Messages in this thread | | | From | "Huang, Xiong" <> | Subject | RE: [PATCH v2] net: add new QCA alx ethernet driver | Date | Thu, 23 Aug 2012 06:35:40 +0000 |
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> This is why we require that portable, sane, interfaces are added to ethtool for > driver diagnostics. That way users can perform a task in the same way > regardless of what hardware and driver are underneath.
I quite agree you on using ethtool to implement it. we did consider it. But ethtool has some limitation, for example, the NIC has built-in OTP (TWSI interface) And Flash (External SPI interface), their properties are quite different with EEPROM which Ethtool supports. To support such memory (OTP/Flash), we need additional input parameters.
Same situation exists in diagnostic utility. Ethtool only provide two options : offline & online That's too gross to locate which part/module of the chip is malfunction. we also need more options to detect it.
that's why we finally selected a custom debugfs interface.
Thanks Xiong
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