Re: [PATCH V4 1/8] sxgbe: Add device-tree binding support document

On Wed, Mar 19, 2014 at 10:32:48PM +0000, Byungho An wrote:

Mark Rutland [off-list ref] :

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On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 04:27:46PM +0000, Byungho An wrote:

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Mark Rutland [off-list ref] :

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Hi,

As a general note it's helpful for devicetree to be Cc'd on the
entire

series

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(though the binding document should be a separate patch) as it
provides

useful

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context for reviewing the binding.

OK.

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On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 06:47:13AM +0000, Byungho An wrote:

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From: Siva Reddy <redacted>

This patch adds binding document for SXGBE ethernet driver via

device-tree.

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Signed-off-by: Siva Reddy Kallam <redacted>
Signed-off-by: Byungho An <bh74.an@samsung.com>
---
 .../devicetree/bindings/net/samsung-sxgbe.txt      |   53
++++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 53 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644
Documentation/devicetree/bindings/net/samsung-sxgbe.txt

diff --git
a/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/net/samsung-sxgbe.txt
b/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/net/samsung-sxgbe.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ca27947

--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/net/samsung-sxgbe.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+* Samsung 10G Ethernet driver (SXGBE)
+
+Required properties:
+- compatible: Should be "samsung,sxgbe-v2.0a"
+- reg: Address and length of the register set for the device
+- interrupt-parent: Should be the phandle for the interrupt
+controller
+  that services interrupts for this device
+- interrupts: Should contain the SXGBE interrupts
+  These interrupts are ordered by fixed and follows variable
+  trasmit DMA interrupts, receive DMA interrupts and lpi interrupt.
+  index 0 - this is fixed common interrupt of SXGBE and it is
+always
+  available.
+  index 1 to 25 - 8 variable trasmit interrupts, variable 16
+receive

interrupts
+  and 1 optional lpi interrupt.
+- phy-mode: String, operation mode of the PHY interface.
+  Supported values are: "xaui", "gmii".
+- samsung,pbl: Integer, Programmable Burst Length.
+  Supported values are 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, or 32.

There's no need to abbreviate to "pbl".

Is this a property of the hardware, or configuration that the kernel
will

program

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in? If the latter, why can the kernel not choose?

Yes, this is hardware property

Ok.

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+- samsung,fixed-burst: Boolean, Program the DMA to use the fixed
+burst mode
+- samsung,burst-map: Integer, Program the possible bursts
+supported by sxgbe
+  This is an interger and represents allowable DMA bursts when
+fixed

burst.

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+  Allowable range is 0x00-0x3F. This field is valid only when
+fixed burst is
+  enabled, otherwise ignored.

If that's the case, why not have just this property and have it
imply the

use of

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fixed burst mode?

OK. It will be implemented in next patch set.

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When is it necessary to use fixed burst mode?

This is the configurable mode of DMA an used internally by hardware to
fetch data from platform bus

Sure, but that doesn't describe when it is necessary. Is this the way the

DMA

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was configured at integration time, or the way the kernel should configure

it?
It is needed when fixed length of burst is needed. 
if it is not configured, the length of burst will be variable(not fixed).
Anyway, I'll add description more for it.

And when is it necessary to have a fixed length of burst?

Is this a property of the system, or the conenction of the system to
another?

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If the latter, is it absolutely necessary for correctness to use fixed-burst

mode?

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Or is it just always sensible to use it if available? 

It is not absolutely necessary, as I mentioned above.

The description above does not make this clear.

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What does the driver do if fixed burst mode is not available? Would this

work in

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the presence of fixed-burt mode?

Fixed burst mode is always available so driver doesn't need to care about it.

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I'm not arguing to remove these properties. I'd just like to understand if

all

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you're describing is the presence of a feature or that the use of the

feature is

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absolutely necessary for correctness.

OK

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I'm perfectly happy for Linux to always decide to use these features if

available.

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+- samsung,adv-addr-mode: Boolean, Program the DMA to use Enhanced
+address
mode.

When would this be selected, and why can the kernel not choose?

Kernel doesn't have the provision to find out a way to select this.
So, need to pass from DT

Likewise, it is always absolutely necessary, or just always sensible to use
enhanced address mode if present?

Not always necessary. When extended address mode is needed, it can be set in
the DT.

When is this needed?

Cheers,
Mark.