Subject: Re: [PATCH net-next v1 0/9] Ethernet Cable test support

From: Andrew Lunn <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 29 Apr 2020 18:32:47 +0200

On Wed, Apr 29, 2020 at 06:02:13PM +0200, Michael Walle wrote:
> Hi Andrew,
> 
> > Add infrastructure in ethtool and phylib support for triggering a
> > cable test and reporting the results. The Marvell 1G PHY driver is
> > then extended to make use of this infrastructure.
> 
> I'm currently trying this with the AR8031 PHY. With this PHY, you
> have to select the pair which you want to start the test on. So
> you'd have to start the test four times in a row for a normal
> gigabit cable. Right now, I don't see a way how to do that
> efficiently if there is no interrupt. One could start another test
> in the get_status() polling if the former was completed
> successfully. But then you'd have to wait at least four polling
> intervals to get the final result (given a cable with four pairs).
> 
> Any other ideas?

Hi Michael

Nice to see some more PHYs getting support for this.

It is important that the start function returns quickly. However, the
get status function can block. So you could do all the work in the
first call to get status, polling for completion at a faster rate,
etc.

	Andrew