On Thu, 18 Nov 2021, Maciej W. Rozycki wrote:
"Use the Data Link Layer Link Active status flag as the primary indicator of successful link speed negotiation, but given that the flag is optional by hardware to implement (the ASM2824 does have it though) [...]"
NB I did verify the change too by making code ignore the presence of the DLLLA bit in the ASM2824, the usual approach in simulating a different environment that is not readily available. Otherwise I would have no guarantee that the loop termination conditions are indeed right or what a reasonable timeout would be for when there is no DLLLA bit. If that was the case, I'd be offering unverified code (which is sometimes inevitable) without mentioning that fact and/or asking for verification, and that would be a major fault with any submission.
I could have mentioned it with my submission that operation without DLLLA has been verified, which was clearly an oversight on my side. OTOH it's been routine for me when working with hardware, so it didn't occur to me it may not be obvious to someone else (though indeed I've seen submissions of varying quality, so things cannot be taken for granted).
Maciej