Re: [PATCH 1/3] net: stmmac: support low-speed USXGMII validation

From: Zhangfei Gao

Date: Thu Sep 24 2026 - 07:19:29 EST


On Wed, Sep 23, 2026 at 9:09 PM Andrew Lunn <andrew@xxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > The XPCS also consumes the PHY-generated Clause 37 in-band link and
> > speed status, so USXGMII must use in-band signalling.
>
> Is this a qualcomm specific feature, or defined in the databook of the
> licensed IP.

This is defined by the Synopsys DWC XPCS databook, rather than being
Qualcomm-specific. The Clause 37 USXGMII implementation added by this
series uses PHY-generated in-band status containing link, speed and
duplex information.

>
> > case DW_AN_C37_USXGMII:
> > - return LINK_INBAND_DISABLE;
> > + /* The PCS consumes the PHY's CL37 in-band link and speed status. */
> > + return LINK_INBAND_ENABLE;
>
> I ask, because when i look at this, i immediately think is this a
> behaviour change? Is it going to break existing systems? Or was the
> old code broken?

DW_AN_C37_USXGMII is newly introduced by this series. This change adds
a separate case for that new mode and leaves the existing DW_10GBASER
and DW_2500BASEX cases returning LINK_INBAND_DISABLE. Therefore, it
does not change the behaviour of any existing XPCS mode or system. It
also matches the implementation added by this series, which enables
Clause 37 AN and reads the received USXGMII status in
xpcs_get_state_c37_usxgmii().

case DW_10GBASER:
case DW_2500BASEX:
return LINK_INBAND_DISABLE;

+ case DW_AN_C37_USXGMII:
+ /* The PCS consumes the PHY's CL37 in-band link and
speed status. */
+ return LINK_INBAND_ENABLE;
+

>
> The commit message is where you try to guess what reviewers are going
> to ask, and answer the question before they ask. Seeing such answers
> in the commit message gives me a good idea you have done your due
> diligence, and the patch is probably O.K. Without such comments, i
> have to assume this is poor quality code and really exam it in detail.

Thanks for the guidance.

Thanks