0);
+ else if (priv->hw->phylink_pcs)
+ ret = phylink_pcs_loopback(priv->hw->phylink_pcs, false);
if (!ret)
break;
fallthrough;
diff --git a/drivers/net/phy/phylink.c b/drivers/net/phy/phylink.c
index 59dfe35afa54..a7f78c82913a 100644
--- a/drivers/net/phy/phylink.c
+++ b/drivers/net/phy/phylink.c
@@ -997,6 +997,25 @@ int phylink_pcs_pre_init(struct phylink *pl, struct phylink_pcs *pcs)
}
EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(phylink_pcs_pre_init);

+/**
+ * phylink_pcs_loopback() - Enable or disable loopback at the PCS
+ * @pcs: a pointer to a &struct phylink_pcs.
+ * @enable: true to enable loopback, false to disable
+ *
+ * Enable or disable loopback mode at the PCS level. This is used by MAC
+ * drivers for selftest purposes when no external PHY is present.
+ *
+ * Returns 0 on success, negative error code on failure.
+ */
+int phylink_pcs_loopback(struct phylink_pcs *pcs, bool enable)
+{
+ if (pcs->ops->pcs_loopback)
+ return pcs->ops->pcs_loopback(pcs, enable);
+
+ return -EOPNOTSUPP;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(phylink_pcs_loopback);
+
static void phylink_mac_config(struct phylink *pl,
const struct phylink_link_state *state)
{
diff --git a/include/linux/phylink.h b/include/linux/phylink.h
index 2bc0db3d52ac..66c7016d4acd 100644
--- a/include/linux/phylink.h
+++ b/include/linux/phylink.h
@@ -518,6 +518,7 @@ struct phylink_pcs {
* the MAC.
* @pcs_pre_init: configure PCS components necessary for MAC hardware
* initialization e.g. RX clock for stmmac.
+ * @pcs_loopback: enable/disable loopback mode at the PCS.
*/
struct phylink_pcs_ops {
int (*pcs_validate)(struct phylink_pcs *pcs, unsigned long *supported,
@@ -542,6 +543,7 @@ struct phylink_pcs_ops {
void (*pcs_disable_eee)(struct phylink_pcs *pcs);
void (*pcs_enable_eee)(struct phylink_pcs *pcs);
int (*pcs_pre_init)(struct phylink_pcs *pcs);
+ int (*pcs_loopback)(struct phylink_pcs *pcs, bool enable);
};

#if 0 /* For kernel-doc purposes only. */
@@ -717,8 +719,22 @@ void pcs_enable_eee(struct phylink_pcs *pcs);
*/
int pcs_pre_init(struct phylink_pcs *pcs);

+/**
+ * pcs_loopback() - Enable or disable loopback at the PCS
+ * @pcs: a pointer to a &struct phylink_pcs.
+ * @enable: true to enable loopback, false to disable
+ *
+ * Enable or disable loopback mode at the PCS level. This is used by MAC
+ * drivers for selftest purposes when no external PHY is present.
+ *
+ * Returns 0 on success, or a negative error code on failure.
+ */
+int pcs_loopback(struct phylink_pcs *pcs, bool enable);
+
#endif

+int phylink_pcs_loopback(struct phylink_pcs *pcs, bool enable);
+
struct phylink *phylink_create(struct phylink_config *,
const struct fwnode_handle *,
phy_interface_t,

base-commit: 1df10cef2d1e7f9f2fb7eddb67fc70d3abf101f9
--
2.34.1