Synopsys DesignWare XLGMAC Enterprise Ethernet MAC
Linux support for the Synopsys DesignWare XLGMAC, a licensable Ethernet MAC IP block (1G to 100G) that chip designers integrate into custom SoCs and ASICs. The in-tree PCI binding only matches a single Synopsys prototyping kit (PCI ID 16c3:7302), so in practice it is used by hardware engineers bringing up XLGMAC-based silicon rather than by end users with shipping products.
recommendation
Worth keeping but documenting its niche: Synopsys still actively licenses the XLGMAC IP family in 2025, so the driver remains relevant to SoC designers, but upstream activity is very thin (the most recent touch in mid-2024 was a trivial MODULE_DESCRIPTION cleanup) and the only PCI ID it binds is a Synopsys prototyping kit. It should stay because removing it would break a current commercial IP block's reference Linux support, but a comment noting its prototyping-kit scope and low end-user footprint would help future maintainers triage it correctly.
repository signals
sources
- lore.kernel.org
Recent upstream activity exists, but the latest visible touch is a 2024 janitorial fix rather than feature work or substantial bug-fix traffic.
- lore.kernel.org
Earlier visible activity is sparse and mostly minor maintenance, consistent with a low-churn niche driver.
- cateee.net
Upstream config/help text identifies this as XLGMAC PCI support and says it was tested on a Synopsys XLGMAC IP Prototyping Kit; LKDDb shows only PCI ID 16c3:7302.
- synopsys.com
Synopsys still markets the XLGMAC Enterprise Ethernet MAC IP for current 1G-100G SoC/ASIC designs, so the underlying IP family was still commercially offered in 2025.
- synopsys.com
Synopsys describes IP prototyping kits with Linux reference drivers and development flows, supporting the view that Linux usage is mainly in prototyping/integration niches rather than broad end-user deployments.
codex reasoning notes (technical)
Local source inspection via exec_command showed this directory is the dwc-xlgmac driver and Kconfig says PCI support was tested on a Synopsys XLGMAC IP Prototyping Kit; dwc-xlgmac-pci.c binds only PCI vendor/device 16c3:7302. lore_file_timeline and lore_activity on dwc-xlgmac-pci.c showed very sparse public maintenance, with the latest 2024-06 patch being a MODULE_DESCRIPTION warning fix and earlier hits mostly small cleanup. Web search returned LKDDb plus current Synopsys product/prototyping pages, indicating the IP family is still sold/licensed, but likely deployed mostly in low-volume prototyping or custom SoC environments. That argues against deprecation/removal now, but merits annotation as niche and low-activity.