Re: [PATCH REBASED 2/2] dt-bindings: nvmem: cells: add MAC address cell

["Rafał Miłecki" <zajec5@gmail.com>]

On 1.02.2022 18:01, Michael Walle wrote:
> Am 2022-02-01 16:55, schrieb Rob Herring:
>> On Wed, Jan 26, 2022 at 08:07:45AM +0100, Rafał Miłecki wrote:
>>> From: Rafał Miłecki <rafal@milecki.pl>
>>>
>>> This adds support for describing details of NVMEM cell containing MAC
>>> address. Those are often device specific and could be nicely stored in
>>> DT.
>>>
>>> Initial documentation includes support for describing:
>>> 1. Cell data format (e.g. Broadcom's NVRAM uses ASCII to store MAC)
>>> 2. Reversed bytes flash (required for i.MX6/i.MX7 OCOTP support)
>>> 3. Source for multiple addresses (very common in home routers)
>>>
>>> Signed-off-by: Rafał Miłecki <rafal@milecki.pl>
>>> ---
>>>  .../bindings/nvmem/cells/mac-address.yaml     | 94 +++++++++++++++++++
>>>  1 file changed, 94 insertions(+)
>>>  create mode 100644 Documentation/devicetree/bindings/nvmem/cells/mac-address.yaml
>>>
>>> diff --git a/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/nvmem/cells/mac-address.yaml b/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/nvmem/cells/mac-address.yaml
>>> new file mode 100644
>>> index 000000000000..f8d19e87cdf0
>>> --- /dev/null
>>> +++ b/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/nvmem/cells/mac-address.yaml
>>> @@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
>>> +# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-only OR BSD-2-Clause
>>> +%YAML 1.2
>>> +---
>>> +$id: http://devicetree.org/schemas/nvmem/cells/mac-address.yaml#
>>> +$schema: http://devicetree.org/meta-schemas/core.yaml#
>>> +
>>> +title: NVMEM cell containing a MAC address
>>> +
>>> +maintainers:
>>> +  - Rafał Miłecki <rafal@milecki.pl>
>>> +
>>> +properties:
>>> +  compatible:
>>> +    const: mac-address
>>> +
>>> +  format:
>>> +    description: |
>>> +      Some NVMEM cells contain MAC in a non-binary format.
>>> +
>>> +      ASCII should be specified if MAC is string formatted like:
>>> +      - "01:23:45:67:89:AB" (30 31 3a 32 33 3a 34 35 3a 36 37 3a 38 39 3a 41 42)
>>> +      - "01-23-45-67-89-AB"
>>> +      - "0123456789AB"
>>> +    enum:
>>> +      - ascii
>>> +
>>> +  reversed-bytes:
>>> +    type: boolean
>>> +    description: |
>>> +      MAC is stored in reversed bytes order. Example:
>>> +      Stored value: AB 89 67 45 23 01
>>> +      Actual MAC: 01 23 45 67 89 AB
>>> +
>>> +  base-address:
>>> +    type: boolean
>>> +    description: |
>>> +      Marks NVMEM cell as provider of multiple addresses that are relative to
>>> +      the one actually stored physically. Respective addresses can be requested
>>> +      by specifying cell index of NVMEM cell.
>>
>> While a base address is common, aren't there different ways the base is
>> modified.
>>
>> The problem with these properties is every new variation results in a
>> new property and the end result is something not well designed. A unique
>> compatible string, "#nvmem-cell-cells" and code to interpret the data is
>> more flexible.
> 
> I actually like having a unique compatible for anything but the basic
> operations. For example, the sl28 vpd area also has a checksum, which
> could be handled if there is an own compatible. I don't think this is
> possible with this proposal. Also there is a version field, what if
> we change the layout of that thing? Am I supposed to change the
> device tree? The more I think about Rob's proposal to have a compatible
> the more I like it.

Having more detailed binding for cells doesn't stop you from using NVMEM
device specific binding.

You could have e.g.

partition@f00000 {
      compatible = "foo,foo-cells", "nvmem-cells";
      (...)

      mac@100 {
          compatible = "mac-address";
          reg = <0x100 0x6>;
      };

      OR

      mac@100 {
          compatible = "mac-address";
          reg = <0x100 0x11>;
          format = "ascii";
      };
};

Then you can have "foo,foo-cells" driver handling checksum.

I'm not saying we have to use this solution, just saying it's possible.