[PATCH net-next v3 08/47] net: phylink: Support differing link speeds and interface speeds

[Andrew Lunn]

> > This seem error prone when new PHY_INTERFACE_MODES are added. I would
> > prefer a WARN_ON_ONCE() in the default: so we get to know about such
> > problems.
> 
> Actually, this is the reason I did not add a default: clause to the
> switch (and instead listed everything out). If a new interface mode is
> added, there will be a warning (as I discovered when preparing this
> patch).

Ah, the compiler produces a warning. O.K. that is good. Better than an
WARN_ON_ONCE at runtime.

> > Bike shedding a bit, but would it be better to use host_side_speed and
> > line_side_speed? When you say link_speed, which link are your
> > referring to? Since we are talking about the different sides of the
> > PHY doing different speeds, the naming does need to be clear.
> When I say "link" I mean the thing that the PMD speaks. That is, one of
> the ethtool link mode bits. I am thinking of a topology like
> 
> 
> MAC (+PCS) <-- phy interface mode (MII) --> phy <-- link mode --> far-end phy
> 
> The way it has been done up to now, the phy interface mode and the link
> mode have the same speed. For some MIIs, (such as MII or GMII) this is
> actually the case, since the data clock changes depending on the data
> speed. For others (SGMII/USXGMII) the data is repeated, but the clock
> rate stays the same. In particular, the MAC doesn't care what the actual
> link speed is, just what configuration it has to use (so it selects the
> right clock etc).
> 
> The exception to the above is when you have no phy (such as for
> 1000BASE-X):
> 
> MAC (+PCS) <-- MDI --> PMD <-- link mode --> far-end PMD
> 
> All of the phy interface modes which can be used this way are
> "non-adaptive." That is, in the above case they have a fixed speed.
> 
> That said, I would like to keep the "phy interface mode speed" named
> "speed" so I don't have to write up a semantic patch to rename it in all
> the drivers.

So you want phydev->speed to be the host side speed. That leaves the
line side speed as a new variable, so it can be called line_side_speed?

I just find link_speed ambiguous, and line_side_speed less so.

The documentation for phydev->speed needs updating to make it clear it
is the host side speed.

   Andrew