linux-drivers/
drivers/net/ethernet/cadence

Cadence MACB and GEM Ethernet controllers

The Cadence MACB and GEM Ethernet MAC IP blocks integrated into many ARM-based system-on-chips, including Microchip's SAMA5/SAMA7 family, AMD/Xilinx Zynq, Zynq UltraScale+, and Versal, and the Raspberry Pi RP1 chip. It provides 10/100 and Gigabit Ethernet on embedded Linux devices ranging from industrial controllers to FPGAs to single-board computers.

keep conf=0.92 deploy=high replacement=none subsystem=net category=networking-ethernet
92%

recommendation

It should stay because the hardware is shipping today: Microchip's SAMA7G54 is in current production, AMD lists Zynq UltraScale+ with a product lifespan to 2045, and the new Raspberry Pi RP1 chip relies on it. The code is actively maintained upstream, with ordinary bug fixes landing in 2026, and no alternative driver exists for this IP block.

repository signals

6 files
8,152 source lines
159 commits, 5y
+2,357 / −1,293 lines added / removed, 5y
71 authors, 5y
monthly commits · 2021-04-21 → 2026-04-21 · 159 total · active in 49/61 months
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sources

  1. cateee.net

    CONFIG_MACB remains present in current kernels and describes this directory as Cadence MACB/GEM support used on many Atmel/Cadence SoCs.

  2. microchip.com

    Microchip lists SAMA7G54 as 'In Production' and the device includes one Gigabit Ethernet MAC plus one 10/100 Ethernet MAC.

  3. amd.com

    AMD still sells Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoCs, documents integrated Gigabit Ethernet, and states product lifespans extending to 2045.

codex reasoning notes (technical)

Real driver directory: local shell inspection (`rg`, `ls`) shows `macb_main.c`, `macb_pci.c`, `macb_ptp.c`, platform/PCI driver entry points, and compatibles for current SoCs including `microchip,sama7g5-gem`, `xlnx,zynqmp-gem`, `xlnx,versal-gem`, `raspberrypi,rp1-gem`. Upstream activity is clearly live: local `git -c safe.directory=... log` shows multiple non-mechanical `net: macb:` fixes and cleanups in March-April 2026, so this is not a dormant legacy driver. Deployment evidence is strong from web-search-derived vendor pages: Microchip SAMA7G54 is in production, and AMD Zynq UltraScale+ remains an active long-life product family with Gigabit Ethernet. LKDDb (web search result) confirms the driver is still configured in current kernels. I attempted lore-first removal checks, but the advertised `lore-http` MCP server was unavailable in this environment, `lei` was not installed, and direct web searches for lore removal/deprecation threads returned no results; that lowers certainty slightly but does not outweigh the strong evidence of active maintenance and current hardware sales. No natural replacement driver exists for the same Cadence MACB/GEM IP block, so removal/deprecation is not indicated.